How come many Christians, of all people, have so lost sight of the spiritual world and the supernatural? Where is the miraculous; where are the God-given spiritual gifts; where are the angels and the victory over evil spirits?
The other major world religions, even the tribal religions are much more in touch with the spiritual world than we are!
We seem to think that we are too advanced to believe that nonsense, even looking down on these beliefs in other religions as primitive or pagan. We, on the other hand, are 'wiser' than they; we know that the world is made of atoms and is material! And we have grown up with a deep belief in our own superior knowledge of how the world works.
But actually it is we who have traded sight for blindness and become blind guides.
We have fallen for the lie that what we can see and explain is all that matters - the materialistic view. We have believed a lie - not so much that science is wrong, but the view that it is all that is true!
But that is not Biblical Christianity.
Some resolve this conundrum by coming to the conclusion that Jesus lived in a pre-scientific age, and explained things in the language of the common (read: primitive) people of his day. Had he lived in this era, they think, he would of course have explained things in material and scientific terms...
But then we would need to remove not just the miracles, but all references in the Bible to the spiritual - even to God being Spirit! And what are we left with? Well, not much at all, really:
- the miracles were obviously some unusual but explainable scientific phenomena
- the spiritual gifts (prophecy, discernment, etc) were a figment of the imagination, or perhaps altered states of mind
- the demonic can be readily dismissed as psychological or mental health issues (and how offensive is that?)...
And is it then surprising that we decide that Christianity isn't very useful in this day and age, and so it is thrown out completely!
Other Christians assume a different 'solution': they are clear that the miraculous used to happen - and especially that Jesus rose miraculously from the dead. But they seem very uncomfortable with the notion of spiritual gifts and with angels and demons, and are clear that miracles don't happen nowadays. They are probably people whose Christian life so far hasn't been touched by the majority of the world where an awareness of the spiritual is a normal part of day-to-day reality.
Anyway, they are left with a castrated Christianity, impotent and nonsensical - a belief system in which God used to be able to do all sorts of things, but offers little these days to those who have any need beyond wanting a cosy circle and a warm feeling. (After all, why would we need any of that spiritual stuff now that we have psychologists and modern medicine? Come to that, why would God need to go to any such effort now that we are so well advanced and able to do everything ourselves?)
While much of life looks simply natural and not obviously spiritual, if we only work at a material level we miss all the spiritual action; we are reduced to feeble human (mis)understanding. We are then blind, powerless and useless.
How true are the Bible's words about collective unbelief:
"He (Jesus) did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith." (Matt 13v58)
How much of the time we rush around doing things - seemingly important things - but have no time to stand and stare, to notice what matters and what is going on:
- Life is short; this isn't a rehearsal, you only live once; I'm going to make the most of every second; sleep is for wimps; 24/7 ...
- There's too much to do; if I don't do it no-one will; maximising efficiency; time flies; time is money; bustle and rush; got to get it all done; needs must ...
- I must meet the deadline or they'll kill me; I'm just going to do this before I finish for the day; I'm going to be late back again tonight darling ...
- Yes, you can get me by or phone or email anytime; of course; don't hesitate; no problem ...
We suffer from the illusion that it is up to us to get things done, and if we don't get on with it, then nothing will happen.
It's a lie of the Enemy, a trap - and one that many (particularly in the West) have fallen headlong into.
But actually, before the dawn of time, God was working and speaking the universe into existence. For millennia his purposes were being realised, including making humankind. And long before we rushed around, God was working out his purposes, and he continues to do so day by day - in his unhurried but perfectly-timed way.
The Lord is author and creator of all things.
So I wonder what all this rushing is accomplishing? Keeping us busy? Creating a sense of purpose and direction? Making us feel important or powerful?
Or perhaps, by all our rushing, we are desperately avoiding the thought that actually our lives are meaningless and have no real purpose, that inside we feel small and unimportant.
