Tag: love

Walk by the Spirit

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment

Sin is always selfish. We may find ways to justify it, rationalize it, and make excuses for it. But in the end, sin is always about serving the self; it puts self in the place of God by determining what is good, right, and true. When we indulge in fleshly cravings, we are foolishly pretending God doesn’t notice or care. In those moments, we are practical atheists.

“[The wicked] says to himself, ‘God will never notice; he covers his face and never sees’” (Psalm 10:11, NIV). The wicked do this because they lack a healthy and godly fear of the Lord. “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever” (Psalm 19:9).

On the other hand, those who desire to please the Lord have run the numbers and realized that eternity lasts a lot longer than this brief life, and that one day they will have to give an account of how they lived.

The Christian trusts in Jesus for salvation, recognizing it is only God’s grace that can save his soul from destruction. But even the Christian will be called to give an account. This is why the ministry of the Holy Spirit is essential. He convicts us of sin, gives us a hunger for righteousness, and stirs us up with reminders that we were made for God, and we will spend eternity bathed in His awesome and holy presence.

The follower of Jesus should never shrink back at the thought of meeting God face to face. In fact, it is the thought of that Day drawing ever nearer that motivates our life and witness.

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3, NIV)

In light of our soon encounter with Jesus Christ—when we peer into His holy and merciful eyes—how ought we to live? What should consume our thoughts? What should we be pursuing each day?

Will we make our lives count?

Sin is always selfish, because it ultimately is not concerned with how it hurts, devalues, and betrays others. This is why watching pornography is so destructive. It lacks all concern for the eternal welfare of those who are flaunting their naked bodies before a camera. It erodes all trust in your real relationships with others, because your view of others is inevitably warped. Pornography objectifies others and treats them as commodities rather than immortal beings who are destined for either Heaven or Hell. Most egregiously, it adopts a mindset that devalues God by ignoring His design for human sexuality and flourishing.

Don’t play games with what you put before your eyes. Jesus said the eye is the lamp of the body, that letting darkness in through the eyes will fill your body with darkness. What passes through your eyes directly affects your mind, heart, and soul.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16, ESV). If you have been caught in the spiraling trap of sexual sin, pornography, and adultery, your only hope is to come to Jesus Christ. Find new and abundant life in Him, be filled with His Holy Spirit, and as you do that, you will live in a new direction.

What you most need is for the Holy Spirit to take the lead in your life. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:23, ESV).

We were made to love, not to sin. Whenever we shunt aside God’s Word and what He has called us to, we are acting in the flesh and resisting the work of the Holy Spirit. For a time, there may be the passing pleasure of sin, but in the end, it will gut you, leaving you spiritually empty and emotionally exhausted.

Yielding to the Holy Spirit takes practice. It’s not something tried once and then forgotten. It’s a daily attitude and practice of yielding to His lead, humbly confessing your inability to have victory without His power, and committing to keep in step with the Spirit by God’s grace.

And there is grace enough for you. Don’t imagine for one moment that there is no hope for you. God’s grace is deeper than the ocean, His Spirit more powerful than a whirlwind. None of us gets into Heaven on our own merits. None of us earns a right standing with God by our personal holiness or righteous deeds. We all enter the kingdom of God through humble trust and reliance on the completed work of Jesus Christ, when He was crucified in our place for the sins we committed.

When we put our flesh on the cross with Jesus, we begin to have victory.

“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).

Jesus didn’t stay dead. Because He left behind an empty tomb, we can leave behind our old, fleshly passions and desires.

Those who claim God’s grace so that they can go back to sinning freely don’t realize that it is the grace of God which cleanses us from our sin so that we can belong to Jesus Christ. Carefully consider the implication of these words:

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11-14, ESV)

This is the greatest news imaginable. The follower of Jesus has available to him the infinite power of a God who not only indwells him but is passionately committed to his holiness.

Jesus didn’t die as a quick-fix for your guilt problem so that you can go back to your old lifestyle. He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness so that we can now walk in the power of the Holy Spirit in newness of life. Don’t take this for granted. Don’t treat Jesus’ blood as something cheap.

How do I know I’m walking by the Spirit? Compare your life to the fruit of the Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)

Do you see these traits increasingly showing up in your life? Have others noticed a change in your character and habits? Are you being formed in the image of Christ? Are you hungering for more of this in your life?

When we walk by the Spirit, we live a supernatural life of love. This is the kind of kingdom-oriented life every follower of Jesus is called to live. We are to open our hearts and minds to the Spirit’s leading, expecting Him to move into our innermost thoughts and cleanse us from that which dishonors and defiles.

Make this bold prayer the heartbeat of your life:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:24, NIV)

I pray this encourages you. If you have any thoughts or questions about any of this, I would love to hear from you!

God Invented Romance

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments

Marriage is central to the storyline of the Bible. From its earliest chapters, we see that God created the man and the woman for each other and told them to “Be fruitful and multiply.” The marital union of two becoming one flesh has been there from the beginning, and it has a special purpose in God’s world.

The story of the Bible both begins and ends with wedding imagery (Genesis 2:22-25; Revelation 21:1-5). Marriage is God’s living illustration for His covenantal union with His people, which will one day be fully realized in a restored creation when Heaven and Earth unite.

So, no matter what pops into your mind when you hear the word “marriage,” the first thing to know is that God invented it.

“Then the Lord God made a woman... and he brought her to the man.” (Genesis 2:22, NIV)

This has some important implications. If marriage is God’s idea, then that means romantic love is His idea, too.

Every Good Gift

That first spark of interest a boy has for the cute girl that sits across the classroom. The feeling you get when your song comes on the radio. The dinner by candlelight in that perfect setting. The couple that has been married for 50 years taking a walk, hand in hand. The electricity of a first kiss. The love note that a wife puts in her husband’s lunchbox. All of that is part of God’s grand design. God is a romantic. If you doubt me, I encourage you to take up and read the biblical book Song of Solomon.

You may be thinking, “Okay, Jason. It seems like you’ve got rose-tinted glasses on. Don’t forget marriage can also be pretty hard.”

True. But it’s important to begin here when we think about romance, because all that is good about marriage, romantic affection, and sexual intimacy comes first and foremost from God.

Many today bemoan God’s restrictions on sex and marriage laid out in the Bible. But what they don’t realize is that everything that makes those romantic moments in life beautiful, good, and right comes from God.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 
(James 1:17, NIV)

Without God, all the joy and excitement of romance is reduced to random neurochemical reactions. Modern progressives like to claim that monogamy is drab and boring. Don’t buy that lie! You know what really takes the magic out of romance? Imagining there is no God behind it all.

Fit for One Another

If we’re going to get marriage right, we need to go back to the beginning when God first created man and woman.

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 
(Genesis 2:18, ESV)

Don’t think that this term “helper” is meant to be demeaning. This is not code for “man’s servant for cooking and cleaning.” The point here is that the man needs help. He can’t take care of God’s world without her. More than anyone else, this very word “helper” is used of God in Scripture. But the Bible says God created woman with the intention of finding the right fit for man.

In God’s design for marriage, one man and one woman complement each other perfectly. Men and women are equally valuable, but different. There is a fittedness between a man and a woman that you can’t find in any other combination.

After God parades all the animals before Adam, Adam recognizes nobody here is a good fit. Not that kangaroo. Not that horse. Definitely not that hippo! Nothing from the animal kingdom matches and complements him perfectly.

No matter how many times you’ve read this passage before, I encourage you to ponder what is said here:

So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man.”

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. 
(Genesis 2:21-25, ESV)

Before there was any sin in the world, this is what marriage looked like. The perfect combination of trust, vulnerability, and intimacy. This was God’s design and intention. So, no matter what you think of marriage, you can’t fault the design. You cannot improve on God’s design.

Be Intoxicated with Her Love

So, when you think of God, think of Him as the One who invented the beauty of marriage and designed our bodies with the special fit of a man for a woman. The joy of a wedding ceremony is just a slice of the great joy God has over marriage itself.

Because marriage is something God thought up, we don’t get to change it. And because it is from Him, we can know it is an intrinsically good institution.

In our bizarro world, people (especially young people) often assume that getting married will take all the romance out of the relationship. As if, committing to one another in a one-flesh covenantal union will kill the embers of love. But in God’s economy, it is in marriage that the fire of romance should finally be stoked.

