Lamenting Is Good. Complaining Is Bad

“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, and most do.” On average, we complain a few dozen times each day. Our complaints can span the serious to the frivolous. Chronic complaining harms our mental and physical health, and damages our relationships. Listening to the complaints of others can be emotionally and physically draining. Complaining is an expression of powerlessness. It discloses what unmet expectations we have.  It reveals an unthankful heart. No wonder God commands us to do everything without grumbling or complaining. (Philippians 2) If we doubt whether God takes complaining seriously, we should remember how He punished the Israelites after their exile from Egyptian slavery when they repeatedly grumbled against Aaron and Moses. (Exodus 16 and Numbers 14)

               Yet lamentations are common throughout the Psalms. For example, in Psalm 6, “Lord my God … save and deliver me from all who pursue me … Vindicate me, Lord … Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.” In Psalm 10, “Call the evildoer to account for his wickedness.” In Psalm 13, “How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” In Psalm 43, “Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked.” One book of the Old Testament is even titled “Lamentations”!

               How can lamenting be godly, but complaining sinful? How are lamenting and complaining different? At its root, complaining declares that God is not sufficiently good, faithful, loving, wise, or powerful. When we complain, we are passing judgment on God’s rule and reign over His created world. When we complain we are essentially saying that if God were as good as advertised, then He would treat us better or run the universe more to our liking. There was no more heartfelt and agonizing lament than Jesus’ words from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27) A sinful complainer at the cross might have cried out “why has God forsaken me?” or “see how God has forsaken me.”

               When Christians lament, we are expressing our suffering and the suffering of others because of sin in a fallen world. But unlike self-centered complaining, a godly prayer of lament shows that we know God is sovereign, good, omnipotent, and His lovingkindness is everlasting. Prayers of laments in Scripture often progress from one’s current negative circumstances to a hopeful future; from sorrow to joy; from fear to trust. Godly laments demonstrate faith and take comfort in knowing that Christ will judge sin in His way and in His time. Prayers of lament show that our ultimate hope is that God will renew and restore all creation.         

               Godly laments are prayers where we bring our deepest fears, our heartfelt concerns, and our overwhelming griefs to our Heavenly Father. We are honest about our pain and our sorrows. Then we boldly ask for God’s grace to help us, save us, and rescue us from the wickedness bearing down on us. At its root, lamentation prayers trust in God and praise Him for who He is. Godly prayers of lament are an opportunity to renew our confidence in our Lord in times of pain, anguish and despair. If we wonder whether it’s OK to prayerfully lament, remember we are commanded to cast all our cares on Him, because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5) If we have any cares or worries, we should bring them to our Heavenly Father instead of merely complaining to others who probably don’t want to hear our gripes anyway.

Remembering How God Fulfilled His Eternal Promises to Provide a Messiah

               Each Advent-Christmas season I try to focus on one aspect of the “greatest story ever told”. In past years I’ve meditated on the lives of Mary & Joseph, Jesus’ humanity & deity, the couple’s journey to Bethlehem, the angels & the shepherd, and prophecies of Jesus’ birth. After listening to a sermon by Bryan Chapell (former president of Covenant Seminary), this year I studied and reflected on what I had previous thought were some of the most boring portions of Scripture: Jesus’ genealogy. I know that Biblical genealogies confirm the historical reliability of God’s Word and that God accomplished His purposes through imperfect and sinful people; just like us. But this year I saw how often Jesus’ ancestors narrowly escaped the devil’s schemes to prevent fulfillment of God’s promise to provide a Messiah who was a descendant of Adam, Abraham, David, et al.