But if we stopped rushing we would have time to enjoy life with God; we would know that our purpose is to give glory to Him; and that it is only in God that we have any power or direction.
Actually, as God's precious people, we are much too important than to waste our time on so much worthless bustle! And life is far too short to waste it on rushing and meaningless activity. Instead, take time to wonder, to live in awe, to commune with God in prayer, to be alongside others.
So we have a choice. We can foolishly rush around as if it's all up to us - building sandcastles, while trying to ignore the tide which is coming in.
Or we can stand back and take the time to stop and look, to see what God is doing, and having got a Godly perspective, to unhurriedly work alongside Him, building on the rock.
We like to think that we have things pretty well under control. We make our plans and probably get annoyed if they are disrupted by others - after all, when we have planned things carefully, we arranged them that way for a reason. So it can be rather irritating when someone or something comes along and changes things, disturbs our plans and everything goes awry.
The trouble with letting go of the plans is that we are no longer quite sure what is going to happen and we no longer feel in control. How we like to be in control! And when our plans are taken over and messed up, we are left with - well, a mess!
The Holy Spirit has a really annoying habit of doing just this. So it would help to sort out early on just who is in charge here! Because if we don't want our plans being messed up, we would do well to make sure the Holy Spirit is not invited.
So, when we are planning our day, our church services, our lives - our anything, in fact - let's be clear about whether we want to be in control and keep things orderly and within the bounds of reason, or whether we are inviting the Holy Spirit to take control and willing for him to mess things up. We will undoubtedly find offering unlimited access difficult, for it goes against the grain.
Some Christians seem to think that we can put things into the Spirit's hands a good time in advance, and thus obviate the need for any last minute changes of plan. The best of both worlds: the blessing of the Spirit, a well-worked out plan, and no mess! But this may just be a qualified submission to the Spirit: "I'll ask for your help just so long as you don't spring any surprises". I suppose, in His amazing grace, He may work with what you offer, but that may not offer very much...
After all, it's much safer to stay in control, to retain our well-ordered lives and priorities - particularly where these seem to be Bible-based and Godly!
So, what is the Spirit doing in your life at present? What is He doing in your church or neighbourhood these days? If you don't know the answer, then maybe that says something in itself. But it won't reflect His disinterest, but probably that we haven't left Him any room to act.
It comes down to whether we are doing the planning and graciously allowing the Holy Spirit to join in a bit, or whether we are looking out for what the Holy Spirit is doing and asking for His gracious help that we may join in...
But it'll definitely feel messy. His priorities will be different than ours. His actions will take us by surprise. He will break all our rules and push all our buttons regarding control. And He will raise all our anxieties through our not understanding what's going on and not knowing where we're going...
And it will probably only be later, perhaps much later (if at all) that the Holy Spirit's perfect purposes and plans will make any sense.
So, how much mess can we tolerate? The sooner we decide and get this clear with the Spirit, the easier it will be all round...
Some people seem to live in the moment, neither looking back much nor thinking further ahead than this evening. They enjoy each moment without a care about what comes next. No big plans or 'smart' goals; but alive to each encounter, savouring each impression, feeling each pain.
Then there are those who are future-oriented. They may be young people impatiently waiting for 'real' life to begin, or adults rushing on to the next goal, with plans for the future which need to be worked on and with no time to linger in the present. The past is gone and cannot be changed, the present is merely groundwork for a future which beckons. Their identity is not properly visible, for they live in their plans and what is yet to be.
Others live in the past, holding proudly to past accomplishments, or unable to let go of past mistakes and regrets. Their identity is what they have already been or done. The present is to enjoy their accomplishments or torture themselves over past failures, their future just more of the same. They may be old, feeling that life has already happened; looking back and waiting to die, existing, not living. But they may be young and afraid of the future, unable to move ahead, fearing the black hole of the unknown ahead.
Which time-zone do you mainly live in?
There are joys and pitfalls in each...