May your fountain be blessed,
    and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
A loving doe, a graceful deer—
    may her breasts satisfy you always,
    may you ever be intoxicated with her love. 
(Proverbs 5:18-19, NIV)

According to the Bible, marriage is a covenant not merely between husband and wife, but one that includes God, too (Proverbs 2:17). It is God that joins the two together, and thus God blesses the marriage union. As if he was making a toast at a wedding, the author Solomon says to his son, “May you ever be intoxicated with her love.”

However—and this is important—only those who honor this covenant get to experience its greatest blessings. When people dishonor marriage, let me assure you, it will eventually come back around to bite them.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of heeding these loving warnings from God:

“Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
    Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?
For your ways are in full view of the Lord,
    and he examines all your paths.
The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;
    the cords of their sins hold them fast.
For lack of discipline they will die,
    led astray by their own great folly.” 
(Proverbs 5:20-23, NIV)

When people toy with their marriage vows, it is like taking a pile of burning wood on to your lap or walking across hot coals, hoping not to be burned (Proverbs 6:27).

People may say things like, “The Bible is an outmoded text. Marriage can be a relationship for any two people who truly love each other and are committed to one another.”

But why say only two people? And what about if those two people are already in the same family? And why say they must love each other? What if they have other reasons for getting married? And why does it matter that they are committed exclusively to one another?

As it turns out, everyone has restrictions on what they think marriage should be. Elton John jokingly drew the line at goats when someone pressed him.[1]

Honoring Your Spouse Is Honoring Marriage

Unless you get your definition of marriage from Genesis, marriage becomes this elastic thing that you can shape any way you want. And when we shake off God’s definition and trade it in for our own man-made definition, we cheapen and dishonor marriage. It is no longer the sacred thing God intended it to be.

Even secular psychologists understand marriage is worth protecting.

Marriage expert John Gottman writes, “One of the saddest reasons a marriage dies is that neither spouse recognizes its value until it is too late.”[2]

Gottman goes on to tell us all the incredible psychological and health benefits that come from taking your marriage seriously. And one of the most important ways to protect your marriage is to pursue your spouse romantically (husbands, I’m especially talking to you here).

Pay attention to her (or his) needs. Listen well. Make time for date night. Look for activities you can share together. Go out of your way to make sure your spouse feels valued simply for who she (or he) is.

You may have been told that Christians are just as likely to get divorced as non-Christians. However, that hasty conclusion was based on flawed research, because it was based on people just taking the label “Christian,” without any inquiry into whether subjects actually lived a life committed to Jesus Christ. New research done by Brad Wilcox found something very different. Wilcox discovered that committed Christian couples—which he defined as those who regularly attend worship together and read their Bibles regularly—are much less likely to get divorced.

Not only are committed Christians more likely to stay married, but they report greater satisfaction in their marriages. Wilcox concluded, “It turns out that the happiest of all wives in America are religious conservatives… Fully 73 percent of wives who hold conservative gender values and attend religious services regularly with their husbands have high-quality marriages.” Another study found that “When it comes to relationship quality in heterosexual relationships, highly religious couples enjoy higher-quality relationships and more sexual satisfaction, compared to less/mixed religious couples and secular couples.”[3]

Nancy Pearcey adds, “Churchgoing men are also less likely to cheat on their wives. Research has consistently shown that religious attendance is the most important predictor of marital stability.”

In other words, even sociological research shows that when men love Jesus, love the Bible, and take their families to church, the marriage tends to do better. And when marriages are stronger, families are stronger, children have better well-being, society flourishes, nations are stabilized, and God is honored.

So, no matter how you may feel on any given day about marriage, I encourage you to see the value of upholding the sacred beauty of the marriage covenant and of loving your spouse as the sacred image bearer he or she is.

Thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

[1] In context, Elton John said, “There’s nothing wrong with going to bed with somebody of your own sex. Who cares! I just think people should be very free with sex… They should draw the line at goats.” Rolling Stone magazine ran this interview with Elton John as its cover story on October 7, 1976.

[2] John Gottman, 7 Principles for Making Your Marriage Work, 5.

[3] Brad Wilcox, Jason Carroll, and Laurie DeRose, “Religious Men Can Be Devoted Dads, Too,” New York Times, May 18, 2018; Jeffrey Dew and Brian Willoughby, “Are Religious Faith and Sexual Satisfaction Mutually Exclusive–or Surprisingly Mutual?,” Institute for Family Studies, May 16, 2019.

The Grace Opportunity

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments
Montagues and Capulets

Many are familiar with Jesus’ famous words: “First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5, NIV). His point was that we tend to see the faults in others before we see them in ourselves.

For example, when you’re on the freeway, have you ever noticed it’s always the other guy that doesn’t know how to drive? Those who drive faster than you are the maniacs that are trying to get themselves killed. Then, there are the slowpokes. It’s always their fault for making you late! But notice from this example that everyone is judged by you. You are the gold standard of good driving, and everyone else is measured by you.

That reminds me of the woman at an airport who, while waiting for her plane to arrive, sat down with a book and a package of cookies she’d just purchased. After she’d become engrossed in her novel, she suddenly noticed the man sitting next to her fumbling to open the package of cookies on the seat between them. She was so astonished that a stranger would help himself to her cookies that she wasn’t sure what to do. So, she grabbed a cookie and ate it. The man said nothing but reached for another cookie himself. Well, she wasn’t going to let this guy eat all of them, so she grabbed another. When they were down to one cookie, the man reached over, broke the cookie in half, and got up and left. The woman was appalled. Where did this guy get the nerve? The announcement came to board the plane, so she gathered up her purse. Still angry at the man’s audacity, she reached in to grab her ticket. It suddenly dawned on her that she really shouldn’t judge others too harshly—for there in her purse lay her still-unopened package of cookies.

What is your gut level response when you’ve been wronged? How do you respond to derisive comments about your appearance, ability, or beliefs?

The greatest example of all in this respect is the Lord Jesus Christ. How did the One who reigns supremely over the entire universe respond to insults?

“Indeed this is part of your calling. For Christ suffered for you and left you a personal example, and wants you to follow in his steps. ‘Who committed no sin, nor was guile found in his mouth’. Yet when he was insulted he offered no insult in return. When he suffered he made no threats of revenge. He simply committed his cause to the one who judges fairly.” (1 Peter 2:21-23, J. B. Phillips Translation)

Seek Reconciliation, Not Retaliation

When Saturday Night Live comedian, Pete Davidson, crudely mocked Congressman-elect Dan Crenshaw because of his eye patch and glibly remarked, “I know he lost his eye in the war or whatever,” no one anticipated how Crenshaw would respond. Instead of firing back in anger, Crenshaw showed incredible humility and compassion for his mocker. A torrent of comments came in from SNL fans who criticized Davidson, calling his remark “disgusting” and chewing him out for his disrespect for a modern war veteran who had been injured in the line of duty defending the country.

In response to the backlash, Davidson spiraled downward into a pit of depression and self-loathing, even to the point of contemplating suicide at one point. Davidson wrote on Instagram, “I really don’t want to be on this earth anymore. I’m doing my best to stay here for you but I actually don’t know how much longer I can last. All I’ve ever tried to do was help people. Just remember I told you so.”

Many might have expected Crenshaw to join in the criticism and even say something like, “Serves him right for mocking a veteran.” Instead, Crenshaw did the unexpected thing. He reached out to Davidson in a friendly and encouraging way. He told the comedian that everyone has a purpose in this world and that “God put you here for a reason. It’s your job to find that purpose. And you should live that way.”

Instead of firing back, Crenshaw built a bridge. And instead of getting defensive, Crenshaw showed humility. Crenshaw, the Navy SEAL trained in military strike and defense seized the grace opportunity. He put Davidson’s own well-being before his pride and chose to show unconditional love. Interestingly, when Crenshaw reached out to Davidson, he learned that Davidson’s own father was a firefighter who had been killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks when Davidson was only seven years old. When they later appeared on SNL together, Crenshaw offered high praise for the sacrifice that Davidson’s father had made. When the segment was over, the humbled comedian leaned over and whispered, “You are a good man.”

When we seize the grace opportunity, we can actually win over even our enemies. It all begins with not retaliating when someone belittles us.

Confront without Condemnation

“Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.” (James 4:11, NIV)

Isn’t it interesting? James says that when you retaliate by verbally tearing someone to pieces—especially your own Christian brother–you are not just judging that person, you’re judging the law! You’re becoming a critic of God Himself, because you’re essentially telling Him, “You need help in judging the world!” But God never needs our help in judging others. He can do it just fine on His own.

