Pastors vs. Ministers

Jesus was a model Pastor--a charismatic leader and guide, who was completely tuned in to the Father. He was devoted, compassionate, wise, powerful, and ready to sacrifice His life for others. I have yet to personally meet anyone else who fits this level of dedication. However, I have encountered many ministers—mid-level followers, teachers, speakers, and servants—who have been elevated to the role of Pastor.

I don’t think that most humans have what it takes to shepherd, guide, and protect others from evil.

Yet, many of us are equipped to minister—to serve.

Those of us who are used to being dependent, vulnerable, caring, and nurturing—are uniquely blessed to fill this role.

Unlike Pastors, ministers often go unrecognized because they often keep a low profile. Some of the most effective ministers I know are women. Most are freelance servants—those who extend their ministries outside of their churches or non-profit organizations. Although none of them will call what they do a ‘ministry’, their services are invaluable. These incredible women-- ‘take care’, ‘do for’, encourage, support, nourish, nurture, listen, mentor, give, help, clean, visit, call, teach, hug, and share.

I’m continually inspired by these women who serve God quietly behind the scenes, without titles, without recognition, giving all the glory to God.

Thanksgiving List

Here are a few of the things I am thankful for this year. (I can’t rank these in order since they are all really important to me.)

Faith

Health

Love

Family

Friends

Forgiveness

Stability

Safety

Shelter

Provisions

Dedication

Trust

Time

Silence

Peace

The Peter Principle

Dr. Laurence J. Peter came up with the Peter Principle, which is based on the following observation: “In a hierarchy, members are promoted so long as they work competently. Sooner or later they are promoted to a position at which they are no longer competent (their "level of incompetence"), and there they remain, being unable to earn further promotions. http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Peter_Principle.html

Although the Peter Principle is mostly used in business circles, I think it applies to a variety of situations. If you are capable of doing something well, there will be pressure, both internal and external, for you to move on to something bigger. If you are satisfied with your accomplishments in life, then you will be perceived as lacking ambition.  

For example, if you are a good physician, there will be pressure for you to move up the hierarchy into administration, research, teaching, or a more lucrative practice. Or, maybe you are a decent cook and are able to come up with delicious meals for your family and friends. Sooner or later, you will feel the urge to do something more with your talents—maybe open a restaurant or a catering business. Or, if you happen to enjoy gardening and are able to grow vegetables on a small plot, then someone will suggest you dig up a bigger area next year and possibly make some money off your produce. Most of us have internalized this convoluted message: If you are competent and content, then you are not maximizing your talents and opportunities.

“Whether we are poets or parents or teachers or artists or gardeners, we must start where we are and use what we have. In the process of creation and relationship, what seems mundane and trivial may show itself to be holy, precious, part of a pattern.” (Luci Shaw)

If we do something long enough, it will eventually feel mundane. Yet, there are precious lessons, windows of enlightenment, and opportunities for personal growth that can only be reached once we have mastered our roles. When you first learn to ride a bike, it takes a great deal of physical and mental energy just to stay balanced and moving forward. Turns, hills, traffic, uneven pavement—all require your full concentration. However, once you are a competent bicyclist, you have a chance to appreciate the beauty around you, even opportunities for reflection during long rides.

Ultimately, it comes down to what you value most, accomplishment or enlightenment. If you assess the quality of life by acquisition—whether of accolades or external manifestations of success—then you will continue to strive until you hit a point where you are no longer competent. However, if you measure your worth on the basis of meaning, purpose, insight, and wisdom, then there is no limit to your growth potential.

Basic Prayers

Anne Lamott wrote a cute little book titled Help, Thanks, Wow—The Three Essential Prayers. The title pretty much sums up the main idea—that you don’t need elaborate prayers—just ask God for help when you need it; thank Him for everything; and worship Him.

I agree with Annie. (Yes, I like to imagine that I’m on a first-name basis with her and all my other favorite authors.)

Yet, I want to add a few of my own corollaries to her basic idea:

We have a Savior who has rescued us from the influence of darkness. Now, we are under the influence of the Son.  