There is something good about remembering and enjoying our past accomplishments. And it is right to stop and admit, even weep over our past failings. Yet there can be a devilish deceit in living primarily in the past - for it encompasses pride for past achievements, or denies the possibility of Jesus' forgiveness for past sins; and it further implies that God has nothing more for us to do. On all three counts, this is false.
There’s something valuable about living in the present and those who live with a future-orientation too quickly dismiss it, underestimating the importance of treasuring each passing moment and living life to the full. And yet … the real risk for those who live entirely in the moment is that they meander aimlessly through life achieving little of lasting significance. And here, perhaps, a deceit of the Enemy is laid bare: “pursue happiness now”; “don’t worry about the future”. How well these comforting messages fit into our modern western world-view!
And there is also something good about looking to the future, setting a course and striving to achieve it. Yet there may be a deceit here too: "One day you will be somebody", while actually achieving nothing of consequence, not even being fully alive to the moment. It can be an avoidance of the present, or it may be dreaming a pipe-dream. It also contains a common deception, in thinking that the future is ours to plan - for God alone holds our future in his hands.
God’s attitude to time seems to be different to all these. He manages to have both a ‘grand plan’ stretching from before the beginning of time until eternity and yet to also be totally present in the moment. There’s no aimless wandering here; he has a very clear purpose. He is not side-tracked or distracted; his purpose will be accomplished. And yet he also has time to linger and make meaningful every brief encounter, time to address each fleeting concern that we take to him, time to enjoy each sunrise and smile, time to share our hurts and disappointments, and time to be alongside us in our despair.
But, we may say, God has a unique advantage when it comes to time, being eternal and all that. Yes - and no. Though our earthly lives have but a brief span set by God, he has nonetheless set the pattern for us.
So let us also pray that the Lord would help us to remember what he has done in the past and to give him the glory, while relinquishing our past failings into his forgiving hands; to live every unrushed moment fully with him, redeeming it for his eternal purpose; and to hold unswervingly to his call on our lives until we reach our eternal heavenly destination.
It's only when we communicate or understand the emotional side of what is being communicated, that we can properly understand and truly relate to a person.
For example, a parent says: "The children have grown up and left home". This is a simple and clear statement, a piece of factual information; we've learnt something. But we are not yet in touch with that person, and we can't actually understand them properly until some emotion is shared.
"The children have grown up and left home, and I'm missing them like crazy", or "The children have grown up and left home and I'm so glad to have them out of the house!". Now we are beginning to know the person and understand what they are experiencing ...
With no emotion, we know about a person; but with emotion being expressed we begin to know the person. Those two things sound similar, but are a million miles apart.
Much of the time in churches people learn about Jesus and about God. That is fine as far as it goes - but it's not the same as being a Christian! Where is the living relationship?
Knowing that Jesus lived, taught, performed miracles, died, was resurrected and ascended to heaven - is interesting; but what does that have to do with me? It's only when I recognise that Jesus did these things because he loves me, grieves over my sin, longs to forgive me if only I will accept, yearns for a relationship with me - that things becomes personal. And this difference isn't just knowing more facts, but being in touch with how he feels about me!
And my response is not sufficient if I merely recognise the fact, or intellectually assent, that I need his forgiveness. It becomes real when I too weep over my sin, feel the joy of being in his presence, am honest with him about my struggles and fears ... Now we have a relationship!
So if a church keeps emotion out of the sanctuary it is stifling living relationships with God. How very sad!
Emotion is not enough on it's own for a good relationship, but being wary of emotion in Christianity merely indicates that our relationship with God is more intellectual than personal - relating to the ideas in Christianity, rather than relating to God.
Fortunately for us, God wants to have a very personal and emotional relationship with us. It's high time we responded - with joy!
Each of us naturally leans towards using our minds, or our emotion, or our practical abilities. People tend to be strong in one of these ways of operating, adequate at another, and are often poor at the third. There's nothing wrong with this - it's just that people are different.