This doesn’t mean there’s no place for confronting someone caught in sin. But when you condemn others, you’re essentially putting yourself in the Judgment Seat reserved for God.

For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” (Romans 14:9-10, ESV)

Paul’s argument works like this. Have you died and returned to life? No? Then who are you to make any kind of final judgment about a person? Never forget that it’s not just the person who wronged you, but you too who will stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

So even when you confront others in sin, don’t condemn them with your words or actions. Do you really want to be the one who says, “God’s judgment isn’t severe enough”?

If you study human history, it is remarkable when you consider how much bloodshed, battles, and wars have been caused by this deep personal desire to get even—to settle the score. Because of vendettas, the Capulets war against the Montagues, and the Crips war against the Bloods. When the mighty Samson was bested in a game of riddles, his desire for personal vengeance sent him into a fit of rage, in which he slaughtered 30 Philistines and torched a grain field. And today, we are tempted to torch one another with our words, instead of taking the opportunity to show grace.

The cycle of retaliation and slander can even happen in the microcosm of a family, where one brother is always seeking to one-up another.

Romans 14:4 says, “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls.”

Honor Your Opponent

The great evangelist Dwight L. Moody once had his own grace opportunity when preaching the gospel to a large crowd. One young, headstrong theological student in the crowd began to publicly challenge the things that Moody, the veteran preacher, was saying. The student rudely interrupted him several times and tried to trip him up. Finally, Moody got fed up with this ill-mannered student. The evangelist, who was well-known for his eloquence, used his gift with words to punish the young man, sharply putting him in his place in front of everyone.

Thinking that the young man got what he deserved, the crowd applauded. However, later in his talk, Moody stopped himself and said, “Friends, I have to confess before all of you that at the beginning of my meeting I gave a very foolish answer to my brother down here. I ask God to forgive me, and I ask him to forgive me.”

In that moment, Moody could have chosen to go home satisfied that he had soundly defeated the insolent opponent. Instead, he chose to take the grace opportunity. Even though his was the lesser sin, he was the first to repent and ask for forgiveness. Moody recognized that too often it is easier to tear someone down because it gives us a momentary victory. But the real victory is to lay aside our pride and not sit in judgment on someone. Otherwise, their arrogance becomes our arrogance, and we haven’t really won anything more than the applause of men.

It’s not always the case, but sarcasm is often deployed to cut an opponent down. One area I want to grow in is responding to those who mock me with gentleness and warmth. In one sense, I want to score more grace points than put-down points. How many times am I choosing to show grace when a quick put-down feels more natural? If I’m calling myself a follower of Jesus, I better look like He did when He was mocked and attacked by others (see Luke 23:34).

A quick word of clarification: There is a difference between making moral judgments and making a judgment of condemnation on someone else. Christ never discourages us from making moral judgments. While we cannot totally separate the sinner from their sin, there is a way to say, “I am utterly opposed to what you are doing, but I am totally for you as a person made in God’s image.” To say “abortion is evil” is a moral judgment, and it’s right to make that judgment because I’m agreeing with God’s condemnation of murdering innocent humans as stated in the Bible.[1] But what God forbids is slandering or condemning our neighbor, because only God has the right to pronounce final judgment on our lives. This means I can refute the arguments of an advocate for abortion choice, but I can also show that very person dignity as someone created and loved by God.

Our world is characterized by outrage, anger, and retaliation. “Getting even” and “Giving people their due” is even encouraged. But God wants us to rise above the selfish response. He calls us to treat others better than they deserve. Jesus has treated us infinitely better than we deserve, and He calls us to seize the grace opportunity.

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

[1] https://lampandlightdevotionals.wordpress.com/2022/03/03/what-does-the-bible-say-about-abortion/

The Affectionate Husband

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments 
“You have captured my heart, my treasure, my bride. You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes, with a single jewel of your necklace.” (Song of Solomon 4:9, NLT)

Marriage is serious business. In His Word, God speaks of marriage as a holy and sacred covenant we make before Him (Genesis 2:24; Proverbs 2:17); it is a relationship to cherish and protect from all potential dangers. God expresses righteous indignation toward the one who disregards his wedding vows (Malachi 2:13-16). So marriage is serious business, but it’s also meant to be a relationship of joy and delight.

In fact, these two concepts of reverence toward marriage and delight in marriage support and sustain each other. Contrary to popular belief, to regard something as “holy” does not suggest the absence of joy. Unfortunately, many today want to characterize marriage as boring and rigid, even as a form of slavery. But to view marriage as holy simply means that we should regard it is as special and set apart before God. When a man and woman wed, they are embracing one another in a union that is set apart from all other relationships. Through their vows, the bride and groom are essentially saying to one another, “I give myself exclusively to you and promise to delight in you in a lifelong covenant that I share with no one else.”

Bring Happiness to Your Wife

Maybe you’ve heard the quip that marriage is a three-ring circus. First, there is the engagement ring, then the wedding ring, and lastly, you have the suffering. However, this is completely contrary to the Bible’s portrayal of marriage. God intends for husband and wife to experience the joy of their union far beyond the honeymoon.

You get a sense of God’s intention for marriage through some of the laws that He gave His people. For instance, through Moses, God said:

“When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken.” (Deuteronomy 24:5, ESV)

When my wife Whitney and I were engaged, I began considering going to seminary. My friend and mentor, Pastor Matt, wisely counseled me to wait at least one full year after the wedding before enrolling. He pointed to this law for support, saying that God would have me give my full attention to my new bride for the first year. It made perfect sense, and I’m so glad I heeded his advice.

That first year of marriage is pivotal because you are setting a pattern and laying a foundation for the rest of your life together. Notice that God’s high standard for marriage is seen in the way He expressly commands happiness for newlyweds. Translated literally, the husband is commanded to “bring happiness to the wife he has married” (TNIV).

Catch the Little Foxes

Like all God’s laws, this is intended for our good and growth (Deuteronomy 10:13). But how many husbands today have made it their goal to make their wife happy?

Research has shown that a newly married husband will often pour all his attention into establishing his career. He tells his wife (and himself) that he’s only thinking of their future together, but he doesn’t realize he actually is setting a dangerous pattern. Rather than giving his undivided attention to her as an affectionate husband, he postpones affection by spending most of his time away from her.

For some husbands, it’s not until they reach middle age that they suddenly wake up and realize they have neglected their responsibility of showing their wife affection. Instead, they have made career aspirations their first priority.

Song of Solomon is a lengthy poem about King Solomon and his beloved bride. The love poem pictures the marriage union as a garden or vineyard that needs to be protected and cultivated. If you have ever tried to maintain a garden, you know the importance of giving it enough attention and care. There are weeds to be pulled, water and fertilizer to be given, and branches that must be pruned. At one point, Solomon’s bride even laments the “little foxes” that sneak in and destroy their “vineyard”:

“Catch the foxes for us,
    the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
    for our vineyards are in blossom.” (Song of Solomon 2:15, ESV)

Many marriages suffer from a lack of proper care and cultivation. When this happens, the “little foxes” of stress, financial hardship, and other distractions can slowly start to corrode the relationship.

So what is the solution? It’s actually quite simple: As the husband, you are to lavish your bride with love and affection. Pursue her with the same tenacity you did to win her heart. Become a lifelong student of your wife, her needs, her hopes, and what brings her joy.

Rejoice in Your Wife

Solomon’s bride exults:

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine.” (Song of Solomon 1:2, ESV)

When her husband is away, she is less sure of herself (1:5-6). She craves his swift return (2:8) and is distressed when he is gone long hours (3:1-3).

In the TV series Everwood, there’s a scene where a wife confronts her husband, a traveling salesman, about how frequently he is away from home. She tells him how hard it is when he’s gone, not only for their little boy, but for her. With tears in her eyes, she says, “Do you need me that way? Please tell me you still need me that way.”

In God’s design, the wife is designed to long for her husband’s affection, and the husband is designed to fulfill this longing. That’s why Solomon seizes every opportunity to shower his bride with affection, calling her “most beautiful among women” (1:8; also see 1:15; 4:1). As the husband practices this kind of affection, loving his wife is no longer a wearisome duty, but a wonderful delight.

Some might even blush at the way the Bible unabashedly urges the husband to delight in his wife:

“Let your fountain be blessed,
    and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
    a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;
    be intoxicated always in her love.” (Proverbs 5:18-19, ESV)

When the husband leads the way in tenderly expressing love for his wife, their union is strengthened and their love made secure.

