Pride and prejudice

Today: 1 Peter

"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen is my all-time favorite book. I've read it at least once every year, since high school English class when I read it for the first time. I love the characters and the dynamics. Unlike many women, I don't really love Mr. Darcy (or Colin Firth, for that matter). What I love most is the story...and how something written hundreds of years can still ring true today.

Pride and prejudice are dynamics we all face. Have you ever thought about their impact on your life as a Christian? Their impact on your relationships with people who don't share your faith? Take a look at a portion of today's passage:

Friends, this world is not your home,

so don't make yourselves cozy in it.

Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.

Live an exemplary life

among the natives

so that your actions

will refute their prejudices.

Then they'll be won over to God's side

and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

Hmm...it's interesting that the ego of the Christian is mentioned in a passage that also talks about prejudice from people who don't believe in God. Why?

When we let go of our egos, our souls--and Jesus at work in them--can shine through our "exemplary lives." If our egos are in the way, people see our pride instead of Christ--it's a big turn-off that may make them prejudiced against Him. Ouch. Let's win them over by living lives of love, letting God shine through our everyday actions, attitudes and hearts.

Growing pains, Dr. Phil and you

Today: Ephesians 4-6

Growing up is hard to do...

Sounds like a song doesn't it? I think the song is actually "Breaking up is hard to do," but whatever. :) Both statements are true.

In this passage, Paul...and God, actually...are really encouraging Christians to grow up. I can almost picture the apostle Paul writing this as a Dr. Phil-like character, telling it "like it is" throughout this passage (though perhaps with more hair, no accent and a bit more edge).

Actually, he encourages the readers to "tell the whole truth" here, too:

God wants us to grow up,

to know the whole truth and tell it in love—

like Christ in everything.

We take our lead from Christ,

who is the source of everything we do.

He keeps us in step with each other.

His very breath and blood flow through us,

nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God,

robust in love.

All right--sounds good. But...how? The rest of the passage outlines a lot of things. I'll include some of the verses and my own short version (in bold) of eight ways to grow up, too (trust me, I'm still working on them, too!):

1. Don't follow a crowd who doesn't follow Christ. They don't know where they're going.

And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—

that there be no going along with the crowd,

the empty-headed, mindless crowd.

They've refused for so long to deal with God

that they've lost touch not only with God

but with reality itself.

They can't think straight anymore.

Feeling no pain, they let themselves go

in sexual obsession,

addicted to every sort of perversion.

But that's no life for you.

2. Learn Christ and His ways. He's truth itself and can transform your life, so that it feels brand new.

You learned Christ!

My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him,

been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus.

Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance,

everything—and I do mean everything—

connected with that old way of life has to go.

It's rotten through and through.

Get rid of it!

And then take on an entirely new way of life—

a God-fashioned life,

a life renewed from the inside

and working itself into your conduct

as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

3. Tell the truth without phony pretense, just as you'd want others to tell it to you.

What this adds up to, then, is this:

no more lies, no more pretense.

Tell your neighbor the truth.

In Christ's body we're all connected to each other,
after all.

When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.

4. It's okay to be angry...for a little while. If you let it last, it can destroy you.

Go ahead and be angry.

You do well to be angry—

but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge.

And don't stay angry.

Don't go to bed angry.

Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.

5. Don't steal--work, so you can help others.

Did you use to make ends meet by stealing?

Well, no more!

Get an honest job so that you can help others who can't work.

6. Speak life and encouragement. Words matter to God and people.

Watch the way you talk.

Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth.

Say only what helps, each word a gift...

Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk.

Be gentle with one another, sensitive.

Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly

as God in Christ forgave you.

7. Be conscious of your conscience. "Gut instinct" could be God at work inside you (as long as it's in line with the Bible, of course!).

Don't grieve God.

Don't break his heart.

His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you,

is the most intimate part of your life,

making you fit for himself.

Don't take such a gift for granted.

8. Imitate God: Love.

Watch what God does,

and then you do it,

like children who learn proper behavior from their parents.

Mostly what God does is love you.

Tomorrow: Philippians

When a terrorist is transformed

Today: Acts 9-10

What would you do if Osama bin Laden suddenly showed up in your town?

Imagine if he started shouting around your neighborhood, "I had a vision. I saw Jesus and heard His voice. I became blind--literally--but was healed. My life is changed! I'm not the guy I was before--I'm so sorry for the things I've done. I believe in Him now."

Holy cow.

To be honest, I don't think I'd trust him. I would call the FBI. I would be afraid--I mean, the guy has been responsible for the deaths of many innocent people. He hates Christians.

Obviously, this situation isn't real...or is it?

In Acts chapter 8, "Osama" was Saul--a Jewish guy who hated Christians so much that he hunted them down. He sought to kill them. He did kill them. But one day, he met Jesus on the road and was drastically transformed.

Some of the disciples were skeptical and afraid--they experienced the same reaction I would if this happened with Osama today. Some of Saul's former cronies tried to kill him after he believed in Jesus and started preaching around various cities.

After awhile, no one would doubt the validity of the change in Saul--so drastic that his name is changed (to Paul). The guy who murdered Christians becomes the world's most famous preacher--and risks his own life to tell the story of Jesus.

Though it's from another section of today's reading (these chapters include lots of great stories and text!), I thought Peter's words in this passage also applied to Saul...and anyone else...who has been changed by the power of God:

"It's God's own truth, nothing could be plainer:

God plays no favorites!

It makes no difference who you are

or where you're from—

if you want God

and are ready to do as he says,

the door is open.

The Message he sent to the children of Israel—

that through Jesus Christ

everything is being put together again—

well, he's doing it everywhere, among everyone..."

Tomorrow: Acts 11-13

The Christian Club

Today: Luke 17-18

"Exclusive"
"Elite"
"Tight-knit"
"Club"
"Family"

The words I've used above could be used to describe a country club, a fraternity, a gang, a workplace...or a church.

While many of these words have good connotations of closeness, there are others that point to exclusion. And that's where churches or Christians in particular can run into trouble.

It's interesting to me how some churches are defined by their demographics--there are white churches and black churches, rich churches and poor churches, churches for single people and churches for families, churches for young and others for older people.

When you walk in the doors, you immediately know whether or not you fit in--whether or not you can join the club or if you will always remain an outsider.

Some of it can even come down to a look--Is your hair big enough or edgy enough? Are you thin or chubby? Do you have tatoos or the clean-cut look? Do you wear designer clothes or shop at Target? No matter what your answer is to any of the above questions, there is probably a church specifically designed for you.

Forgive me, but I think that's actually really sad. Shouldn't we all--black, white, older, younger, edgy, conservative, rich, poor--be able to come together? We're all people. We all need God--and each other. And most importantly, we need to welcome any person who walks into our church doors just as they are...because that's how God loves and welcomes them. (Note that I'm not saying Christians should love sin...in ourselves or others...but we should completely love people.)

Here's what Jesus said:

"...If you walk around with your nose in the air,

you're going to end up flat on your face,

but if you're content to be simply yourself,

you will become more than yourself."

To be completely honest, I've personally been on both sides of the coin--a snotty Christian clubber myself and at other times, on the left-out side. Neither experience is great--trust me. But I hope that I'll change--that I'll be less concerned about myself and whatever side of the club I land in--and to be more concerned with embracing others. Christianity is more than a club--it's a cause.

Tomorrow: Luke 19-20