               So often in history the promise of Savior came within one life of being broken. Noah and Shem survived a global flood in a homemade boat. Famine nearly killed Abraham, Judah, Boaz, and others. Abraham and Ruth were childless until very late in their lives. Isaac was nearly killed by Abraham. Many kings of Israel could have died in battles before having any children, including David, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Uzziah, and Josiah. After the exile in Babylon, several generations of Jesus’ ancestors were at the mercy of their ruthless enemies. King Joash was the only heir to David’s throne to escape his grandmother’s scheme to kill all the heirs so she could be queen and assume power over the nation. As a child, he was hidden for six years in the temple with a nurse to save his life. (2 Kings 11)

               Even Jesus escaped several attempts on His life that would have thwarted His death on the cross.  He was nearly killed by Herod after His birth, but the family escaped to Egypt. One time a crowd wanted to throw Him off a cliff. Another time a crowd wanted to stone Him. Jewish leaders repeatedly plotted to kill Jesus. History teaches us that God can and has overcome the forces of darkness with His light and grace to protect His people and to fulfill all His eternal promises. History gives us great hope and confidence that God will fulfill all the eternal promises that we are waiting to be fulfilled, especially the return of Jesus Christ when we will all be united with Him.

Hope in the Lord: Regardless of Your ‘Sinner Score’

In the U.S., nearly all of us have a credit score which represents the likelihood that we will repay our debts and loans. The Chinese government has taken individual evaluations further and created a Social Credit System. Each citizen is assessed based on their criminal activity, political activity, credit worthiness, thoughtfulness toward their neighbors, and other conduct. One’s score is negatively affected by playing loud music on public transportation, jaywalking, failing to properly sort trash, playing too many video games, and other anti-social behaviors. Positive factors affecting one’s social credit score include donating blood, volunteering in the community, and being honest in business transactions. A poor social credit score makes getting loans more difficult, forfeits many discounted purchases, could result in one’s children being blacklisted from university admissions, is used by employers when hiring job candidates, and has many other negative consequences.

               Imagine if God kept a ‘sinner score’ for each of us. We might obsess about how many points this sin is worth, or how much that sin cost us. When our guilt level was high, we would be kind and generous to others so we could raise our score. At times we might wonder if our score was so poor that we might be beyond the reach of God’s grace. The bad news is that God does have a ‘sinner score’ for each of us and our ‘sinner score’ is zero with no hope of self-improvement. The good news is that no one is beyond the grace of God who can provide any of us with a perfect score. When Jesus came ‘to seek and save the lost’, He knew that throughout history people would scrutinize His every word and action. By singling out the worst of sinners in His day and restoring them publicly, Jesus let everyone know that the salvation He offers is available to them too regardless of their dismal ‘sinner score’.

               Think of some of the worst of sinners that Jesus saved. Jesus ate at the home of Zacchaeus, the hated tax collector, and told him that “salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19) Jesus rescued an adulterous woman who was about to be stoned. Jesus told her, “to go and sin no more.” (John 8) Jesus healed a leper, a social and religious outcast who no one would come near. (Matthew 8) Jesus promised “living water” to an unloved Samaritan woman. (John 4) Jesus even restored Simon Peter after he denied Him repeatedly at His crucifixion. (John 21) And after His resurrection and ascension, Jesus saved Paul (Saul), who had been threatening Jesus’ disciples and cursing God. (Acts 9) Paul was amazed at the saving grace of God because he thought of himself as “the worst of sinners.” (1 Timothy 1)

               Our songbooks have many examples of the love, grace, and mercy God has for sinners. John Newton, the ship captain and slave trader who was famous for his extreme profanity, wrote “Amazing Grace” to describe the sweet and precious grace of His Savior. In Julia Johnston’s hymn “Grace Greater than Our Sin” she describes God’s grace as marvelous, infinite, and matchless. In Charles Wesley’s hymn “And Can It Be?” he sings of God’s amazing and divine love, and His Savior’s immense and free mercy. And if we still have doubts whether God’s grace is sufficient to save someone with our pathetic ‘sinner score’, just consider Jesus’ invitation to people in some of the most wicked cities in Israel, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11) It is only after facing the bad news of our sin that we can more fully appreciate the good news (gospel) of grace that Jesus offers.