In their book Love Lock, Marty Trammell and Rich Rollins describe the deep longing we all have for security in our love relationships. One of the best ways to show love for our spouse is through attentive listening. They write, “When our spouse knows that her world is becoming more important to us, she feels our love more deeply.”[1]

All of this is encompassed in the straightforward command: “Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly” (Colossians 3:19, NLT). The affectionate husband recognizes just how essential this lasting love is.

[1] Marty Trammel and Rich Rollins, Love Lock: Creating Lasting Connections with the One You Love, 29.

A Word Fitly Spoken

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional4 Comments 
“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.” (Proverbs 25:11, ESV)

Christians need one another. Whether we go through times of triumph or defeat, we need a brother or a sister to come alongside us and encourage us to walk the path of faithfulness.

Imagine a scenario where someone slighted you or put you down. This person made a point of saying how awful you are at your job or how lousy you are as a parent. They made cruel remarks not only about you but about your family. The targeted attack spewing from this person’s mouth seems intended to make you feel small and worthless. Perhaps it’s not so difficult to imagine this scenario. Maybe you’ve lived it!

In such a situation, how do you respond? Better said, how would God have us respond when we are shamefully mistreated and insulted?

The Future King

We find an example of this in 1 Samuel 25. This story occurs when David is not yet the king of Israel, but is instead a fugitive on the run. King Saul, jealous of David for being a better man than him in every way, has been hunting David down. Knowing many in his kingdom long for David to be on the throne – including his own son Jonathan – Saul is determined to kill David.

Twice during this season of exile, David has an opportunity to assassinate Saul. Even when his men encourage David to slay the king, David refuses, saying, “The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed.” (1 Samuel 26:11; cf. 24:6). David’s Christlike character never shines brighter than in these moments when he chooses to trust God and spare the man who has made his life miserable.

But situated between these two incidents is another time when David’s faithfulness is put to the test. It involves a foolish and ill-tempered man named Nabal, and his wife Abigail, “an intelligent and beautiful woman” (1 Samuel 25:3, NIV). David has something like a business partnership with the wealthy Nabal. Nabal owns many flocks, and David and his 600 soldiers have protected Nabal’s flocks and servants for some time. These were dangerous times when large flocks and their shepherds were vulnerable to raiders and wild animals. The servants even say that David’s men “were a wall around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them” (v. 16).

It was generally understood that when soldiers provided protective services, it is only right that they be well fed by the owner of the herds. Nabal is about to throw a big feast, so David sends a warm and friendly message to him, asking whether he and his men can join. You could call it a polite request for a fair business transaction.

The Wealthy Fool

But Nabal’s response is crude and thoughtless. He basically says, “David who? Never heard of him. He sounds like one of those runaway slaves who tries to take advantage of respectable individuals like myself.”

This was a pretty low blow. David was well-known everywhere in Israel. He had gained renown for defeating the Philistine giant Goliath. Not only was Nabal not practicing fair exchange, but he was slapping David across the face, telling him to go beg somewhere else. Nabal was living up to his name, which meant “fool.”

Nabal’s reckless words were especially foolish in this ancient honor-shame society. Those who were shamed by others were expected to protect their own name by taking vengeance on the wrongdoer.

David’s response is quick and decisive. He tells 400 of his men: “Strap on your swords!” (v. 13). Nobody insults David and gets away with it. It’s payback time!

The Wise Woman

It’s at this time that Abigail, Nabal’s wife, learns what her idiotic husband has done and that David plans to destroy every man in his household. She wastes no time in putting together a peace offering and running out to meet the enraged David. Abigail humbly falls at David’s feet and pleads with him to reconsider.

Noting that what her husband did is both foolish and hateful, Abigail says, “Please forgive the trespass of your servant” (v. 28). Then, with astonishing wisdom, she reminds David of Yahweh’s tender care for him and that God will one day set him on Israel’s throne, establishing a lasting dynasty.[1] It’s crucial that Abigail does this. When we forget about God’s deep love for us, it can be far easier to be reactionary and impulsive. Abigail then says, “It’s not just for my husband that I’m pleading, David, but for you. I don’t want you to have his blood on your conscience.”

Abigail’s counsel is a word fitly spoken. She appeals to God’s justice and love. And because Abigail speaks with respect and kindness, David is cut to the heart. She is a “wise reprover,” and he has “a listening ear” (Proverbs 25:11).[2]

David recognizes that really it is God who sent her to speak these words to him. He will not take vengeance into his own hands. Because of Abigail’s wise words, David chose to trust the Lord to be his defender instead of responding in a fit of anger. Rather than piling sin upon sin, Abigail guided David to live out what we read in Romans 12:

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19, 21, ESV)

David let God be his defender. In fact, we read that only ten days later God struck down Nabal, and David later married the widowed Abigail (1 Samuel 25:38). That doesn’t mean we pray for God to smite all those who mistreat us, but we do show trust in God by letting Him deal with our enemies.

The Essential Church

In our age of rage and social media, people are encouraged to slap back when they are slapped across the face. We think it is up to us to right every wrong and defend ourselves against every offense. In many ways, we are still a shame-honor culture. In a world that urges you to protect your own honor, God’s Word says:

“Good sense makes one slow to anger,
    and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11, ESV)

How often are you willing to listen to an Abigail when you are hurt or upset? The two biggest reasons Christians make foolish decisions is that they don’t listen to God’s Word and they don’t listen to the wise counsel of other believers. Certainly, we must seek the Lord’s leading through prayer, but we must take care not to use “I’ll pray about that” as a reason to exclude the guidance of others.

The church is an incredible gift we must never take for granted. When we make decisions in isolation or reject the advice of others, we are walking down the path of foolishness – sometimes even running down that path!

Christ called the church His body, because we are both united to Him and mutually interdependent on one another, just as the eye needs the ear and the hand needs the foot.[3] The Holy Spirit unites believers to one another so that they can share divine wisdom and encourage one another to follow Christ faithfully. We cannot forsake the fellowship of other believers.

When we respond in fleshly haste, we put ourselves in danger, sometimes both spiritually and physically. We need to seek the wisdom of others in the church, because a word fitly spoken might just spare us from the pangs of conscience later.

[1] The Lord Himself promises David that he will have a son reign on his throne forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16), a promise fulfilled by King Jesus in His present and future kingdom (Isaiah 11:1-10).

[2] It’s ironic that many skeptics claim the Bible is denigrating to women when you have many stories like this one, where the woman is clearly the voice of reason and godly wisdom. For other examples, see: Genesis 38:25-26; Judges 4:4-10; Ruth 2:20-22; 1 Samuel 1:12-17; Esther 7:1-7; Luke 24:9-12; John 12:3-8; Acts 18:26.

[3] See 1 Corinthians 12:12-26.

The Cradle in the Shadow of the Cross

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for LifeLeave a comment

By Jason Smith

During the Christmas season, our schedule is often crammed with all the festivities to attend, gifts to deliver, and shopping to complete. The race against the clock and the stress of getting things “just right” can be a bit overwhelming. That is why we all could use a reminder to pause, step back, and take it all in. Consider with me what Christmas is really all about.

Selah

The Bible has a wonderful word for this: selah. Selah means stop. Consider. Absorb. Don’t hurry on to the next task to accomplish. Instead, take a deep breath and reflect on the wonder of what God has done out of His unspeakable love for you.

One reason we need to pause is that we often think we have already “figured out” Christmas. We imagine that since we have heard the Christmas story so many times before that we already have a good grasp on it. But, in truth, Christmas is about an event we could never fully wrap our minds around.

“The Word became flesh.” (John 1:14)

We are talking about the infinite becoming finite; the omnipotent One becoming small and weak; the eternal Son of God who created time entering into time itself as the Son of Mary. The Creator entered His creation. The Author wrote Himself into His play.

There is great mystery here. In the words of the Lutheran theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the incarnation is a holy mystery. It’s a mind-bending mystery to consider how divinity and humanity could be so closely intertwined in a single person. And yet, that is precisely what we have with Jesus. He is not merely the greatest man who ever lived. He is the one and only God-man.

His hands were the hands that placed the stars in the sky. His voice was the one that spoke light into existence at the very beginning. His were the eyes that have peered into the soul of every man, woman, and child. Yet, here He was on Mary’s lap, the glory of Heaven was there as a little baby, nursing from His mother’s breast.