“For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.” (Colossians. 1:11-13 NLT)

“Help!”—when we are at our most desperate, this is all we need to say. Imagine that you are drowning. You call out to the lifeguard on duty. Once the lifeguard reaches you it is counterproductive to struggle and flail about. Neither is it necessary to offer instructions or suggestions on how you like to be rescued.

“I Trust You.”—This is an important prayer for me. I have major trust issues. When my Savior comes near, I need to reiterate this phrase—not to reassure Him, but to keep myself calm. I have to place my life in His hands. I have to allow Him to rescue me. I am still a long way from the shore. The Lifeguard will swim with me all the way back. As I get close to the shore, as soon as I feel my toes touch the bottom of the ocean floor, I’m tempted to tell Him that I can do the rest on my own. Bad idea! I should just hang on. He will release me when it is safe to do so.  

“Thanks.”—This should be the simplest part. Stop and express sincere gratefulness. Don’t be in a hurry to get away and move on. I’ll be honest—I have a tendency to use this time to tell God how He could have improved his technique and timing. As if I’m filling out a customer service survey! I find myself saying things like: I’m thankful, I really am…but next time, could you be more prompt when I call for help…oh, and don’t hold me so tight—I could hardly move or breathe.”

“Wow!”—Express amazement, praise, adoration—again, this is more for my own edification. It trains me to look higher, to a glory beyond myself.

Stress, Struggle, and Strength

I was noticing how the words stress, struggle, and strength all start with the prefix of str-. I have no doubt that these words are connected with each other. Stress and struggle are essential preludes to developing strength.

I once read a story about a person who tried to help a caterpillar. The caterpillar was developing in its cocoon and straining to break free. The observer decided to help by cutting a slit in the cocoon. The butterfly emerged immediately, but its wings were weak and unformed. The struggle within the cocoon was an essential part of its development. In order for a butterfly to have strong wings, it needs to push the fluid from its abdomen into its wings. There are many versions of this story, but the moral is the same: Sometimes, in our desire to help someone —we actually hinder his/her development.

I was reminded of this story recently as I observe my son struggling out of his chrysalis. I am tempted to intervene, to help, to ease his struggle.

College athletes—especially football players—are put through rigorous strength and conditioning workouts. Strength training coaches prescribe the amount of weights and repetitions. The athletes are trained in the proper mechanics of lifting—so as to minimize injury. A solid strength and conditioning program increases overall strength, flexibility, and stamina.

I doubt that they ever let an athlete’s mom enter these weight rooms during a training workout! 

I keep reminding myself that God is my son’s strength training coach. God knows how much to push my son, how much weight he can lift. Under God’s supervision, my son will eventually grow stronger. A coddling mom is detrimental to the maturation process. I need to stay out of the weight room.

I can, however, provide nourishment, encouragement, and care packages.

Firewall

Most of us who use personal computers have encountered firewalls. Even if we don’t have a complete understanding of their function, we know firewalls protect our computers, somehow. Here is a technical description of what a firewall actually does:

“In computing, a firewall is a software or hardware-based network security system that controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic by analyzing the data packets and determining whether they should be allowed through or not, based on a rule set. A firewall establishes a barrier between a trusted, secure internal network and another network (e.g., the Internet) that is not assumed to be secure and trusted.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewall_(computing) )

When I read the above description, I realized how much I need a firewall for my mind. Every day, I have incoming and outgoing thoughts (or data packets). Some of these ideas are useful, while others are harmful. I wish I had a firewall around my mind that analyzed these data packets and determined whether they should be allowed through or not.  

 “And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst.” (Zeph. 2:5 ESV)

God is our firewall protecting us from the Enemy. He is the trusted, secure, internal network. Just as firewalls protect computers from malicious attacks, God creates a barrier between our minds and the other network that is not secure or trustworthy.