Hope in the Lord: While Expecting and Waiting

Faith, hope, and love are important and distinctive characteristics of a Christian’s life. But what exactly is this divine hope that God provides for His people? Why does godly hope hold such power in difficult circumstances for so many people? How does the hope promised in the Bible differ from common, everyday thoughts of hope? Modern English grammar lessons distinguish between waiting, expecting, and hoping. Generally, waiting is how we spend our time until what we hope for or expect happens. Waiting is mostly physical. Expecting means that you are confident that something will happen. Expecting is mostly intellectual and rational. Hope means that you want something good to happen. Hope is primarily emotional. We can expect good or bad things to happen with more or less confidence, but hope is always directed toward a better future regardless of the likelihood.

               Hope is a desire for a favorable change in our circumstances. “I hope I win the lottery.” “I hope I get that new job.” “I hope to lose ten pounds.” “I hope the doctor has good news.” But hope without a rational expectation leads to disappointment. Some suggest that the key to happiness is to live without any expectations. They say, “avoid expectations to avoid disappointments.” But life without expecting a good future can become a life of despair. Where can we find a combination of hope and expectation to guarantee us a great future without disappointing us? The Bible promises that Christ the Lord is both the object and the source of a believer's godly hope regardless of how gloomy their present circumstances may be.

               In the Old Testament, waiting and hoping in the Lord are common prayers. “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.” (Psalm 39, all ESV) “I will wait for the Lord … and I will hope in Him.” (Isaiah 8) “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I hope.” (Psalm 130) Even in terrible circumstances, this godly hope looks toward God for grace, joy, courage, and strength. “The hope of the righteous brings joy.” (Proverbs 10) “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3) “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 31)

               In the New Testament, we have an even clearer view of the “hope of the Gospel” (Colossians 1).  We expect God to fulfill all the promises of our restoration in a new heaven and a new earth. “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.” (Titus 2) “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” (Timothy 4) Those whose “faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1) confidently expect, patiently hope for, and faithfully wait for their glorious future. Christian hope trusts Jesus for both the near future and an eternal future. This divine hope anticipates that God will fulfill all His promises to His people in His time and in a way that works all things together for our good. (Romans 8)

               Is this godly hope emotional? Absolutely. Is this divine hope intellectual and rational? Of course. Throughout history God’s people have relied on godly hope to sustain them in seemingly crushing circumstances. We are not facing struggles and temptations more difficult than others have faced. And God has not changed. He will never leave us and He has promised to strengthen us to be victorious conquerors until we reach heaven with Him. While we may dislike the waiting, we can rest confidently in a godly hope with the expectation of a glorious future beyond what we can ask or imagine.

How Do You Show an Unbeliever What They’re Missing?

In Mark 8, some people brought a blind man to Jesus so He could heal him. How did they convince the blind man to come to Jesus? How do you suppose those conversations went? These people knew Jesus, they knew how important it was to be able to see, and they knew Jesus could restore sight to the blind man. They had to convince the blind man to trust them before he would go along with them. Maybe they tried to describe a sunrise to the blind man. But even the best analytical explanation by a scientist or a terrific emotional portrait by a poet falls way short of capturing the beautiful shapes, the diversity of colors, and the motion of the clouds we have all seen in a sunrise. Or maybe they tried describing the man’s child’s smile. It was a big challenge to convince the blind man that he was missing something so important and to give him hope that Jesus could make his life dramatically better.

               The Bible uses many different descriptions for an unbeliever’s spiritual condition including being foolish, ignorant, and bankrupt. Scripture also makes several parallels between physical impairments and unbelief including being blind, deaf, lame, or dead. The challenge of evangelism is same one that the blind man’s friends had: explaining what people are missing in their life and how Jesus can make their life indescribably better in a way they cannot imagine.