And we are meant to pause and wonder, to allow ourselves the time to ponder the incredible truth of it all. As we do that, the Spirit of God opens His glorious truth to us.

We are like the person with impaired vision who went into surgery to have his vision corrected, and when he comes out, he can see color for the first time. “I never dreamed that the sky could be so blue!” he says. “I never imagined grass to be so green.” Although he could see things before, he’s now seeing everything in a brand new way, as it was always meant to be seen.

That’s what we must do as we consider the coming and incarnation of the Son of God. As we stare into the face of the infant in the manger, we begin to see everything and everyone else in the light of God’s glory.

“He Was in the Form of God”

Writing about the incarnation, the Apostle Paul said:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:5-7, ESV)

To say that Jesus existed “in the form of God,” is to say that the Son has always had the nature of God. We typically think of “form” as the outward design, but in first-century Greek, the word morphe (“form”) meant something more like “inner substance” and “nature.” Paul is saying that at no point in time did Jesus ever become a god or graduate to godhood. He always has been and always will be the eternal God of all. The fact that He is the Son of God doesn’t make Him any less divine, because a son always shares the nature of his father.

Paul goes on to say that this Son who has always existed as God “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (v. 6) or clutched. The idea is that the Son didn’t cling to His divine rights so as to avoid coming to our rescue. In fact, He did the opposite. Rather than seeing His divine nature as a reason to overlook us, He saw it as the thing that qualified Him to save us.

“He Emptied Himself”

Now, when some scholars early in the 20th century looked at the text that says Christ “emptied Himself” (v. 7), they assumed this meant He emptied Himself of His divine nature. As if, in order to become a man, Jesus had to shed His deity. But there’s a fundamental misunderstanding here. It doesn’t say He emptied something out of Himself, but that He “emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant” (v. 7). This self-emptying is talking about Christ’s incredible humility – that He who was exalted above all would stoop to such a low and degrading level out of love.

It’s not that being human is degrading; it’s not. We alone are the prized creation made in God’s own image (Genesis 1:26-27). But the Son of God was willing to subject Himself to being servant of all.

Christ didn’t have His Godhood taken away. This might sound like a mathematical paradox, but what we have here is subtraction by addition. Christ emptied Himself – not by losing His deity, but by adding a human nature.

Remember Christ’s words to the disciples when they were bickering about who was the greatest?

“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man [speaking of Himself] came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45, ESV)

How much egg do you think was on their face after that? They had just been arguing back and forth. Peter says, “I’m taller, so I should lead.” James says, “No, I’m smarter, so I should be in charge.” Jesus says, “Guys, stop looking to be served. Even I came here to serve you all and even die for you.” You can bet their mouths were snapped shut after that!

“And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8, ESV)

Once again, “form” here means nature. So Jesus really did become fully human in every way. He wasn’t just wearing a human disguise. And He came as an obedient servant of His Father – all the way to the point of dying a criminal’s death on a cross.

“Even Death on a Cross”

This statement would have been shocking. To say that the cross was God’s idea would have sounded absurd to people at the time. They didn’t think of the cross as something you find on top of churches or worn around a neck. A cross — or stauros in the Greek — would have been viewed as the epitome of shame and agony. The word “cross” is something that even Romans wouldn’t say in polite company, because it conjured up the image of gore and shame.

Crucifixion – which originally was invented by the Persians – and then “perfected” by the Romans was designed to maximize both the pain and shame of the victim. In fact, the very word “excruciating” literally means “out of the cross.” This horrendous experience needed a whole category of its own to describe this level of torture.

Now consider that at Calvary, that was God on the cross. According to this verse, the cross was always the goal of Christ’s coming. This was not Plan B; God had always intended it to happen in this way. The reason for the manger of Christmas is the cross of Good Friday. The Son of God came to this earth as a man ultimately to pay for our sin and die the death we deserved.

Now ask yourself, “How much love is required to willingly undergo that kind of torture for those who are spitting in your face?” Jesus lived out the very humility Paul is calling us to embody. That’s why Paul brings up Christ’s incarnation and death. Earlier, he said, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3, ESV). Who but Christ embodied this perfectly?

It was Christ who looked not merely “to His own interests, but… to the interests of others” (v. 4). At the cross, we see the ultimate act of selflessness – God Himself pouring out His love, enduring the penalty for our sins, so that we could be forgiven in full.

“God Has Highly Exalted Him”

Charles Wesley, who is known for his many hymns, including “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” also wrote the famous hymn, “And Can It be that I Should Gain.”

The first stanza goes like this:

“And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”

When we consider Christmas, we should see a Savior God who was willing to lay aside every privilege and right in order to secure the freedom of those who deserved death. Jesus looked at you and considered your need, and because of His great love, He willingly made that vast journey from heaven to earth. And because He did that, words like “Bethlehem,” “manger,” and “wise men” mean something to us today.

Let’s join Paul in letting the truths of Christmas and Calvary turn out hearts to worship.

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11, ESV)

Have thoughts on this post? Share in the comments below!

“O Holy Night,” Celtic Worship

What Does It Mean to Turn the Other Cheek?

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life6 Comments

By Jason Smith

Photo Credit: Allan Swart

I have had several conversations recently with other Christians who have considered the question: “Is it ever right for a Christian to practice self-defense against an attacker?”

Perhaps you read that and think it’s a no-brainer. Of course, you can. You have every right to defend yourself. However, I’ve talked with many Bible-believing Christians who would disagree. And the text they almost always turn to when arguing against self-defense is found in the Sermon on the Mount:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” (Matthew 5:38-39, ESV)

So, what exactly did Jesus mean when He commanded us to “turn the other cheek”? When He says, “Do not resist an evil person,” does that mean we should never defend ourselves against a violent aggressor? Or what about if our family or loved ones are in danger? Can we still not resist the evil person who is about to harm them?

Before answering, I want to let this whole idea of non-resistance percolate for a moment. Too often, I’ve heard knee-jerk responses to the questions above that seem to ignore altogether what Jesus said. People often use terms like “crazy,” “moronic,” and “weak” when talking about non-resistance to violence. Ironically, these are the very words the world uses when they hear about a crucified king.[1] We cannot allow our own impulses, desires, and assumptions to muffle our Lord’s words. If Jesus really is our King, then we should be willing to submit our hearts to whatever He commands – even if such obedience initially seems unthinkable.

I’ll be very candid here. The idea of letting someone who has just slapped me take another whack at me goes against everything in me. Think of the times that a car pulls out in front of you or when someone rudely interrupts you or when someone intentionally slights you. What is your natural response? You’re hot, bothered, and ready to put people in their place… or is this just a struggle for me? What Jesus is confronting here is our natural response to want to hit back.

Most biblical scholars agree that a slap on the cheek was more often viewed as an insult, rather than a violent attack. So what Jesus is probably forbidding is returning insult for insult. That said, how should we think about self-defense against physical attacks in light of this text?

We live in a culture that is inundated with violence. We love watching movies where our favorite action heroes take sweet vengeance on those bad guys. We often talk about “payback” and “my rights.” As Khan tells Captain Kirk in one of the Star Trek films, “Kirk, old friend, do you know the Klingon proverb, ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold’?.”[2] Or, as Jesus explained this principle: “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” That was the lex talionis, the principle of just retribution in Jewish law: the punishment must fit the crime.

On the one hand, this desire to get even isn’t purely sinful. Woven into this impulse is our natural thirst for justice, an evidence of God’s moral law written on our hearts. We long to see wrongs put right and to have the evildoer punished. However, within our fallen hearts there is a slippery slope from a genuine yearning for justice to a sinful desire for personal vengeance.

Interestingly, the whole purpose of the lex talionis in Jewish law was to avoid needless cycles of vengeance. Think of all the gang violence, vendettas, and family feuds throughout history, the latter of which is the context for Shakespeare’s fictional Romeo and Juliet. So the lex talionis was intended to curtail the hostility between two parties that naturally tends to escalate. The local justice system would punish the guilty and right the wrongs.[3] However, the Jewish scribes began to extend this principle from the Jewish law courts to personal relationships. Ironically, this undermined the whole point of that law. By the time of Jesus, it meant: “You punched my eye. Now I get to punch your eye!”

This explains why all of Jesus’s examples involve individuals laying aside their rights out of love for those who wrong them.

