Encouragement for people tempted to quit

sonnyholmes

Jun 22, 20203 min read

Biblical virtue

Sounds simple enough, the concept of the common good. Do a Google search and make note of the 2,540,000,000 results in .48 seconds. If you scroll through the books, articles, dissertations, blogs, images, and social media posts about the topic you'll note contexts in philosophy, politics, ethics, government, economics, educations, and even safe soaps and detergents. It's a broad subject, especially in times of social distress. Who among us wouldn't be blessed to see the common good more visible on our mean streets today? What a surprising twist it would be to see the common good raised above the special interests of just about every people group in our nation, even those elected to serve. Trouble is, even though it's a noble and worthy ideal, the common good requires more than most Americans are willing to offer in our clashing culture. My rights, those that belong to me and only me, will usually dictate our thoughts and actions. The other guy will have to take care of himself. You know, the American way.

My grasp of philosophical and political thought is elementary at best. In my mind the basic dictionary definition of the common good is best: the advantage or benefit of all people in society or in a group (see dictionary.com ). In political thought the common good refers to "those facilities—whether material, cultural or institutional—that the members of a community provide to all members in order to fulfill a relational obligation they all have to care for certain interests that they have in common" (see the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). In philosophy it is "... best understood as part of an encompassing model for practical reasoning among the members of a political community" (see also the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Historians trace the origin of the common good to Greek philosopher Plato and his students. In the American epoch, our founders and framers used the ideal of the common good as a core principle of our representative republic. It is broadly referenced in our Constitution, and specifically mentioned in The Federalist Papers authored by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay in 1787-1788. These authors, writing as Publius, warned of the difficulty of maintaining the common good in a representative republic like the one being proposed.

The Christian worldview, which is my basic personal filter for interpreting human attitudes and behavior, affirms the common good as a biblical virtue. Several Old and New Testament passages clarify this distinction---

God's Message: "Guard my common good: Do what's right and do it in the right way,

For salvation is just around the corner, my setting-things-right is about to go into

action."

Isaiah 56: 1, MSG

But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on

its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Jeremiah 29: 7, ESV

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except

from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists

the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur

judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no

fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his

approval, for he is God's servant for your good.

Romans 13: 1-4, ESV

In biblical thought, the ideal of the common good is the result of how each of us views other people. The Apostle Paul wrote---

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more

significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also

to the interests of others.

Philippians 2: 3-4, ESV

The common good can only prevail in community when each of us values others more than ourselves. And, that is the bottom line about living the common good. It can only happen when others rank above our own personal whims. Government can't legislate it. Nor can loud, protesting special interest groups force it.

You see, the common good is a biblical virtue that must be lived by the citizenry. And, that is my prayer in these troubled times.

sonnyholmes

Jun 19, 20203 min read

Change numero uno.

If we were formulating a ranking of the most change resistant organizations we'd no doubt place the church near the top of the list. From one angle that makes sense, Christ's body affirming ancient Bible truth, preserving the traditions of Christ and the Apostles, and bringing the old, old story to the ever new world. There are, of course, several other viewpoints about the change resistance among congregations. One is simply the truth that many church leaders are seeking to preserve their customs and traditions rather than those clearly revealed in Scripture. Even more, especially as we consider navigating change, this resistance is contrary to the fundamentals of faith. You see, the Christian experience is one of change. Congregations are spiritual assemblies of people who are being changed.

Or, at the least, they are supposed to be. At the most basic level, Christianity celebrates the change that occurs in the lives of people called into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This relationship originates as a response to an invitation occasioned by the work of God the Holy Spirit in a person' life. The Holy Spirit convicts humans of their sinful nature and need for a Redeemer, a Savior. Underneath is the belief that Jesus Christ shouldered the sin of mankind, died on the Cross in their stead, was raised on the third day, ascended to Heaven, and promised his continued presence in living the redeemed life. That relationship changes the old sinful person into a new forgiven one.