               Just as unbelievers foolishly deny the grace of God, some people reject being healed from a serious physical disability. The Deaf community has been surprisingly hostile to cochlear implants; a device that allows many deaf people to hear. Why do the Deaf cling to their inability to hear? Many in the Deaf community do not want to be seen as having a disease or needing to be fixed. They are afraid of losing their place in their community, and they believe that gaining hearing is not worth the trade-off. Even if no one they know has given up enjoying music, listening to birds sing, and hearing their child’s first words to join the Deaf community, they remain unconvinced. C.S. Lewis summed up the human condition in this way, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us. We are like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

               It would be cruel and painfully to continually remind the deaf and blind what they’re missing, if there was no way to fix their disability. But it would be even more unkind to not repeatedly tell the spiritually deaf and blind what they’re missing. Anyone can be cured and healed from their sin immediately. An eternal tragedy awaits everyone who is never healed from their spiritual condition apart from the grace of God. But actually opening spiritually blind eyes and deaf ears is above our pay grade. Only God can restore spiritually life to rebellious sinners, and He welcomes everyone who genuinely seeks Him. We are just called to proclaim the good news that “Jesus saves” to the spiritually blind and deaf people around us. It may take many conversations to convince these people to trust us and to come to Jesus to be healed. But few other conversations we have will have greater eternal significance.

Hope in the Lord: And His Never-Ending Mercies

Think of the worst things you’ve done in your life. No really, take a minute to remember those times you did evil and wicked acts, or behaved hurtfully and foolishly. Now imagine if the consequences of what you did had been just a little bit different. What might have happened if a just few more people had found out what you’d done? For me there are many times where if circumstances had been just a little less favorable, my life would be completely different. I could have been seriously injured, injured someone else, or worse. I could have ruined my career. I could have destroyed a relationship with family or friends. I could have faced serious financial hardship. I could have ended up in intensive care or in jail. I know that I have escaped much pain and misery that I rightly deserved. And if I consider the times where I was falsely accused of something, but the truth managed to prevail, I see that I have also escaped much unjust suffering.

Some might say I’m just lucky or privileged. But I choose to believe in the never-ending blessings and mercies of a loving and kind God who sovereignly controls all things. Yes, we reap what we sow; at least to some degree. But over and over again God does not treat us as our sins deserve. (Psalm 103) God the Father is compassionate toward His children.

Appropriately, we consider God’s mercy both a past event (Christ died for my sins), and a future event (my heavenly home is waiting for me). But we must not forget that God’s mercy is also an all-day-every-day present event. His kindness never ceases. His grace is new each morning. (Lamentations 3)

Taking an honest evaluation of my sin is difficult and painful, but confession and repentance continue to bring great rewards including helping me to see more clearly how much God loves me unconditionally. I become more appreciative of specific instances of God’s grace and mercy. It keeps me humble and reminds me that I am not in any position to condemn anyone else. It used to be common wisdom to see others in difficult circumstances and think, “There but for the grace of God go I.” That’s not a sentiment you hear much these days. If we did, we might be more compassionate toward others, and more thankful to God of all mercies.

Hope (and Fear) in the Lord

Psalm 33 describes how “the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.” (v5, all ESV) His creation is described (v6-9). His sovereign rule over nations is affirmed (v10-12). His active omniscience is acknowledged (v13-15). As the Psalm nears its conclusion, we see an unusual pair of emotions in God’s children: fear and hope. “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His steadfast love.” (v18) Normally hope and fear take turns in our heart, but in this brief passage, these seemingly opposing passions are both in the heart of a believer. How can this be? Similarly, in Psalm 147, “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.” (v11) What kind of fear and hope co-exist in the Lord’s people?

Hope and fear are both great motivators, but we normally think of them as enemies, not companions. Fear focuses on now. Hope looks to the future. Fear comes from a threat of danger, harm, and pain. Hope expects a good, pleasant, and joyous future. At the extreme, fear becomes a phobia leading to dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat, breathlessness, and full-blown panic attacks. Common phobias are spiders, snakes, heights, crowds, and death. For some people, even when they think about or see pictures of the object of their greatest fear they are filled with alarm and terror. Is this the fear God wants His children to experience as we pursue godly wisdom, knowledge, and obedience? Not entirely, but maybe more so than we want to accept. When someone experiences a phobia-driven panic attack, nothing else matters. Their entire, undivided attention is on the object of their fear to the exclusion of everything else. Similarly, God commands undivided loyalty, worship, obedience, and love with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Scripture compares spiritual unfaithfulness to adultery; a very serious sin with serious consequences. When we love the world’s desires, pursue our prideful hopes, or hide our faith because of worldly rejection, we have reason to fear God because of our double-mindedness. These seemingly minor daily decisions have eternal consequences in God’s eyes.