“But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:39-42, NIV)

In each example, Jesus calls the wronged party to demonstrate extraordinary love where anger and retaliation would naturally follow. Jesus is saying that Christians must surrender this deep-seated impulse to get even – and more than that, to replace this impulse with tangible love for those who wrong us (see Matthew 5:44). Wanting justice is not wrong, but Jesus forbids taking justice into our own hands.

First and foremost, followers of Jesus are called to be radical peacemakers. We are to deny our thirst to get even, crucify all fleshly desires for personal vengeance, and stamp out the wildfire of violent retaliation. We are to aim for reconciliation and forgiveness where the natural impulse is to hit back, whether metaphorically or literally.

I can hear the objection: But this sounds crazy! I’m not going to let criminals go free, causing chaos in the world! With this very objection in mind, Paul writes:

“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” (Romans 12:17-19, ESV)

How can you lay aside this desire for vengeance while keeping a clear conscience? Leave room for the wrath of God. It is God’s role, not yours, says Paul, to carry out vengeance. You say, But I want justice! So does God. Which is why, in the very next chapter of Romans, Paul explains that the governing authorities are God’s appointed means of administering justice in a fallen world. Perfect and final justice in eternity is coming, certainly, but even today God appoints police officers, law courts, and judges to administer justice. Scripture even calls such authorities “the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:5, ESV). True, these institutions are not perfect, but they are there for our good.

This is one area I cannot agree with Preston Sprinkle, author of Fight: A Christian Case for Non-Violence. While I loved so much of what Preston said, he argues that Christians can never use lethal weapons – even when serving in the police or military – because Christians are never to kill.[4] But I believe Scripture differentiates between murder (lawless killing) and wartime or judicial killing.[5] It is because these God-ordained authorities carry the sword of justice that I, as a citizen, should not.

When a band of temple soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Peter drew his sword and sliced off the servant’s ear. Jesus sharply rebuked Peter, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52, ESV). Then, with stunning love, Jesus knelt down and healed this man who had come to arrest Him. Jesus was vividly demonstrating for all His followers that His kingdom would not spread through violence and warfare.

When Pilate questioned Jesus about what kind of a king He was, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world” (John 19:36, ESV).

Suffering wrong without vengeful retaliation doesn’t make you a wimp or a coward. In fact, God calls it a “gracious thing.” “For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly” (1 Peter 2:19, ESV).

When Jesus calls us to turn the other cheek, we need to remember that this is precisely what He did when He was slapped. “Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him” (Matthew 26:67, NLT). He endured the very thing to which He calls His followers.

And Peter tells us that in enduring such ruthless violence, Jesus was modeling the kind of attitude we should have when others mistreat us.

“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps… When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:21, 23, NIV)

So we come to the big question: Does this mean we are never to defend ourselves? I’ve considered this question a great deal in light of Scripture, and I really don’t think that Jesus is making an absolute statement ruling out all forms of self-defense. However, in light of everything we’ve seen in Scripture, our self-defense should always be measured and should only be about bare protection, not retaliation. Christians should never view themselves as self-appointed vigilantes executing justice on wrongdoers in the name of God.

Jesus calls us to love even our enemies. That means in our self-defense, we should try to bring the least amount of harm to our attacker while still stopping the attack. Lethal force should be avoided at all costs.

I’ve come to this conclusion because there are numerous cases in Scripture where God seems to permit self-defense. For example, when Nehemiah and his men were rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, they carried a sword to defend themselves.

“Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built.” (Nehemiah 4:17-18, ESV)

They completed the wall and God clearly blessed their efforts, implying that this is a good example to follow. In the New Testament, Paul escaped danger by being let down in a basket from a window in Damascus (2 Corinthians 11:32-33). When he was mistreated in Philippi, he appealed to his rights as a Roman citizen. He also welcomed protection from Roman soldiers more than once (Acts 21:32-22:1, 23:12-22). Even Jesus escaped violent attacks by slipping away from the crowds, prior to the cross (Luke 4:29-30; John 8:59, 10:39). While we don’t see occasions where Christians fight back in the New Testament, it seems that these examples demonstrate that reasonable self-defense is endorsed rather than forbidden.

When Jesus says, “Turn the other cheek,” we have to take this command in light of other passages that allow for self-defense. We have to see there is a difference between fighting back to defend oneself and taking vengeance on someone who has hurt you.

For example, if a man is assaulting a woman, do we really think Jesus meant she can’t use a weapon to fend him off? There are numerous passages in Scripture that call for rescuing the oppressed and vulnerable, so it only makes sense that one is encouraged to defend oneself (Psalm 82:3-4; Proverbs 31:8-9).

At the same time, Christ tells us that following Him includes radical self-denial and cross-carrying. So, if God calls us to suffer for His sake in persecution – simply by taking a beating or even being killed – we can accept it. We are in good company when we do this. And Scripture says that when we suffer in the same manner as Jesus suffered, we experience a sweet communion with Him (Philippians 3:10).

But what about the attacker at the door? Shouldn’t Christians do everything they can to defend their own families?

There are actually numerous texts that speak to this issue. For example, Exodus 22:2-3 speaks to God’s approval of defending one’s own home. Elsewhere, we see that the head of the home is called to care for those in his household, which would clearly include defending against violent aggressors (1 Timothy 5:8).

There is a lot more that could be discussed here, and we have to see that this is a matter of Christian conscience, where believers must learn to disagree charitably. When in doubt, we should follow the love principle. We should make it our aim in life to show love to even the most wicked and vile offenders. Yet, we cannot allow this love for enemies to abrogate our love for our neighbors, our love for human life, and our love for justice.

[1] See 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.

[2] From the film The Wrath of Khan.

[3] It’s interesting to note that the Hebrew Scriptures even take into account accidental killings (manslaughter)

[4] As I read Preston’s book, there was so much to love about it. His overarching principle of commitment to non-violence was, for the most part, measured and biblical. I loved the tenacious commitment to love even the worst of enemies and seek their good, despite what harm they may cause you. But I simply cannot agree with his view of Christians never carrying lethal weapons in the military or police.

[5] The Hebrew word ratsach found in commandment “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13) is never used in a military context. Ratsach should really be translated “murder” or occasionally “manslaughter” (accidental killing).

Spirit-Empowered Relationships

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment

By Jason Smith

Photo from Shutterstock
"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:3)

Several years ago, a friend of mine told me about how another friend had betrayed his confidence by sharing sensitive information with others. Apparently, this person had even made light of something that had caused my friend a great deal of pain. This caused a rift in their relationship that wasn’t quickly healed.

Former NFL defensive linemen and motivational speaker Joe Ehrmann has talked about how men who are constantly competing and comparing themselves to others can end up feeling very isolated. And with the rise of social media, “friend” has become a verb, but studies have pointed out that it’s becoming increasingly common for men over 30 to have no authentic friends.[1]  

Friendships are precious things. Sadly, most of us don’t take stock of how incredibly valuable genuine friendships are to our overall well-being. However, friendships are also very fragile. They can break if we aren’t careful with them. As my friend Jamie has put it, “The thing about relationships is that my brokenness inevitably bumps up against your brokenness.” You don’t have to live long before you realize that people will let you down. Imperfect people are just that – imperfect. So we need help in our relationships.

The Primary Cause of Relational Conflict

Very often, when a married couple is having issues one spouse will point out all the ways that the other spouse is failing them. The problem, it is said, is that their spouse is too selfish. Of course, what such a person often ignores is that their spouse is usually saying the same thing. Both spouses believe the other is being selfish!

The Bible actually agrees that this is the primary cause of relational conflicts. The problem in each of our hearts is this desire to have our own way. This desire is at the root of every conflict from the minor quarrel to the violent attack.

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.” (James 4:1-2, NIV)

If relational conflict stems from the desires battling within, then we have to ask ourselves, “How can I change in this area of relationships?” We all know intuitively that humble and selfless people tend to have more fruitful and thriving relationships. Their personalities are so attractive because they are not so self-consumed.

The good news is that Jesus has not left us alone to navigate the rough terrain of human relationships.

Love: The Missing Ingredient

We talk a lot about love in our culture, but I often wonder if we really know what it is. Love isn’t merely an emotion or feelings of attraction. It is a conscious act of the will, where we go out and meet the needs of others. When God loved us, the Bible said that He showed it, not by merely talking about warm feelings, but by meeting our greatest need through real sacrifice, as when Jesus went to the cross.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10, NIV)

Jesus called His followers to love one another. This kind of love needed to be visible and show up in how we treat one another. It’s what would draw the world to His message of forgiveness. When we as Christians fail to love one another, we are acting no better than the world and implying that we have nothing better to offer.

