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Guard Your Joy

November 5, 2018

As a Christ-follower, I don’t have the right to hate anyone.

In this age of rage, we need to guard our hearts against people that would seek to manipulate us for their own advantage. There are many special interest groups that have entire machines designed to keep us angry.

DepositPhoto.com Image ID: 82711512 Copyright: kikkerdirk

I understand they want to keep their base fired up. In a day where the average person is bombarded by advertising slogans and other messages all day long, these marketing, media, and PR machines have to fight for our attention and our action.

A quick and easy way to do that is to appeal to basic fears.

Instead of emphasizing the positive aspects of their cause or candidate, they attack the person, policies, or practices of the opponent. Essentially the underlying message is, “I understand you may not want me but there’s NO WAY we want to let that other person or group win. So, even if you hate me, I KNOW you hate them even more!

Some time ago, I remember seeing the President of the United States approach the podium to give a speech or address the press. And I remember feeling absolute disdain for this person. I dug deep inside and realized I felt no respect whatsoever for the office of the presidency because I was blinded by what some in the media had me focusing on about the person who occupied that office at that time.

I remember being struck immediately with this thought that I reminded myself, “I’m a Christian. I don’t have the right to feel like that about anyone — least of all the president of my country.”

I realized immediately that I had to limit the amount of time exposed myself to political commentators of a certain type.

I like to stay informed as much as time will allow me to do. However, there seems to be a clear line in the sand between those who reported the news and those who are willing to use disrespectful or inflammatory language to entertain and maintain their audience while disrespecting and demeaning public figures at any level.

As a Christian, the command God gives us is to love our neighbor. We’re even commanded to love our enemies. I don’t have the right to hate anyone for any reason.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus talks about being the Good Shepherd to show how He cares for the sheep (us). In that context, he warns that there is an enemy whose sole goal is to steal, kill or destroy but that He comes that they/we might have life — and have it to the full! Essentially Jesus is talking about a quality of life. He is working to build up His sheep. The enemy is at work to tear down, destroy, and kill that very quality of life.

Jesus gives joy.

Righteous indignation is appropriate at the right times. But man’s anger stirred up by special interest groups is different. As James wrote:

19Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

James 1:19–20

The Apostle Paul reminds us to

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

Ephesians 4:236

In Focus, The Need for Encouragement fear, Fear-based, Joy, Overcoming Fear

We Need Encouragers Now More Than Ever: Part 2

May 17, 2017

I write to model or provide encouragement, to point people to God as the unending source of strength, or to help develop our skills and gifts as we live out our faith and seek to love God and people.

God commands us to encourage one another. Please consider with another of the major reasons I think we need it now — perhaps now more than ever.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us that “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) In our day, an average person faces a myriad of challenges and obstacles that can tear down and destroy their drive, effectiveness, and the quality of life that God desires for us to enjoy.

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at our tendency to focus on the negative. To further illustrate the point, Jon Acuff tells a classic New York story of Larry David (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm) attending a baseball game at Yankee Stadium. During the game, his picture was shown on the screen and he was announced as being at the game. 50,000 people stood and cheered.

As David left the stadium, a guy drove by and yelled, “Larry, you suck!” “That’s like, literally all he heard,” Berg (David’s friend) says. David spent the ride back from the Bronx obsessing over that moment, running it over and over in his mind. It was as if the other 50,000 people, the ones who loved him, didn’t exist. “Who’s that guy? What was that?” He asked. “Who would do that? Why would you say something like that?”

Today, I’d like to direct out attention briefly to another factor that challenges us every day.

Fear Based “Motivators”

In politics and marketing, a growing number of people are seeking to get their message or products into people’s hearts and homes with ads or entire campaigns designed to capitalize on people’s anxieties and insecurities.

Shadow puppet symbolizing inordinate fear.

1. Political Campaigns

The last presidential campaign season has developed the attack ad to a whole new level. A major dynamic of this is also known as scare tactics. In a personal conversation, one journalist covering the election told me that most people were actually voting against the opposing candidate rather than voting for their candidate. They weren’t even sure what their own candidate’s platform was. Continue Reading…

In The Need for Encouragement discouragements, fear, Fear-based, focus on negative

As Christ-followers, our main task is to love God and to love people. I have learned that when we seek God first, we can trust Him to care for our needs, then we can focus on building into the lives of those God puts around us.

I live to help people live out that goal. My focus, here, is to encourage and equip as God gives opportunity.

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