Perhaps the most surprising attribute of God is His jealousy. In the Ten Commandments, God describes Himself in this way, “I the Lord your God am a jealous God.” (Exodus 20) In Nahum 1, there can be no doubt that God is to be feared by His enemies. “The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.” For the unbeliever, the fear of God is the fear of the judgment of God, which punishes any sin and ultimately leads to death and eternal separation from Him to a dark and graceless existence. For the believer, the fear of God is also real, but something very different. Through faith in Jesus Christ, former enemies of God become His sons and daughters. The goodness of God, the kindness of Jesus, and the mercy of the Holy Spirit lead to our being “justified by his grace [so] we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3) The believer's fear of God is reverence, awe, and love for the One who “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1) This fear of God focuses the believer’s hope on a glorious future regardless of difficulty of our current circumstances or the worldly threat we face. We should embrace both the godly hope and fear while we “wait for the Lord, our help and our shield, for our hearts are glad in Him.” (Psalm 33:20-21)

Five Rules for Engaging with Media During an Election Season

Imagine the morning routine of a typical American during an election season. She wakes up at 6:24 AM and immediately grabs her iPhone. Unconsciously, she opens her favorite social media app and begins scrolling. Through blurry eyes, she sees countless political memes and posts. Next, she goes for a run while listening to a political podcast. When she gets home, she flips on cable news and gets ready for the day. Meanwhile, her phone lights up with several notifications from her favorite news apps.  Then, while eating breakfast, she checks Twitter again and is bombarded with information. Finally, she heads out the door for work.

This scenario illustrates our unprecedented access to information through social media and news media. And really, this access to information is a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because we need to understand the world around us so that we can be educated voters. As Thomas Jefferson said, “The cornerstone of democracy rests on the foundation of an educated electorate.” But of course, the pervasiveness of modern media can also be a curse—a black hole that eats up our time and energy while leaving us tired and angry.

Media consumption can be addictive and dangerous for mental and spiritual health. So, here’s my question for this article: How can we be informed citizens during an election season without letting news media or social media control our lives?  Well, let me suggest five “rules” for engaging with media during an election season:

First, stop scrolling and start cherry-picking.

How often do you open Facebook or Twitter to simply scroll through your feed? You see memes and political posts from your friends. You see shocking videos and brilliant insights. You learn a lot about the world while simultaneously feeling angry, anxious, and disgusted. Therefore, I encourage you to stop scrolling. If it helps, delete all social media apps from your phone and start using your browser instead. Don’t let the algorithms of Facebook and Twitter determine what you see on a given day, especially when you first wake up.

Rather, start cherry-picking. For example, determine how many minutes (or hours) you want to spend each day on social media. Then, pick a few friends and organizations to follow (hint: don’t just follow those who agree with you). Go straight to their pages and read what they have to say. This method helps you reap the benefits of modern platforms without “Tech Giants” controlling your experience through impersonal algorithms; it can transform social media from a time-wasting addiction into a useful tool.

Second, stop posting and start praying.

Social media posts often become a cathartic form of self-expression rather than anything useful to others. Therefore, I encourage you to stop posting on social media. And if that’s too hard, at least limit the number of times you post each day. Instead, focus on prayer.

If you see an offensive comment and feel the urge to respond, take time to breathe, pray, and reflect. And if you still feel called to engage, consider the most effective method. Can you send a private message? Can you call them on the phone? Can you meet up for a socially distanced coffee? In other words, is posting on social media the most effective way to engage? If not, look for something better.

Third, stop watching and start reading.

If you stop scrolling through social media, you may be tempted to flip on the television to watch cable news. But I highly recommend that you stop watching the news. There is something about visual mediums that favor the sensational over the thoughtful. Searching for ratings, they love segments where people yell at each other for hours. And though this chaos may be entertaining, it’s also dangerous for mental health.