There have been a few occasions when I have disabled my computer’s firewall--so as to install a new program--and then forgotten to turn the firewall back on afterwards. Similarly, I sometimes disable the spiritual firewall that God has provided and forget to turn it back on—thus allowing all sorts of malignant thoughts to enter my mind.

I need to check my firewalls--the one that protects my computer and the ONE that protects my mind.

Summer School

A high school student who fails a class is required to take it again during the summer. Unfortunately, even though I finished high school decades ago, I have had to attend a kind of summer school.

Let me explain:

I have repeatedly flunked out of the following courses: Trust, Flexibility, Hospitality, Tolerance, and Stress Management. I am forced to repeat these classes over and over again in summer school.

Summers, which often mean prolonged visits with extended family members, test my patience and expose my weaknesses. I come unraveled at the seams, revealing my lack of faith. I become inflexible, defiant, inhospitable, and frazzled. All the lessons I previously learned on these subjects are erased from memory. Each summer I have to repeat these same classes over again. I feel like an idiot.

I wonder when I will actually gain mastery over these subjects.

“We go around and around the same mountain instead of making progress. It takes us years to experience victory over something that could, and should, have been dealt with quickly and put behind us.” (Joyce Meyers)

In order to advance to higher levels, I have to first ‘pass’ these pre-requisite classes. Imagining that these lessons are optional is partly why I’m stuck. Even though these lessons are difficult, I must somehow grasp them so I can move on.

Standard of Living

According to most economists, the standard of living of a particular region can be quantified by measuring certain key factors: income, availability of employment, healthcare, and education, poverty rates, affordability of housing, safety, environmental quality, cost of goods and services, etc.

My definition of a high standard of living differs from those of economists. Factors which I consider important in measuring the quality of my life include: living in a conflict-free environment, being able to take care of the needs of my family without outside help, having the time and energy to—cook healthy meals, clean my own home, exercise, sleep six hours every night, and spend time with loved ones. In my opinion, wealth is measured by your ability to remain content while living within your means. For example, a person who makes over a million dollars a year, but still goes into debt so as to keep up with his other millionaire neighbors, is less wealthy than a person who makes far less, but is content to live debt-free within his limited income.

If you happen to have the ability, opportunity, and inclination to take care of your physical, mental, and spiritual needs, as well as those of your loved ones, then you are experiencing the highest standard of living. Some of us are blessed with ability, but not with opportunity or inclination. Others might have opportunity, but not the ability or inclination. Some of us are able to take care of our physical needs, but not our mental or spiritual needs. Others may be able to take care of themselves, but are unable to take care of their loved ones. Seldom is one individual blessed with all of the above. 

Building Permits

Before you start construction of a new home or add on to an existing home, most counties require you to obtain a building permit. The new construction is usually checked out by a building inspector to ensure compliance with building codes.

When we built our detached studio next to our current house, we really wanted a bathroom in this structure. It would be convenient and add value to the renovation—so it made complete sense to us. However, the building code did not permit for any more bathrooms on our property. We knew others in our neighborhood who had ignored the code and renovated their home according to their own plans. We resisted the temptation to do the same.

Prayer—is a lot like getting a building permit. We get ideas for new construction or major renovations to our existing lives. We pray for God’s blessing on these ventures. Sometimes, God allows it—if it meets His code. However, if it is likely to cause structural damage to our lives—He might not permit it.

Sometimes, I ask God’s help with plans that make complete sense to me—but He rejects my requests. I’m tempted to make things happen on my own power. Occasionally, I ignore God’s code and push my own agenda. My short-sighted plans usually bring temporary satisfaction but risk future safety. 

In some parts of the world, it is a common practice to bribe local officials to gain building permits. It is a bad idea to offer bribes so that you can construct whatever you desire, without regard for future safety. Yet, we mimic those around us, thinking this is the only way to get anything done. Similarly, some of us try to ‘bribe’ God into accepting our requests. We offer time, sacrifices, dedicated service, and rote prayers. We mistake God for an unethical, greedy, third-world government official who can be influenced by bribes.

