Flawed vs. Evil

“Jesus ordered the evil spirit to come out of the man. The evil spirit had controlled the man for a long time.” ( Luke 8:20 GWT)

Humanity is imperfect. We are all flawed in some way or another. Our weaknesses, when left unchecked, can prod us to do wrong--even when we know what is right. This tendency to exercise free will in ways that harm ourselves, others, and our environment is so prevalent that we accept it as part of human nature.

Do Evil forces exist?

Or is it just a word we use to describe human frailty?

Those who recognize the presence of Good can also admit that there must be an opposing force of Evil.  However, there are many who do not believe in anything that can’t be measured, seen, or touched. Discounting Evil as just an extreme form of human weakness allows it to propagate.

Scientific study has allowed us to better understand causes and treatments for many biological and psychological disorders. Spiritual illness still remains a mystery. I wish I could describe the concept of Evil without using spiritual language, but that would be like explaining a math problem without using numbers. You see, just like an unseen virus can cause physical disease, and unknown factors can lead to mental illness, supernatural Evil can corrupt our souls. And just like a virus seeks a host to propagate and spread, Evil seeps into human hearts where it multiplies. If allowed,  it can take control of our free will, influencing our thoughts, speech, and behavior. Left unchecked, Evil brings destruction to our souls and everything around us.

(cont..)

Cultural Influences

“More than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. (Matthew 6:33 CEV)

Certain cultures emphasize the importance of the collective over the individual. Everyone is encouraged to put the needs of the community over their own. Cohesion,  cooperation, generosity, hospitality, and selflessness are highly valued. Conformity is mandatory. Isolation is seen as a form of punishment. Social shunning is used to keep people in line with the rules and regulations of the majority. Martyrdom, committed for the honor of one’s tribe, is glorified. Just as success of one individual can elevate the reputation of extended families, one’s failure can also diminish the reputation of many.  Thus, many who live in collectivist cultures are driven by an obligatory sense of duty and an aversion to ostracism.

Many western cultures promote individualism over collectivism. Self-reliance, initiative, competition, and self-actualization supersede the needs of the community.  Individual rights, passions, and achievement are highly valued. Solitude and privacy are sought after, not seen as forms of punishment. Conformity is considered boring. One’s identity is defined more by individual conduct than by the choices of relatives. Dependence on others is strongly discouraged. Individualistic cultures are driven by the desire for personal success, self-expression, and independence.

As followers of Christ, we are taught a third way--to seek our identity from our relationship with God. Neither individual success nor societal validation is our goal. Our priority is to put God’s work first and do what He wants. Everything else is secondary. We may sow and reap, succeed and fail, gain and lose. Our desires, ambitions, anxieties, and flaws do not disappear. Yet, we channel them in ways that honor the Lord. We seek solitude and quiet for prayer and contemplation. Conformity with Christ is highly valued. We are influenced by the Holy Spirit. Thus, we  are driven by love, compassion, and truth.

Wasted Morning

“We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence...” (Romans 13:13 MSG)

I tend to be most energetic and focused in the morning. I try to  capitalize on this by scheduling my running, writing, studying--all in the first few hours of waking up. But some days, I get lazy and distracted. I linger in bed; I indulge leisurely over my coffee while checking emails and reading the latest news. Before I know it, it’s close to noon, and I’ve squandered these precious hours.

As I get older, I am aware that my years of peak physical vitality and mental acuity are winding down. I can’t afford to waste any more time on personal gratification. I don’t want to squander my days on frivolity and indulgence, oblivious to what is truly important. Instead, I need to be alert to what God is doing and participate with everything I have left. I have to clothe myself in the light of Christ and get moving.

“Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!” (Romans 12:14 MSG)

Source of Courage

“Blessed and happy and to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me.” (John 20:29 AMPC)

The storm raged on. I huddled in the basement watching the local weather report. Images of hail, wind, rain, uprooted trees, and thousands of homes without power flickered across the screen. The meteorologists warned everyone to stay in their safe place. I wanted to see if we had any roof or tree damage but decided to heed their warnings and stay away from the windows. I was glad the satellite dish still worked--but soon the storm cut that off. At least we still had electricity. I got online and watched the live radar. That lasted about half an hour until the power went off too. Now I was completely in the dark. I had no idea what was going on outside. I realized that whatever little courage I had was based on seeing and knowing what was happening and then trying to figure out how I could manage it. I started praying, because I couldn’t think of anything else to do.

Like most people, I tend to rely on what I can see, touch, measure, and control. God is unseeable, immeasurable, intangible, and unmanageable; trusting in Him feels precarious and foolish. Even though I know deep down that my circumstances can change any moment and my self-sufficiency is limited, I still cling to my illusions--until even those are stripped away from me. I wait until all my other options are exhausted before I seek God’s help.

Uncertain times are the training ground for trust. When all that is visible and tangible is taken away, when life becomes unmanageable--we learn to lean on the Lord and not on our own insights and understanding. God alone becomes our source of courage and confidence. Faith calls us to have assurance in the unseen, to rely on the unknowable, to adhere to that which  remains unsubstantiated.

Nonverbal Prayers

“When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence.

Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear.” (Lamentations 3:28 MSG)

Prayer does not require words. It might help us to express our concerns to God in cohesive sentences, but it makes no difference to an omniscient God. Whether we pray out loud or in our minds, whether we kneel, stand, sit, or lie face down--might improve our focus, but it doesn’t change God who remains constant and accessible.

When my worries threaten to engulf me, I find a quiet place. I have a hard time formulating words at this time. Thus, I wrap up my anxieties in an imaginary box and submit it to God. I don’t make requests or give suggestions. I don’t ask questions. I wait silently. Feelings of panic, sadness, and fear well up inside me. I wait a bit longer. Acceptance, gladness, and gratitude usually follow. I don’t shape these emotions into words; I just let them flow through me. Eventually, I am fueled with enough hope and peace to get up and move. I know that God is near. In the hard times and the good times, He remains dependable. He is attentive to my heart cries. I trust Him.

Praying Romans 12

Lord, I take my daily life and offer it to You.

Do not let me be conformed to the patterns of this world.

Instead, transform me by changing the way I think.

Teach me to be responsive to Your Spirit.

Show me how to lead a life of meaning and purpose.

Correct me when I misrepresent You.

Do not allow me to be prideful, bossy, manipulative, or impatient.

Protect me from discouragement, corruption, and burnout.

Fill me with empathy, humility, generosity, and goodness.

Help me to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Do not let evil get the best of me.

Instead, teach me how to overcome evil by doing good.

Responding to God

“Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Romans 12:2 MSG)

I was browsing the vitamin aisle at the store when I noticed a row of multivitamins for ‘mature adults.’ I wondered what it took to qualify as a mature adult? I’m not sure if I’ve grown much in the last year. I have made a few new friends and learned some things. I’ve traveled and had several novel experiences. I’ve tried different dishes at exotic restaurants and cooked experimental recipes at home.  I may have gained a few pounds--but I can’t say I am more mature than I was last year at this time. In fact, I feel like a piece of chicken that has been grilled on a hot flame--well done on the outside and still bloody on the inside.

Many adults seem externally well-adjusted. We know how to fit in without challenging the status quo. We are responsive to cultural expectations and pressure--making superficial changes to be pleasing and acceptable to those around us. Unfortunately, this just drags us down to the level of immaturity that is prevalent in society.

It’s difficult to be responsive to both culture and to God. A certain amount of detachment from the world can increase our sensitivity to the Holy. When we become conscious of what God wants and learn to be receptive--it brings out the best in us. In time, we are transformed from the inside out--growing in spiritual awareness and maturity.