But gritting our teeth and trying with all our might to work up love in our hearts will never work. It’s something that the Spirit of God has to work in your life. “The fruit of the Spirit is love” (Galatians 5:22).

So How Do I Change?

I have a tan sweater hanging in my closet that I really like. I have worn it on many occasions. I even wore it on several dates when my wife, Whitney, and I just started dating. I have many fond memories while wearing that sweater.

There’s just one problem. Whitney thinks it looks atrocious on me – something about it clashing with my skin tone. She’s had to remind me of this fact on numerous occasions. It’s in my closet right now, but she would rather I get rid of it. For some reason, I just have trouble parting with that beloved sweater.

Why do I bring this up? Because taking off and putting on clothing is the metaphor the Apostle Paul uses when he describes how we change in our relationships in Colossians 3:

“But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Colossians 3:8-10, NIV)

Notice Paul says our old habits of relational dysfunction (anger, malice, slander, and filthy language) belong to our old self. And he doesn’t say, “You need to take the old self off.” He says, “You already have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self.” In other places, we learn that our old self “died” and has been “crucified with Christ” (Romans 6:6-8; Galatians 2:20). When you come to Christ, you are given a whole new identity – a “new self.” Or to keep in step with Paul’s clothing metaphor, we don’t just need to get our old clothing resized or patched up. We need a whole new set of clothing, which is really the righteousness of Christ.

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation.” (Isaiah 61:10, ESV)

To go back to behaving like our “old self” in our relationships is to contradict the change that has taken place in us. It’s like me putting on that old sweater that shouldn’t even be in my closet. Instead, we need to embrace the new clothing meant to replace the old ones.

But Paul’s point is that this can only happen through saturating our hearts and minds with the gospel and letting “the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15-16). The God of love comes inside so that we can extend that love to others.

The Spirit Makes the Difference

It’s not that we need to produce this love in our hearts by our own willpower. Instead, we need to yield to what Christ is already doing in us by the Holy Spirit. Many people look for evidence of the Holy Spirit chiefly in external signs, but the most definitive evidence of the Holy Spirit’s power is a radically transformed character. In other words, you know the Holy Spirit is dwelling within you if your life starts to match Paul’s description.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14, NIV)

Again, notice this is all about our relationships with others: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. As forgiven people, we are now empowered to forgive those who wrong us. Paul says, “Because you are God’s chosen people, holy, and loved, you need to dress like it.” Christians need to adorn themselves with the traits that match who they really are now. We need to be on Earth who we already are in Heaven.[2] When we do that, our relationships will take on a radically different shape.

The final overcoat that binds these all together is love (v. 14). When we are yielding to the Holy Spirit and His power, love will be the hallmark our lives. We will care more about the unity that glorifies God than satisfying our own self-centered desires. And differing personal preferences and opinions won’t have to divide followers of the same Lord.[3] Spirit-empowered relationships make unity in the church possible. They are also what will draw those outside the church to Jesus Christ.

[1] See Mark Gaisford, “Why do many middle-aged men like me have absolutely NO FRIENDS – and what toll does it take on our health?” The Daily Mail. ; https://www.huffpost.com/entry/men-friendship-crisis_l_5dbc9aa7e4b0576b62a1e90f ; https://www.menshealth.com/uk/mental-strength/a759609/the-truth-about-male-loneliness/

[2] See Colossians 3:1-4.

[3] See Ephesians 4:1-6.

Hope for Racial Reconciliation Today

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life, Why I Believe8 Comments

By Derek L. Jackson and Jason Smith

Our hope in this article is to set the stage for how to think about racism in our nation through a biblical and gospel lens. Racism is so deeply enmeshed in our nation that we cannot afford to ignore it for the problem that it is. We also need to look for peaceful and sustainable solutions. Each of us needs to ask, “How can I do my part in seeing racial reconciliation happen?”

It’s so easy for people of different skin color to talk past one another rather than listen carefully with the goal of understanding. That’s why we made a point of writing this article as a collaborative effort between a black man (Derek) and a white man (Jason). Both of us love Jesus dearly and pray that those in the throes of racial violence may find the hope and peace that only our Lord can give. Although we want to confront some tragic realities in our world, we are also filled with hope because the gospel of God’s grace is greater than all our sin.

Only One Race

We both believe that the Bible is emphatically opposed to any and all forms of racism, bigotry, and hatred. Some have ignorantly claimed that the Bible supports racism by misreading and distorting certain passages, but the reality is that the biblical message offers the only genuine remedy to the plague of racism.

The very first chapter in Genesis, the Bible’s first book, tells us that God created the first man and woman in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). Of all the descriptions of humanity’s origin available, in both ancient and modern literature, you will not find a more magisterial description of our nature. In the Bible alone, we see the fascinating combination of humanity’s extraordinary greatness and tragic depravity.  Because we bear God’s image, every person has unfathomable dignity. Because we are fallen, we are all prone to treat our fellow humans in horrendous ways.

The Bible’s teaching on the image of God condemns every form of racism.  God did not create a white Adam, a black Adam, and a brown Adam, and so on, so that we might wonder if one is superior to another. Instead, the biblical argument goes like this: If we are all images of God, how can you hate another image of God (James 3:9)?  How can you say you love God, whom you have never seen, but hate your brother, your neighbor, God’s image, whom you see every day (1 John 4:20-21)?

According to the Apostle Paul, we all have descended from one man (Acts 17:26). Therefore, we are all blood relatives. The black man and the white man truly are brothers by blood. This doesn’t squelch the beauty of cultural diversity; rather, it affirms the dignity of every person because of our common bond as image bearers of God – a truth that transcends every culture.

The Ultimate Source and Cure for Racism

Many have spoken about the need to end “systemic racism,” and we agree that racial injustice has infected nearly every corner of our nation. However, we also believe that every sin – including racism – begins with the human heart. Our Lord Jesus put it this way, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matthew 15:19). Therefore, it requires a solution that addresses the heart.

In other words, while new laws and policies certainly must be worked for, they ultimately lack the power to uproot all forms of racism. Each of us personally needs nothing less than a total renovation of the heart. That’s where the gospel of Christ comes in. In Christ, people of every ethnicity, background, and gender are united. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. Jesus died for those of every nation and skin color, and through Him, believers are all brought into the one family of the church together.

Paul writes that Christ Himself “is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility… His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility” (Ephesians 2:14-16, ESV).

We all have equal access to God through the one cross. All the racial injustice and prejudice that is all too prevalent in this world is rendered powerless by Christ’s bloody cross, where He absorbed all our sin and reconciled us to our Maker.

The Need to Listen Well

When we hear about racial injustice in the news, we’re often guilty of jumping too quickly to conclusions. I (Jason) know, as a white person, how easy it is to minimize the prevalence of racism in our nation. In many ways, I would like to think that we’ve moved past the racism that has plagued our nation’s history. But in reality the stain of racism has not gone away, and we need to do our part in confronting prejudice wherever we find it, beginning with our own hearts.

We need to listen to those of a different skin tone and background to try and understand and help contribute to the solution. The point of Derek sharing the stories below isn’t to undermine the necessary and noble service of good and faithful police officers, but to give a better understanding of the experience of countless black men and women in America.

There are so many things I (Derek) can say about the death of innocent and/or unarmed black people at the hands of white police officers.  I could say that this a new phenomenon, but that would be a lie.  It’s being recorded on camera more often, but this has been happening for years.  There are television shows and movies that try to shine a light on “The Talk” black parents have with their children, but I don’t know if it is understood by non-blacks that these types of conversations are real. 

As a teenager, I was sat down by my father who taught me how to react to police officers who pull you over or seek to question you.  “Always make your hands visible, always be polite, always follow directions, and always repeat vocally the directions as you’re doing them.” But the lesson that has always stuck with me is when my father told me that the police will always see me as black first. Not as human, not as a man, not as a person, just black. What’s really sad is that I have now had to have the same conversation with my son, and he’s only 11.

The color of my skin comes with certain stereotypical misconceptions.  To some I’m seen as a criminal, dirty, less than, worthless, unintelligent or uneducated, a thief, a murderer, and a gang member.  This has been the plight of the black man and woman for centuries.