God knows our needs better than we do. So, the best form of prayer is to lay out your desires, plans, uncertainties, and sufferings before God. Let Him inspect it. Wait for His permission. If it is good, then He will grant your request. If it is flawed, then He will bring about the necessary changes. He knows what is best.

Spiritual Bankruptcy

In my early twenties, I went through a spiritual crisis. My childhood faith, which was largely influenced by my parents’ beliefs as well as my denominational affiliation, no longer fit. As I started noticing discrepancies, I started questioning everything. I felt like a builder who finds out that the foundation is cracked, halfway through construction. The faith that took two decades to build came tumbling down.

Now, in my forties, my faith is once again solid and strong. These days, when I am faced with scriptural and religious inconsistencies, I am not disturbed. I have found peace in my view that all religions are human interpretations of the Divine Truth—a truth that I might never fully comprehend. And that’s okay. I get an indescribable comfort from praying and studying the Bible. I sense God’s presence in nature, His voice in songs, His love in friends, His wisdom in every situation.

Every so often, some crisis comes along that shakes my faith in God. Because I have experienced this spiritual bankruptcy before, I am not as scared as I was the first time. I know I shall recover, even if it takes a few years.

A friend of mine, who is in her late sixties, shared the following insight with me: She never questioned the traditional teachings and scriptural interpretations that were foundational to her faith until a few years ago. Now she is facing the prospect of spiritual bankruptcy for the first time. As I was listening to her, I realized how similar this was to financial bankruptcy. If everything you have is wiped out in your twenties, you still have time to build it back up again. However, if your entire life savings is wiped out when you are in your seventies, it’s a much scarier prospect.

I had never thought of my youthful questioning as a blessing…until now.

I notice several young people going through a similar phase of demolishing and rebuilding the foundations of their faith. Now, I realize that this might be a necessary and healthy part of spiritual growth.

The Downside of Communal Parenting

Communal living, with extended family members living under the same roof, is still common in certain cultures. I happen to be from one of these cultures which advocates multigenerational cohabitation. Married couples with children are encouraged to live with extended family members. The concept of the ‘nuclear family’ is rejected. Boundaries between relatives are erased. When several sets of adults are living together, personal accountability and individual responsibility become scarce. 

Communal living arrangements allow adults to remain codependent. This, in turn, leads to a disintegration of the nuclear family and parental roles. Parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, older siblings, and nannies are all allowed to play parenting roles according to their own ideas and agendas. This might seem ideal at first glance. Yet, in reality, it merely waters down the responsibility of parenting. Oftentimes, child rearing is considered a menial task and thus delegated to those who cannot earn money doing something 'better'. Young parents are encouraged to pursue careers and leave the parenting to older relatives and other surrogates. The roles of husband/father/man of the house, wife/mother/woman of the house—all become blurred. No one takes up the mantle of accountability. The nuclear family becomes like a ship with no captain at the helm—tugged in different directions.

Some of us justify this practice by claiming that we are making sacrifices so that our kids can have a better future! Let’s take a closer look at this myth. If you are a single parent who is not able to feed or shelter your young children, it is perfectly reasonable to seek the assistance of relatives or friends for a short time until you get back on your feet. Hopefully you have the sense not to bring any more children into this world until you are able to care for them without the help of extended family. However, when dual career, married parents justify passing on their parental responsibilities to others--so that their children can live in bigger houses, go to better schools, and consume more expensive products—we can’t honestly claim that this is a sacrifice! Unless, of course, we are admitting that we are sacrificing our parental responsibilities on the altar of ambition and materialism.

Shame vs. Guilt

I recently read a fascinating article on the difference between shame-based and guilt-based cultures. It prompted me to dig deeper into this subject. Most of what follows is a synopsis of what I learned from my research mixed with my personal experiences of being a part of both cultures.