Therefore, I recommend seeking out news in written form. There are great news websites where you can delve deep into issues. But I also recommend subscribing to an old fashion print newspaper or news magazine. I know I sound like a Luddite, but there is something wonderful about having a finite number of articles to digest each day.  Plus, it’s easier to read long, detailed articles in printed form.

Fourth, stop indulging and start curating.

Media can be a lot like food. It’s easy to choose entertaining, partisan pundits who confirm all of our preconceived notions. But like candy, they taste great without being beneficial for long-term mental or spiritual health.

Therefore, I recommend curating your media consumption, which doesn’t mean only choosing new sources that agree with you. Instead, try to select a “well-balanced diet” of news and analysis from differing perspectives.

For example, as a Christian pastor, here’s how I curate my media consumption (I go outside these sources, but they represent my primary news diet):

1. A good local news source. I follow Chadds Ford Live and a great podcast called Today in PA.

2. A general news source from a Christian worldview perspective. I love World Magazine, and their accompanying podcast called The World and Everything in It. According to their own self-description, “WORLD produces sound journalism, grounded in facts and biblical truth. Through print magazines, online articles, and podcast programs, our trained journalists report on current events both global and national so that readers and listeners can see how God is at work in the world, no matter the headlines.”

3. A general news source from a secular perspective. Though generally viewed as more politically conservative than the New York Times, I have always been impressed with the Wall Street Journal. Since they present facts to investors who are making real-life decisions, they often seem less speculative and more rigorous in their vetting and fact-checking process. Plus, they offer a wide range of stories on everything from the news to art and entertainment (As a runner up, I also enjoy the Global News Podcast from the BBC).

4. Opinion and commentary from differing perspectives. I listen to several podcasts that feature analysis from individuals who aren’t pretending to be non-biased. For example, I enjoy a podcast called The Briefing by Al Mohler. As the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he picks out news articles from major papers to analyze from a Christian perspective. It couldn’t be my only news source, but his insights are still useful.

Fifth, know thyself.

Maybe you can endure a constant influx of angry social media posts and sensational cable news segments. But in general, look for ways to take control of your media consumption so that you can focus on what’s most important—love. St. Augustine said that all true theology should tend toward the love of God and the love of neighbor. It’s the same with media consumption. We should be informed citizens of a democratic republic. But we should also be loving, gentle, and kind to people who disagree with us. So let’s all take a breath, tone down the rhetoric, step away from sensational media, and pray. And after we pray, let’s look for concrete ways to love ALL our neighbors this election season.

Beware of Spiritual Porch Pirates

Since the pandemic restrictions, the increase of online shopping and at-home delivery has surpassed what anyone could have predicted. And because of man’s propensity to be “inventors of evil” (Romans 1), more than one-third of all Americans have been victims of "porch pirates" who steal packages after delivery to their home. This growing crime is causing people to install cameras, require signatures for deliveries, and use booby-trapped decoy packages to deter thieves; for example, glitter bombs. If you ordered something that you never receive, you can track the package, check with the company, and realize you were the victim of theft. Then you can get your money back or get a replacement for what was stolen. But what if someone send you a present that was stolen? You never received the gift, and you may never know what terrific thing someone wanted you to have.

We have all received so many of God's wonderful gifts every day. But nearly everyone fails to fully thank God for all that He has provided for us. This ingratitude is especially troublesome for those who fail to acknowledge God and receive His gracious gift of salvation. Jesus taught the parable of the sower, describing an evil one who snatches away the Word of the Kingdom so people do not understand the revealed truth of God’s Word (Matthew 13). Paul warned about the god of this world (Satan) who has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4). If people are not expecting any gift from God, how can we alert them to what has been stolen from them?

As God’s people, we should overflow with joy for all that God has done for us, modeling a life of humble thankfulness for all His good blessings. Then we may earn the right to check with others to see if they received God's gifts for them or if some thief has robbed them of the terrific gifts their Heavenly Father has sent them. Our mission is to show others how to receive God's grace, peace, hope, love, and salvation through Jesus Christ.