Those who most readily respond with their minds will think first; they may also feel some emotion or do something practical, but these will come after thinking. They are likely to be comfortable with understanding and reasoning; they have good 'head knowledge' and understand how (some) things work, which gives them a 'mental map' of what is happening and how best to respond. They will use phrases such as: 'I think that ...', 'What is happening is...', 'I know about that...'.
Others are primarily in touch with their emotion. They hear about something that has happened and are moved by the joy or sadness in it; tears and happiness will be familiar. They may not think through a situation, but they are in touch with what they feel about it and this guides their decisions and actions. They will use phrases such as: 'I feel that...', 'It's so sad that...', 'That poor person!'.
Others are first and foremost practical. Their first inclination is to do something; so if they hear about a person in need, their response is to do something practical to help. They will use phrases such as: 'How can we help you?', 'Can I drive you there?', 'Let's take them some flowers'.
We may well not be aware of such strengths and weaknesses in ourselves, and so are puzzled (at best) or scornful (at worst) at others who have different responses.
Our churches also tend to have a similar bias, and are usually just as blind about it. So (to grossly generalise) the evangelicals think, the charismatics feel, and the socially active Christians get on with doing things. Moreover - to continue the caricature - the evangelicals will be very wary of emotional charismatics and dismissive of 'the social gospel' - their priority is to get their teaching right! The charismatics will be amazed at how cold and unresponsive those evangelicals are, and yet are also not so keen to rush out into practical Christian action as they are enjoying the presence of God in their worship. And those who are into practical loving in Jesus' name cannot understand why these other Christians don't do anything useful!
These differences are often dressed up in theological language, but this doesn't really reflect a difference in theology so much as that God made people different!
But Jesus - unusually - was skilled in all three areas: clear thinking, emotionally literate, and practically involved. Perhaps this is not so surprising, as each of these reflect aspects of God's own character; you will see them all threaded throughout scripture if you look.
Rather than having our churches majoring in just one of these ways of operating and then constructing a theology to justify their discomfort with others' ways of responding, can we not recognise and use the different God-given giftings of our membership so that all are welcome in our churches and all bases are covered?
Of course, our minister / pastor / vicar will have their own personal strengths and weaknesses in these areas and so will almost certainly find it difficult to operate skillfully in all these modes. Can they humbly acknowledge their own weak areas and so seek out and use those within the church who have different gifts?
Only then can we have churches which have the mind of Christ, express the love and compassion of God, and then get involved with their hands in practical loving action in the name of Jesus.
We are often told that if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well. I want to propose that a more useful aphorism is that if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing badly!
If God calls you to do something, go and do it – even if you can only do it badly. Speak to your neighbour, and feel clumsy at it; phone someone who has been on your mind, even though you don’t know quite what to say; pick up the Bible, even though you do not know where to begin; pray, even though your prayers are childish; be obedient, even when there is nothing to show for it!
For then you will rely on God’s strength rather than on your own. Then you will see Almighty God at work, and not just the result of your own feeble ability. And you will know the peace of being within God’s will; and when the world calls you a failure, praise the Lord, for it is true; but you’re a forgiven failure doing the work your Lord has called you to.
You may think: "That's fine for you to say, for you are doing alright. But me, I really am a failure!". There are likely to be times when all of us know we have failed in some overwhelming manner, and are deeply ashamed, even broken. That's not a comfortable place to be in, but in that moment we are in touch with the truth, unlike those who think they are a success.
As Christians we often don’t see the end results of our work, for we deal with faith, hope and love more than with tangible end results. If you want to be great in the Kingdom of God, be willing to give up all hope of success and greatness in this world, for God turns this world’s values upside down.
Yes, the people who choose the top seats at the table are moved down, to make way for the humble. The first shall be last, and last first. And St Paul in his letter to the Corinthian Christians says “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1v18).
Steer clear of success – it’s territory Satan entices us to – but a failure, now that is someone that God can use!