“According to cultural anthropologist Ruth Benedict, shame is a violation of cultural or social values while guilt feelings arise from violations of one's internal values. Thus shame arises when one's 'defects' are exposed to others, and results from the negative evaluation (whether real or imagined) of others; guilt, on the other hand, comes from one's own negative evaluation of oneself, for instance, when one acts contrary to one's values or idea of one's self.” (http://psych.stanford.edu/~tsailab/PDF/yw07sce.pdf)

Shame-based cultures tend to be collectivistic rather than individualistic. In a shame-based culture, if your brother is in jail for a crime—and even if you had no part in it—you still feel ashamed. The primary motivator in most decisions is ‘how things will appear to others.’ Individuals are encouraged to conform to a group standard. Societies that place a high value on family honor and how individual actions affect group identity fall into this category.

In guilt-based cultures, individuals tend to base their decisions more on internal standards rather than on societal values. The primary motivation for most choices might be: “Is this right or wrong?”

Morality is heavily influenced by your culture of origin. So, every individual will, at some point or another, be motivated by both shame and guilt. Yet, evaluating your choices, based on cultural patterns, might clarify your motives and thus prove enlightening. 

Marching Bands

“For our struggle is not against human opponents, but against rulers, authorities, cosmic powers in the darkness around us, and evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm.” (Eph. 6:12 ISV)

“This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's.” (2 Chronicles 20:15 NLT)

What is my role in the battle between Good and Evil? If the fighting is best left to God, then what am I supposed to do with myself? What is my part in God’s Army? Am I to be part of the marching band?

Marching bands originated as part of the military. Large groups of soldiers needed to move in an orderly fashion, in the same direction, without trampling on each other. Since drums and bugles could be heard for greater distances than a voice shouting: “Left, right, left,” most large armies had some sort of marching band.

These days, marching bands are relegated to the role of entertaining crowds at sporting events. It must take a great deal of dedication to show up in all sorts of weather, suited up in a goofy uniform, playing your instrument—knowing that everyone is paying attention to the football players.

Yet, it is better to be a good bugle player in God’s Army than to not participate at all. And, it’s probably best if you leave the real fighting to God. Our role in this battle is to show up, suit up in our assigned uniform, and play our instrument—to the best of our ability, without getting distracted,—until the battle is over.

My Two Cents

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” (The Lord’s Prayer)

Obviously, trespassing is sinful. I try really hard not to trespass on others, and I wish others would do the same. I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about ways to maintain healthy boundaries in relationships.

I imagine that I can convince people, with my logic, to do what I think is right and good. As I write these words out, I can see the flaws in my thinking. Yet, I have operated under this false illusion for most of my life, and it’s a bit difficult to change. And if I can’t change myself, even when I’m aware of a flaw, why do I think that I could persuade others through my words and logic?

I’m reminded of the idiom ‘adding my two cents’—which means giving my opinion, while acknowledging it has very little value. Well, I frequently add my two cents to God’s million dollar plan.

Often, my words just muddle the situation further. Every life is a canvas on which God paints His vision. Imagine a great artist painting a masterpiece, and his 4-year-old child scribbling on it with a crayon! This is probably equivalent to what I do when I attempt to embellish God’s plan.

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all.” (Prov. 3:5-12 MSG)

Lord, I pray that you will help me to trust you completely. Cure me of this bad habit of trying to add my two cents to your unlimited funds.

Bringing Down Strongholds

The book of Joshua describes how God brought down the walls of Jericho. He instructed the Israelites to march around the fortress, without speaking, blowing the sacred horn that represented God’s signal—for 7 days. On the final day, they were to end the marching with a shout. And the wall came down.

 “We each have our Jericho or Ai that stands in the way of our ability to possess our possessions in Christ; virtual strongholds that impede our spiritual progress. It may be a weakness in our character, a physical infirmity, it may be indifference to spiritual things in general or to a specific area we are neglecting. It could be materialism or some life-dominating pattern. It may be a difficulty at one’s place of work, in the home, with a particular personality, or it may be a financial burden. Regardless of the nature of our Jericho, we must realize victory always comes through God’s plan of deliverance—never ours.”(J. Hampton Keathley, III)

How do we bring down strongholds that impede our spiritual progress? We listen and obey. We march—put one foot in front of the other; we don’t speak, (because we’ve tried that already and how much has that really helped any situation?) We blow God’s horn, not our own. And yes, this will all look crazy, useless, and unproductive. Expect to feel ridiculous.

