Is That a Hook in Your Mouth? / Danger: Hedging One's Bets
Posted by: forthrightmag <forthrightmag@...>
http://www.forthright.net
Straight to the Cross
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There a greater grace here today in worshiping the
one true God (Barry) and encouraging one another
in our frequent meetings (Mitchell).
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COLUMN: The X-Files
Is That a Hook in Your Mouth?
by Mitchell Skelton
Have you ever noticed how easy being mad at
someone is when they are not in your presence, and
how hard it is to stay mad at them once you come
face to face? How many of us have spent countless
minutes, even hours, rehearsing the perfect line
that expresses our anger, only to toss it into the
"scrap pile" when we finally get the opportunity
to deliver?
Perhaps this is why the Hebrew writer encourages
us not to "give up meeting together, as some are
in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one
another" (Heb. 10:25).
Even more, he gives us the charge to "consider how
we may spur one another on toward love and good
deeds" (Heb. 10:24).
Staying mad at someone is hard as you are
simultaneously trying to encourage them. When we
practice true fellowship with our brothers and
sisters in Christ, we also begin to learn more
about them. During this learning process we gain
valuable knowledge about their conduct and moods.
In essence, "We know where they're coming from."
We are not often too critical of people for
irrational or abnormal behavior when they have
good reason to act in such a manner.
Imagine a group of fish swimming together in a
school. All of them are moving in the same
direction with comparable style when suddenly one
of them starts destroying the unity. He begins to
twist and swerve from side to side with precarious
moves. The older fish are annoyed with the
nonconformity of this immature adolescent. They
show their disapproval while voicing disgust, "We
don't swim like that around here." Turning to
their offspring, they declare, "That type of
behavior is totally unacceptable." Before they can
take action against the renegade fish, his
thrashing tail disappears at the surface of the
lake. A hook in his mouth, rather than rebellion
in his heart, was the cause of all his distasteful
activity./1
Sometimes it is hard to accept the actions of
another person especially when what they are doing
"just isn't done." If we follow the advice of the
Hebrew writer then we will not have to question
the persons' motives, we will already know about
the hook in their mouth.
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1/ Illustration from "And God Wants People," Mary
Lou Lacy, 1962, p. 35.
COLUMN: Hands-on Faith
Danger: Hedging One's Bets
by Barry Newton
I do not remember exactly how long ago it was that
for the first time I just sat and shuddered at the
implications of verses like Zephaniah 1:5 and 1
Kings 11:4.
... those who bow down and swear to the LORD
and yet swear by Molech.
... when Solomon became old, his wives
turned away his heart to follow other gods;
and his heart was not wholly devoted to the
LORD his God.
As the implications cascaded through my mind, my
naiveté was shattered. Previously I had assumed
there were only two possibilities. Either a person
worshiped God or idols. But here was a disturbing
third possibility. An Israelite could attempt to
worship idols alongside of God. And if this was
possible for them, could not a Christian sing
praises to the Lord while also engaging in
idolatry? And if so, what might this look like in
an American context?
The Many Faces of Idolatry
For the most part, Americans are not confronted
with the carved stone and wooden variety of
idolatry which plagued ancient Israel. Yet the
underlying dynamics of secular idolatry is
identical to that age-old scourge. In the ancient
Near East, people were tempted to serve various
gods because they believed those gods could
provide for them. In America, people can be
tempted to serve many different vehicles (wealth,
social contacts, work, power, possessions,
knowledge. etc.) because they believe these paths
will protect and provide for them.
In a secular context, gods do not take the form of
wood and stone; instead the type of pernicious
adoration which might try to sneak under our radar
will probably be more in line with Paul's warning
in Colossians 3:5 and Ephesians 5:5. Greed amounts
to idolatry. And there are many forms of greed
(Luke 12:15). All forms of greed constitute
serving something other than God because of what
it is believed to provide.
Baal is the Hebrew word for master. Whether
someone's master is a power represented by a stone
image or a secular recipe for success, both sets
of beliefs lead to serving one's baal in place of
the Creator.
Monotheistic & Polytheistic Christians
Biblical monotheism involves the worldview that
the Lord is our ultimate Source for everything we
need. Polytheism either cuts up the pie allowing
many ultimate sources or it at least involves the
practice of hedging one's bets. A polytheistic
worldview can always make room for one more god to
ensure my well-being.
If a Christian were polytheistic, what might this
look like? Perhaps on Sunday he or she would
gather with the saints to serve God. The motive to
worship might be to praise God for salvation or it
might be to ensure salvation. Then from Monday
through Friday, life would serve those forces
which provide for prosperity and well-being.
Because God is not really believed to be the
Provider, he or she would perhaps live under the
weight and worry of being responsible for where
the buck stops. When financial blessings flow,
they might be viewed as "all mine" since he or she
was responsible for them. Except for perhaps a
token contribution on Sunday, resources might be
used with a self-centered mentality.
The monotheistic Christian as described in
Scripture also worships on Sunday and goes to
work, but it is an entirely different week. God is
praised for providing salvation and one's
resources. Since God enables the means to make
wealth, the fruits of one's labor are viewed as
God's blessings. Ideally, the work itself would be
done to serve the Lord and not just for a human
boss. The goal is more than just making money; it
also involves representing God and His ways in the
workplace. When financial resources flow, this is
understood as God's gracious outpouring. God's
generosity is used both for sustenance as well as
to generously honor the Giver and further the
Supplier's purposes in this world.
Zephaniah 1:5 says, "... those who bow down and
swear to the LORD and yet swear by Molech." Is it
not naive to think that just because people
worship on Sunday, this guarantees they are not
also idolaters? Considering how the threat of
idolatry was a continual problem throughout
Israel's history, would it not be naive to think
this greatest of dragons has simply vanished?
Gaining a firm understanding of this danger, the
necessity to believe and adopt a biblical
monotheistic worldview should be clear.
Recognizing our Creator for who He truly is,
instead of living under the virtually impotent and
boxed-in variety of a god, empowers all of the
difference.
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