I will give one example of my run in with law enforcement. As an Oakland, California, native, I know most areas of the city. While in my early twenties, I was in the Rockridge area of Oakland near College Boulevard.  It is a more astute area of Oakland.  I was coming from a friend’s dance studio in the area one evening, just after dark. The crosswalk light was so fast you would not be able to walk across before it changed. So, as the light turned green, I ran across the street just as a police officer was coming down the street and stopping at the red light. I got into my Honda Accord and waited to see if the police officer would drive past, because in my experience he was going to follow me. He didn’t move after the light turned green. I knew if I could make it to the freeway about a mile away, I’d be fine. So, I started my car and began to drive. Of course, the police officer began to follow behind me.

As I drove towards the freeway, I was extra cautious to follow all traffic laws. The police officer followed me the entire mile. Just before I got to the freeway, he turned his lights on and pulled me over. I remember what my father taught me. Before the officer made it to my door, I already had my wallet out with my license and registration on my dash and my hands on the steering wheel, with window down and engine off.  So, when the officer made it to my car’s driver’s side window, he didn’t ask the usual, “License or registration?”  He stated, “This car has been reported stolen.” 

Now, my little light blue Honda Accord wasn’t much to look at, but it was the first car I bought with my own money and it was in my name. So, how did my car get reported as stolen?  The officer then asked for my license. As I gave him my driver’s license, an operator came over his radio stating the car belongs to Derek Jackson. The officer looked at my license, then at me, and reluctantly handed my driver’s license back to me and told me I was free to go as he walked back to his car.

It may not be a big thing to some, but the fear I had at that moment is something that I should not have had.  This officer didn’t ask if my car had been stolen, he stated that it had been reported as stolen.  I believe if I had not heard what the operator said, it would have been a different story.  That, I believe, was God’s protection.

I have other stories, such as being cursed out by a cop for being young and black or another incident of being handcuffed and put in the back of a police car after being pulled over driving to school. I can’t even get into the times I’ve been followed by police or followed in a store. God has protected me because those situations could have ended with someone posting an RIP on their Instagram or Facebook page. 

We (Derek and Jason) both thank God for those police officers of every skin color who have faithfully served and protected the citizens under their care with diligence, sacrifice, and justice. We need more like them now more than ever.

What Can We Do About It?

But what about those who have suffered death, beatings, false accusations, and harassment from the police or Caucasians who hate blacks because of their skin color? Neither of us had a say in our skin color, but we exult in the fact that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). You were made the way you were on purpose, and we affirm God’s joyful creativity seen in the mosaic of all our varying skin tones. With grieved hearts, we both acknowledge the hatred and racism that can be traced through every era of our nation’s history.  From the unjust killings of American Indians to the unspeakable atrocities of the enslavement of African men and women.

Together, we affirm God’s denunciation of hate and racism. He tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). He doesn’t say, “Love the neighbor who shares your skin color.” He just says, “Love your neighbor.”  Your neighbor is anyone you come in contact with.  We’re to love as God loves, and He loved us so much He sacrificed His Son on a cross to save us from our sin. The blood of Jesus can wash away the stain of hate, the stain of racism, and the stain of bigotry and discrimination.

Scripture tells us to speak up for the rights of the hurting and the oppressed (Proverbs 31:8-9). To be silent is to be complicit in the evil happening before our eyes. At the same time, we must not take personal vengeance into our own hands. Violence only begets more violence. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.” We must demand justice for those who are oppressed, but we must always do so in love. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21, NIV). Will you join us in working for racial reconciliation today?

Choosing Self-Denial in a Self-Entitled World

On By Jason SmithIn DevotionalLeave a comment

By Jason Smith

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside His outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around His waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.” (John 13:3-5)

Jesus said some outrageous things. Like the time He looked at His closest friends with a piercing gaze and said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25).

Wait a minute. Deny myself? Such an invitation sounds bizarre, not just to our twenty-first century ears, but to first century ears, as well. We live in a culture of self-promotion. Ours is the era of entitlement. We look into the mirror and repeat the motto that we’ve inherited: “You deserve the best.” Advertisements urge us to have it your way and indulge thyself. Feeling thirsty? Well then, “this Bud’s for you.” Want to look young again? No problem, this beauty product will remind you that you are a goddess. Want to do something for yourself for a change? It’s about time. Express yourself!

“I Love Me Some Me”

Did you know that between October 2011 and November 2017, there were 259 selfie-related deaths reported? I’m not kidding. These people died while attempting to capture an impressive or hilarious snapshot of themselves. Many were hit by a train. Some fell off a bridge. Even more slipped off a sheer cliff. According to the 2018 report, men outnumbered women three to one in selfie-related deaths.[1] To counter this growing problem, many sightseeing locations around the world have put up signs prohibiting selfies due to the mortal danger associated with this risky behavior. Think of it: men and women (mostly young men) are literally risking their lives in order to capture a one-second pose so they can post it on social media or share it with friends!

Now, obviously, there is nothing inherently wrong with taking a picture of oneself. However, we should reflect on how often we have acted foolishly in order to be in the spotlight. We can laugh at former wide receiver Terrell Owens’ statement, “I love me some me,” but I say he was just being more honest than most. Although we don’t care to admit it, we’re all prone to narcissism.

Into this self-intoxicated world, our Lord speaks, turning our entire outlook on life upside down. “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it” (Matthew 16:25, NLT). To those of us who thought the movie of life is all about us, Jesus flips the script. It’s not about self-promotion, it’s about self-denial. It’s not about self-fulfillment, it’s about self-emptying. It’s not about making much of yourself, it’s about giving yourself to God. That, in fact, is precisely what Jesus did when He encoded Himself with human DNA to live, love, die, and rise in this beautiful yet broken world. He surrendered His rights and “emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7).

What would it look like if we were to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who chose self-denial over self-promotion or even self-preservation?

The Apostle Paul foresaw the coming days when “people will be lovers of self” (2 Timothy 3:2). Self-love is corrosive; it turns us in upon ourselves — something love was never intended to do. We need to let Jesus teach us that there is a beauty to self-denial. As we empty our hearts of self-love, we make room for receiving God’s love and, in turn, can extend that love to others.

The Servant King

Jesus is the King, but He’s a king who humbly washes the smelly feet of His followers (John 13:3-5).

When we humans rise to positions of power and influence, it tends to go to our heads. Satisfied with our new power status, we get a bloated sense of self-importance. Like Simba from The Lion King, we “can’t wait to be king” of our own little kingdoms so that, as the cub sings, we are “free to do it all my way.” But not Jesus. Note how counterintuitively this works out in His life. “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper… laid aside His outer garments… poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet” (John 13:3-5).

Whereas we often look around for servants from our position of power, Jesus took on the role of a servant from His position of power. It’s as if the elderly John is shaking his head in amazement as he recalls what took place in that upper room so many years before. He carefully observes that Jesus did the unpopular job of scrubbing calloused and dusty feet while fully aware that He was the King of the universe — “the Father had given all things into His hands” (v. 3).

Jesus the King chose the way of the humble servant. Not only did He do this to demonstrate His immeasurable love for His followers (John 13:1), but He also did this so we would have a tangible example of what true leadership looks like. “You call Me Teacher and Lord,” He told them, “and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:13-14). Rather than exploiting His power to make His life more comfortable, as we are all too prone to do, Jesus used His power to serve others.

Let me guarantee something for you. You will never find a passage in the New Testament where Jesus snaps His fingers and demands that Peter bring Him the hors d’oeuvres. You will look in vain for that passage where He orders John to wash His feet or commands Andrew to pour Him a glass of the wine He’s just made. Scripture says He did not use His divine status and privileges for His own advantage. Instead, He chose the role of a servant, humbly obeying His Father “to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).

We need to remember there is great joy in serving others. Jesus endured the agony of the cross “for the joy that was set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2). Moreover, Jesus wanted His joy to be fulfilled in us (John 17:13). Despite all the countless options available to Him, Jesus chose self-denial. We can still see the effect of that choice in the countless hospitals, orphanages, homeless shelters, schools, and clinics all over the world that His followers have built in His name.

So, what about you? What are you clutching tightly to that might serve a greater purpose if you gave it away? Who is the hurting person in your life? What if God has blessed you so that you can put a smile on their face? Where is a place you could go to embody the self-giving love of Jesus for others? You know that task that nobody in the house or at work wants to do — what if you chose to do it? Christ chose self-denial so that we could see the beauty of true love and follow His example. What do you choose?

[1] Agam Bansal; et al, “Selfies: A Boon or Bane?” Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care (July 2018). 7 (4): 828-831. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6131996/

Painting: “Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet” by Ford Maddox Brown