But we face a skeptical audience who does not believe in God or does not think that God wants to give them anything good. Everyone knows that their life should be better than it is, even if they cannot find someone to blame for their difficulties. Many have spent decades on their own trying to increase their joy and contentment with little success. Struggles with guilt, health, finances, relationships, family, and jobs remind everyone that life should be better than it is. Surprisingly, many atheists and “nones” are even angry at God over their troubles while still believe He does not exist.

May the wickedness of porch pirates give us an illustration to show others how they have been robbed of the gift of joy, hope, and peace God wants for all of us.

Hope in the Lord: with Non-Judgmental Awareness

In 1974, Timothy Gallwey wrote “The Inner Game of Tennis,” launching a new way to coach individuals for personal and professional development including athletes, musicians, teachers, business leaders, and many others. The essence of the “inner game” coaching method is to have the individual observe and focus on some important aspect of their behavior or actions without them assessing their results. This technique distracts and silences the “inner voice” that is often a source of fear, doubt, anxiety, stress, tension, nervousness, and many other negative emotions that undermine performance and hinder improvement. “Non-judgmental awareness” has been compared to what martial artists call “relaxed concentration” and to what athletes refer to as “being in the zone.” Inner game coaching is so versatile. This approach has helped beginners, experts, and everyone in between. This coaching has been adapted for improvement across an amazing diverse range of skills. Imagine applying inner game coaching principles to living our Christian lives. Could more non-judgmental awareness lead us toward greater godliness?

The list of spiritual concerns we could focus on is endless: the fruit of the Spirit, the Ten Commandments, various spiritual disciplines, difficult relationships, our finances, persistent temptations and sins, and so on. Memorizing and meditating on Scripture is a great way to maintain prayerfully relaxed concentration. For every important behavior we choose to observe, the self-awareness we gain would immediately give us more feedback and insight into what affects our attitudes, thoughts, and actions. We would get a clearer image of our genuine self. Non-judgmental awareness means that we do not beat ourselves up when we fall short and we do not celebrate when we do well. We merely observe without keeping score and pray that God will change our hearts, lead us away from sin, and guide us toward godliness.

How can we live with less self-judgment in our Christian lives? We can more fully trust God’s promises that in the end, there is no punishment or disapproval for anyone who belongs to Jesus. None of our sins are not going to change God’s love for us or separate us from Him … ever. (Romans 8) Without that critical inner voice, we have the space to listen to the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. Consider this, if our “inner voice” wanted to be our friend, how long would that friendship last? Once we silence our own critical inner voice, we will not avoid the criticism or chase the praise of others. And judgment-free living is a two-way street. We also become less concerned with giving unsolicited advice to others.

There are so many pitfalls when we lack self-awareness. We can think too highly of ourselves and become prideful. We can miss the damage our words and actions have on others. We can let others take advantage of us. There are also many pitfalls when we suffer relentless criticism or seek constant approval. We can obsess over our sin and forget that we are children of God. We can lose our courage to obey God. We can become discontented complainers. Non-judgmental awareness frees us from these temptations and prepares us to follow God’s guidance.

Scripture contains many prayers for God’s guidance and leading. Lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139). He leads me beside still waters…He leads me in paths of righteousness (Psalm 23). Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6). For your name's sake you lead me and guide me. (Psalm 31). The Good Shepherd calls His own sheep by name and leads them out … and the sheep follow him (John 10). With “inner game” coaching, the individual is ultimately left to their own resources to improve their skills and performance. As Jesus’ disciples, we know that our own resources are not enough for us to improve in any meaningful way, and certainly not sufficient to reach God’s holy and perfect standard. But thankfully we also know that we have the resources of God’s unlimited grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of Jesus Himself. And Jesus’ death and resurrection confirms that our hope in Him will not disappoint us. The next step in our journey might be to find one area in our life that needs some non-judgmental awareness and Holy Spirit guiding.