Serving in the Upside Down Kingdom

Have you ever been annoyed at someone’s immaturity?

If only he wouldn’t…? If only she wasn’t so….? Why doesn’t he realize…? Why does she always do that? Can’t they just grow up!?

We are slow to realize the beauty of simply serving. Though it may seem far more satisfactory pointing out the immaturity and taking opportunity to correct the obvious it is typically lacking love. When we consider the vast expanse between the wisdom of God and our maturity we will see the person vexing us really isn’t different from ourselves. Seeing the great and undeserved love given to us casts our actions towards another in a vastly different light – see Matthew 18.

If we do not love it is because we have not received His love, IE – we do not know Him. Yes, the greatest indicator to the measure we have touched or experienced the depth, width, length and height of His love is how we respond to others. Specifically others who we would naturally view as having a lesser importance than ourselves.

Consider the way Jesus, the perfect representation of the Father, related to twelve immature men He chose to disciple, how He responded to every petty request and selfish response.  Empowered by love they served to lead and led to serve. Not taking lightly that the greater position they were given the more they must become like the ‘servant of all’. Emulating Christ was not to become a ruler so as to lord over the peoples but to become their servant.

Today when you see ones younger or more immature than yourself ask the Holy Spirit what He says about them, what is their destiny in Him?Are you in a position of authority? All the more reason to respond with love, looking for ways to serve one who Jesus has called beautiful. Seeing the eternal being Jesus longs to bring into the full fellowship of the trinity rather than the annoying twerp will give new perspective to every opportunity to serve.

After all, in an upside down kingdom, you never know when the gardener might be a king.

Agreement In Love

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11

This prayer indicates that without an increase of love which produces knowledge and discernment I will cease to express genuine love and become offended. What type of offense is Paul warning against? He isn’t addressing not being offended at someone who hurt your feelings; Paul is addressing the deep seated accusation in all our hearts that God is not good. It is fairly easy to imagine that we don’t really have any offense against Jesus, until we examine what He has to say about offense, forgiveness and love:

“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.”  – John 14:23

“But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment” – Matt 5:22

“Then the master called the servant in, ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” – Matthew 18:33-35

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” – Matt 6:14-15

“And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” – 2John 6

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1John4:8

If I am offended at my brother I have an offense against God because by holding onto that offense I am exalting my own way and wisdom above following His commands. The standard of forgiveness He holds to is the standard of what we have received. If we say we have been forgiven much but refuse to forgive our brother we call God a liar. To imagine that we approach the Son of God and demand our offense legitimate and right is both astounding and terrifying, as though He should come and defend Himself from our offense. He alone is right and He alone is just. Jesus isn’t returning to approve of western Christianity. He is returning for a pure and spotless Bride who will stand in agreement with Him. In Joshua 5:13 Joshua is preparing to take the city of Jericho. He looks up and sees a Man holding in His hand a drawn sword. Joshua inquires as to what side the Man stands with, but the Man stands alone and states: “As Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Jesus isn’t going to choose my side over yours, as if we can justify ourselves before Him in our anger or offense against another. He only chooses perfect justice which means He chooses Himself. Our choice which side we will stand with, our own or His.

The only way I will be not be offended, now and in that day, is by Him and through Him. To even acknowledge this internal disagreement with God is evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in my heart and understanding. We must come to Him as one poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3), not shocked by our wickedness but ready to surrender and say “Yes” to His ways.

- Jesus, examine my heart, search its hidden places I don’t even know exist so that I will stand in agreement with you today and in the days to come. Lead me, teach me how to love that I might know you! Fill me with wisdom and discernment for apart from you I have no good thing. You alone are the perfect leader and I desire to know and agree with you alone.

Injustice of False Justice

I recently watched part of a film called Freakonomics; one of the statistics/ beliefs they challenged was the crime rate drop in the 90’s. The film claimed the statistics typically credited for the drop could, if combined, make up for 50% of the drop; the remaining 50% perhaps could be contributed to the legalization of abortion (Roe vs Wade 1973). Freakonoics begins its premise with statistics showing ‘unwanted’ children are raised in homes in which they receive less care and are more likely to become criminals. When abortion was legalized suddenly these ‘unwanted’ children disappeared from the population. Fast forward 15-20 years and you find crime rates mysteriously dropping. The theory is that 50% of the drop in crime was due to a missing segment of the population; that those who would have committed the criminal acts no longer existed.

At first glance this may seem to add strength to the pro-choice voice. By allowing women the right to choose they can now decide when they want children and thus the family units are strengthened because the children born are ‘wanted.’ No longer must children be born into homes where they are unwanted and cast aside until the day they can strike out against humanity in a vain attempt to express the rage and hate which has been previously directed towards them.

By allowing the freedom of choice we may indeed see the numbers of those abused, neglected and struggling in poverty diminish. Yet – are the injustices the previous generations struggled against lessened or are there simply fewer voices of frustration? I would argue that the injustices continue to exist and even increase because the voice of the future has been effectively silenced. Those who would revolt against the injustice no longer exist to cry out for justice. By removing these voices the injustice is allowed to continue and society continues in ignorance and delusion that we have bettered the situation of our fellow man when all we have really done is executed those who could uncloak our blind self preservation.

I am convinced the only answer to injustice is revival and repentance. Men can change circumstances and laws but only God can change the heart. Should abortion be outlawed the battle is only begun. There will still be unwanted children to whom all the systems of the earth have no answer. Our human efforts apart from God cannot move men’s hearts to love, apart from a move of God there will be no true justice.