The Bigger Issue

War.

We live in a society today that hates that very word. We live in a society that strives, even to the point of war, to live in "peace" with one another.

Recently, I had a discussion with a friend about his and my own stance on war. He brought up several ideas that made me rethink how I consider war. Following are my thoughts on war...

Lets start at the beginning.
War has been a factor, a huge factor, in the history of our World. Whether you start that History a billion years ago, or 8 thousand years ago, you can't deny that war has played a significant role in our History, if not more.

War, is man's natural response to opposition. Whether that be opposition against his country, opposition against his family, or his love, or his pig, man responds with going to war. Its like a reflex.

The question that arises today is, "Can we kill that reflex??"

I see this desire as a poison. A poison that will slowly rot away truth in this world.
Take this quote by John Stuart Mill:
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. "

I agree that war is an ugly thing. I hate to see people die. Who doesn't???
However, I like the point that Mill makes here. A more ugly thing than war, is a person who is so apathetic, so self-loving, that he shies away from pain, even pain for his fellow beings. A person that is so consumed with being safe and painless, physically or emotionally, that he will not even stand up for his country. This, my friends, is what will rot away this world.

The reason most dislike war, is because war is painful, both physically and emotionally. War hurts. War kills. War takes family and friends away. This hurt tends to breed anger, bitterness, and hate towards war and those that are involved in it. The push today is for everyone to live in peace, be happy, no worries, no pain, no hurt, no nothing. And if you disagree with that, WELL, you're a good-fer-nuthin, ignorant, and heartless right winged Republican.

Now, I am going to switch audiences here. I am now speaking to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, many of whom dislike war. Now I do not want to put you off, or accuse you. I understand why you dislike war, and do not think that I am cold and heartless because I am making you think about this.

First, I am starting with a verse from Matthew, chapter 10 verse 34.
(Jesus speaking) "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law (funny, He forgot son-in-law versus mother-in-law). And a person's enemies will be those of his own household."

Notice how Jesus bluntly states that He did not come to bring peace. Now I love how people argue and say, "NO that's not what He meant!!". Okay. Well tell me what He meant and I'll take that back. What is the opposite of peace???? War. Conflict. Pain. Hurt. Next verse...

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm." Ephesians 6:10-13

Here is where I want to challenge you, my dear brothers and sisters...
One of the aspects of living your life with Christ, in Christ, and for Christ, is being a part of the spiritual war that is going on all around us. Life with Christ is a war. We are at war with the devil and the evil in this world. And it will climax in a huge, whole earth battle, that will result in the death of evil and the casting of Satan into the Lake of Fire. So even if we try to avoid war now, it still looms in the future...which is near or not?

This being said, I pose a question,"if you can not stand the pain and hurt of physical war, how can you stand the spiritual and emotional pain of a spiritual war??"
Who among you thinks that emotional pain hurts less than physical pain??

Now, I am not saying that you have to support war or be gung-ho about it. But what I am saying is, do not grow apathetic to the point of forgetting or shying away from the most important war that we will ever fight--the war against Satan and the forces of evil. The world today wants to live a pain free life. The world today doesn't want to see "innocent" people die. The world today doesn't want to feel loss. Does that coincide with what Jesus, Paul and Peter taught? For you to walk with Christ, you must first die to yourself and put on a new man.

If you can not stand the pain, hurt, and regret that physical, human versus human, war brings you, than how much more can you stand against your number one enemy, Satan?

So do not be like this world that we live in. Be in it, but not of it. Do not stoop to the point of being apathetic like this world.

Put on the whole armor of God, and Stand Firm.

Those zipper incidents

Do you ever get that feeling that something is just not right? You know that feeling when everyone is giving you a bizarre look? You know that feeling that makes you want to go say, "Mirror, Mirror on the wall, what the heck is wrong with me?!?!?!"

You know, like the pastor that gets up in front of the congregation only to realize that his zipper is unzipped. Kind of takes the punch out of his sermon.

Or the guy, the guy that always likes to smile, walking around with a big ole piece of lettuce stuck in his teeth...and he just can't help but smile. And neither can you.

Better yet, the girl that walks out of the bathroom (after having made sure that she was looking gorgeous) with a long, wet piece of toilet paper stuck onto the bottom of her shoe. She sure is gorgeous, now ain't she?

Or how about the little girls (or big ones too) that walk out of the bathroom, forgetting that their dress is stuck in their underwear...life is full of surprises.

For those that have learned a second language the blunders that one makes in trying to communicate...such as: Jonah was throw overboard during the big "Orange"; is that a new "horse" cut?!?!; or in Arabic the words "hairbrush" and a "man's private part" sound the same to new language learners (in which one proceeds to ask for the "hairbrush" in different colors, only to realize afterward what one is really asking for...)

Or my personal favorite...The loud tourists, the Americans and English especially, that don't understand why everyone is shooting them murderous glances...They don't seem to realize that if they'd shut up everyone would be SO much happier...

I could go on and on listing awkward and embarrassing moments...but I think everyone gets the point.

Spiritually, we all are in the same boat. We all walk around with our zippers un-zipped. The zipper could be classified as Sin.
Not everyone is perfect. We all could list personally embarrassing moments. Moments where we have just wanted to die on the spot.
Just the same, everyone of us is a sinner. We are not perfect.

Ironically we are called to be Perfect. Of course this is like saying to a newborn baby,"Sweetie, you are supposed to go through life without ever, ever embarrassing yourself." Now that's a whole lot of pressure for a kid...
Peter states in 1st Peter 1:14-16, "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.' " The first time I read that, I thought, "suuuure like that is ever going to happen."

However, it can.

We don't like to be told that we are sinners, just like we hate being embarrassed. But the sad truth is that WE ARE SINNERS.

BUT.

We are also loved by an All-Powerful God. Who "so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16)." If we place our trust in Jesus Christ, we will be made holy. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9)."
Just like that friend that walks up and quietly pulls you aside to let you know that you've got something in your teeth, or rescues you from those that mock your stupidity in walking out of the bathroom with your dress tucked into your underwear, so Jesus stepped in and took our shame, our sin, and our burdens, so that we might be holy.

Do we merit that? Do we merit that Love?

By no means.

But God still loves us.