One day the Apostles asked Jesus who would be the greatest in God's Kingdom. Jesus replied to them---

Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will

never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18: 3, NIV

In my heart, this is change numero uno, number one. Jesus was illustrating the necessity of humility in the life of a believer. This change is dramatic movement of believers from their sinful, egocentric self to become Christo-centric in their attitude and behavior. The Apostle Paul wrote about this change as well---

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed

into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3: 18, KJV

Most modern translations render this change as being transformed. It is the life-long

reality of sanctification, that of becoming more like Christ. Scripture affirms that believers will be like him on the day of Christ---

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we

know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

1 John 3: 2, ESV

My point is that personal change should be the continuing work of Christ in our lives. As a result, change resistance should not be the driving influence of the Christian life. Yes, there are absolutes that remain constant in all of history. We must believe and preserve them in our congregational experience. The mission of the church is one of those absolutes, that of making disciples of all nations. But, not the organization and administration of local congregations. Even in the Acts of the Apostles the church changed to become more inclusive in pursuing that mission. Those early church leaders moved their outreach beyond Jerusalem as Jesus had commanded. They spoke the everlasting message of the church to Greeks, pagans, the Jewish community, and others scattered to the ends of the earth. They preserved the absolutes while changing their approach to influence the nations.

Change numero uno, that which God brought to them individually, drove them to the world around them. They understood the times, recognized some of the enevitables, and adapted their work to achieve their mission. And, that's the deal facing the contemporary church. If change number one is real in our lives, we should not resist what God is doing in the world through Christ's church. And, that is a bottom line for the church today. Change numero uno is our recognition that this is Christ's church and not ours. Preserving our traditions, desires, prejudices, biases, and functions is not our purpose. Preserving those absolutes of God, however, is our assignment.

And, it should happen if change numero nuo has happened in us.

sonnyholmes

Jun 18, 20203 min read

Inevitable.

Except for the absolutes of existence everything changes. In our times those forces shift things faster and in more complicated ways than ever before. Failure to understand the times is a fundamental error when trying to navigate that kind of change. There's a sense of anticipation when our awareness of cultural movement is keen. Change is obvious in a world like this one, unavoidable. Watching the world spin conditions us to expect change, maybe even accept it. Of course there are also the absolutes, the eternal, unchanging truths portrayed by Scripture as an "anchor for the soul". Absolutes secure us when the currents of change threaten to sweep us away. We can see change on every corner of life and perhaps even prepare for it. And, thank God for the anchors.

Resisting the inevitable, that is, change that will happen no matter what, is another slippery slope that impedes personal traction and limits progress. Let me give you an example. In the early 1990's I purchased a bumper sticker for my car that read SAVE THE MALES. It was a slogan for large numbers of Citadel graduates who preferred the all male regimen at our alma mater. For me it wasn't so much a sexist issue but more a preference for single gender education. Even today I think there are benefits to this kind of educational environment, especially in the rigid military system of The Citadel since 1842. Most alumni up to that that point agreed. They formed special interest groups that lobbied our legislators to maintain single gender education at The Citadel and many of the women-only colleges and universities in the state of South Carolina. It was strong editorial page fodder and SAVE THE MALES banners, bumper stickers, and promotional material were visible throughout our state. There was a moment, however, when most of us knew admission of women to The Citadel was inevitable. For the most part, the mild protests and complaints subsided. There was no sense in devoting our time and energy opposing something we knew was going to happen. Opposing the inevitable was a poor use of our time and resources. Just a few weeks ago I voted for Nancy Mace to be the Republican candidate for the first congressional district. She was the first female graduate of The Citadel. How the world turns.

Many changes are necessary if we are to progress in this age of equal rights, racial and gender equality, care for the poor, disadvantaged, and elderly citizens, treatment of immigrants and aliens, and many other modern day issues. To oppose the systems and laws initiated for the common good, or to fight them, is most often divisive , and a serious misuse of our time and resources. Being wise about the changes we oppose means that in many cases we can lose our influence if those changes are in fact inevitable. The mood of the nation from sea to shining sea and our absolutes should be the governing principles of where we stand on most social and cultural matters.

The wisdom to use our time and resources is a significant biblical issue. Today our national agenda is drifting decidedly to the left, a more secular, liberal, progressive direction. My personal absolutes, the truth of God, his Word, and his redemptive purpose in all things will guide my approach to change. Several Scriptures will form the basis for positions in them all---

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without

reproach, and it will be given him.

James 1: 5, ESV

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

Colossians 4: 5, ESV

Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5: 16, ESV

Truth is, some changes are inevitable, Hopefully and prayerfully, we will have the wisdom to identify the markers of those matters, and how we are to invest our resources in deciding and accepting them. It's a mild application of the life truth to choose our battles wisely. The wisdom to recognize the inevitable is a profound process in navigating change.