God will bring down this and all other strongholds according to his parameters and his schedule. And each time the same lesson is reinforced: You were never in control, and you never will be. God is in complete control. This is All God.

Circumstantial Peace

When all is well around me, I am at peace. But as soon as there is any turmoil, I get agitated. If a friend gets sick, if anyone I love is suffering, I get upset for them. Well, actually, it isn’t really for them, since it doesn’t seem to improve their situation any.

Circumstantial peace fluctuates with every tide. It’s like being in a small boat on the open sea. When the waters are calm, the boat ride is pleasant. But as soon as the waves get choppy, you feel like vomiting. Huge ships feel more stable than small boats. Yet, most of us prefer to self-navigate in our own little boats, even though we are more likely to get tossed around by every wave. Well, I’m sick of this little boat! I want to experience a more stable peace.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”(Phil. 4:6-7 NLT)

This ‘peace beyond understanding’—won’t make sense. This verse is not about how God is going to smooth out your life. It can’t be based on the resolution of every problem. If it were, then it wouldn’t be beyond human understanding. It’s about climbing out of your self-navigated little boat and climbing onto God’s mighty vessel. It’s about submitting everything to God and being saturated in trust.

 

Schemes of Happiness

“All schemes of happiness that are centered in this world, are always doomed to a final frustration…For some souls, and at some times, the life of learning, humbly offered to God, is, in its own small way, one of the appointed approaches to Divine reality and Divine beauty.” (--from The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis)

Most of us spend our lives inventing and revising schemes for happiness. If someone asked you right now to list three things that would make you happy, what would your answer be? What if all three of these scenarios happened? Then what? Would you be content for the rest of your life? I doubt any of us shall find complete contentment in this world. Which leads to the natural conclusion that true, lasting happiness cannot be attained during this lifetime, but we can hope for it during our retirement in heaven.

So, what do we do with these years we have left on this earth? C.S. Lewis suggests a life of learning. This sounds good to me, since I enjoy learning, as long as I am able to pursue whatever interests me without any time pressure. I prefer subjects that require reading, theorizing, and writing over subjects that require practical application. Maybe this is why I find it difficult to practice the virtues of patience, unconditional love, and trust, even though I’ve spent so much time studying these topics.

Why Purify?

“Glory and strength to Christ, who loves us, who blood-washed our sins from our lives…” (Rev. 1:5 MSG)

If Christ washed away our sins, then why is there a need for repeated purification? The answer lies in the difference between salvation and sanctification. Both these words are theologically loaded, and experts disagree about their exact definitions. But, I’ll give you my simplified interpretation:

Salvation means we are saved from a life separate from God. Sanctification means we are clean enough to feel comfortable around God. I think the difference can be better understood through an analogy:

When my husband goes away on a trip, I become less particular about my personal hygiene. I stop bothering with washing or combing my hair, flossing my teeth, and changing my clothes. I also become lax about housecleaning. The dishes pile up in the sink, the counters remain cluttered, and dust settles on every surface. If anyone rings the doorbell, I won’t open the door. But on the day my husband is scheduled to return, I vacuum, dust, disinfect, mop, shower, floss, and put on clean clothes. Whether I clean up or not, he would come home. He would continue to love me, even if the house was a mess and I had not showered in days. However, I would be uncomfortable and embarrassed to get close to him.

Salvation gives us the option to have an intimate relationship with God. Sanctification allows us to be comfortable enough to get close to HIM.  

Purification

Most cultures/religions have purification ceremonies that involve some sort of symbolic cleansing—an outward washing meant to signify an internal sanctification. During a recent discussion on this topic, an insightful friend said: “Purification involves pulling back from the world and drawing closer to God.” Her comment made me rethink some of my previous assumptions. Most of us attempt to clean ourselves up while remaining in the muck. We also imagine that spiritual purification is similar to taking a bath—a ritual ablution that we can do on our own. I realized that purification might be more akin to picking off ticks than it is to washing off dirt. Let me explain…

My husband and I frequently take our dog for walks along wooded trails. When we get back home, we brush the dog—getting out all the bits of debris that have stuck to her long fur. We also check for ticks, both on the dog and on us. Because ticks burrow into dark crevices, they are a bit challenging to detect and remove from one’s own body—thus this task is best left to an intimate friend.

Similarly, internal purification is a bit more intricate than a regular washing. First of all, we have to pull back from the ‘woods.’ There isn’t much point in trying to cleanse ourselves from sin, while still remaining in the midst of it. We cannot detect these sins all by ourselves through introspection. Occasionally, our friends might be able to point out a flaw or two. Yet, even they are not able to get into the deep, dark crevices of our minds. Fortunately, there is an intimate friend, the Holy Spirit, who is able to look into every nook and cranny and completely remove all our iniquities. All we have to do is submit to his ministrations.

Independence

I have read of guys living in the woods who are almost self-sufficient. I admire them greatly. Some people like to watch TV shows about the ‘Rich and Famous.’ I, on the other hand, get excited reading about individuals who live off the grid—gathering or growing their food, collecting rain water, subsisting on minimal resources while communing with nature.

Most of us seek to be independent. We work really hard to achieve financial, social, and intellectual freedom. Most of us strive to take care of ourselves instead of depending on others. Yet, very few of us are completely self-sufficient. Most of us have to rely on a farmer to grow our food and on our local communities to provide services such as water, sanitation, utilities etc. Even the most free-thinking individual is influenced by books or material written by others.

“If I’m too full, I might get independent, saying, ‘God? Who needs him?’ If I’m poor, I might steal and dishonor the name of God. (Prov. 30:7-9 MSG)

Those who imagine that they are completely self-sufficient have little need for God. They think they can manage on their own. On the other end of the spectrum are those who are desperately needy. When in dire straits, we are more likely to grab ahold of anything to survive, even if it is evil. We might not have the mind-set to wait on God if we are starving—whether it is for food, love, or significance.

 

When hiking, we often stop at scenic overlooks. These ideal vantage points offer views that are obscured during the rest of the hike. Similarly, there must be a sweet spot somewhere in the middle of abject poverty and complete sufficiency—a viewing platform that allows us to recognize and appreciate God.

Human Opinion

Our sense of self-worth is heavily influenced by the values of the people around us. Ideas about beauty, fashion, success, fame, power, strength, intelligence, value, individual rights, patriotism, love, relationships, parenting—all are society-driven. For example, take something as simple as beauty—how do we determine who is beautiful? There are some similar cross-cultural ideas that involve facial symmetry and certain features that imply strength in males and fertility in females. However, there are marked differences in what is considered beautiful depending on the time and place in which you live. The same can be said for ideas about power, or intelligence, or relationships. The traits that were considered good a thousand years ago among Australian aborigines would not be the same as those that are valued now in the U.S. A thousand years ago, power and intelligence would have been measured in different ways than it would be now. Physical strength and hunting acumen would have been valued over computer skills, possession of paper money, or a higher education. Unlike now, skinny women would have been considered weak and thus useless.

We are all influenced by other people—some of us more so than others. The only way to prevent this is to live in complete isolation with no exposure to any media. I know a few people who have attempted to minimize worldly influences by living in rural areas. Although this cuts down a bit of the noise of human opinion, some of the polluted ideas still seep through.

“The fear of human opinion disables, trusting in GOD protects you from that. (Prov. 29:25 MSG)

When we decide what is good and worthy by the opinions of fellow humans—we become disabled. When we surround ourselves with God’s presence, allowing His wisdom to seep in and saturate our minds—then, His influence overpowers the cacophony of the world. Complete trust in God acts as the only effective force field against human opinion.