Forgiveness Consequences and Consequences of Evil Acts

What response is appropriate when trust in violated repeatedly by someone who does you wrong, violates your personal boundaries, and continually act in ways that consume your life emotionally, physically, and financially?  The obvious answer for many people is to run away and put as much distance between you and the offender as possible.  However, when an effort is made to manage others behavior, it can be a slippery slope.  It is like the old saying, “it takes two to Tango”.  Indeed assessing blame and taking responsibility for perceived unjust or unethical behavior  can turn on the accuser because everyone sees life events through a unique perspective.  Obviously, it is easier to blame others or appear to be what someone else has done instead of accepting responsibility for personal involvement and participation in a conflict situation that has produced actions, feelings, and outcome.

Looking at forgiveness from a purely religious or theological perspective leaves people with distorted ideas about responsibility for actions that violate another person’s rights, or that defrauds another person willfully of benefit.  Many people think that you are supposed to get “holy amnesia” when you are wronged by someone and if you are really spiritual that you will act as if nothing ever happened.  As a result, when some people look at the idea of forgiveness through a theological construction, often emphasis is placed upon unconditional forgiveness. In fact, unconditional forgiveness ideally removes responsibility for actions, absolves guilt, removes consequences, and restores relationships. However, when it comes to the subject of forgiveness an important issue to consider is that human beings are emotional beings subject to human limitations and are not God.  Unfortunately many people who have been deeply hurt by others are further damaged by guilt and manipulation of idealist who may not understand fully that there is more to forgiveness than holy amnesia.  Consequently, when it comes to forgiveness many people apply the doctrine of redemption and forgiveness that is provide by God upon human experiences as if it is normal to act just as God does while living as a finite human being. Unfortunately, for many people feeling the hurt and pain of broken relationships the pain doesn’t get any better when religious notions are used to bruise the offended further. Think about this: if the central emphasis is placed upon benefit for the sinner, relief for the offender, and not upon the effects of behavior on the way relationships have become tangled, there can be little growth without a healthy process that addresses the consequences for the act of offense.

In a simplistic, view of forgiveness is a need for relief from any sense of guilt from actions and vindication, i.e., relief from emotional, social, and, personal for wrongdoing.  In a theological understanding penalty is  removed and sinners escape eternal separation from God, as well as the benefit of relationship in the present.  However, the theological definition is not a very practical way to apply to how forgiveness between people occurs who are the product of a fallen nature, an developing spiritual capacity, and who experience systemic relational problems.  Obviously, individuals with a diminished developmental difficulty lack a God-like ability to negotiate healthy balance between forgiveness and responsibility.  Therefore, when many people think of forgiveness they are equating it with to the doctrine of absolution from Roman Catholic Theology, where the priest mystically removed the penalty for wrong acts. Consequently, when the discussion about forgiveness is raised, movement away from a simplistic view of people who live by shoulds and should nots will be enhanced when we realize that people must go through a process toward forgiveness that is not instant “holy amnesia”.

One way to think about this is that there is a fundamental difference between forgiveness and removal of cumulative consequences. Indeed, it is true that Jesus died on the Cross-as a substitution for the sins of those who place faith in Him.  However, does that mean that all of the consequence or sin and sins are removed at the cross in every area of life?  Some people believe the answer is yes, but the answer is an emphatic no.  For instance, the thief on the cross still died for his crimes, while he was forgiven of his sins. Therefore, a principle that needs to be understood is that consequences in the human life remain even when there is full forgiveness.  Something to consider is that many people see forgiveness as a relief from responsibility for behavior. Obviously, escapist thinking under girds many beliefs that people have about forgiveness from bad behavior.  One place this is evident is in the majority of prayers prayed by people that focus upon God relieving or delivering from individuals from consequences in life instead of changing the person by providing ability to bear up under consequences and remaining faithful in circumstances.  Somehow, some people have come to believe that when they are forgiven of wrongdoing they will no longer have to live under the conditions that bring consequences from choices made or face responsibility for consequences. Unfortunately, the fact remains that unethical, unjust behavior influence, levels of trust, communication, and relationship dynamics that affect everything in life.

There is no doubt that common sense tells us that when something horrendous occurs to a person emotionally, psychologically, or personally devastates life, it will not be relieved with a simple “I’m sorry”. In fact, something is out of balance with thinking that forgiveness equates an words of contrition, or acting like something did not happen. Obviously, it is like believing the words, “I am sorry” will remap the cells of brain, change thought patterns, modify behaviors in way that minimizes, erases responsibility and eradicates consequences.  Further, this point of view is prevalent among those in the church and is expressed through an attitude that places greater emphasis upon acceptance of wrongdoers than it does upon the spiritual, social, and eternal consequences of evil acts. Obviously, all actions have consequences and as much as individuals may want to ignore them, pretend they don’t exist, or mystically wish them away, there is an ongoing impact on life. As a result, what can be learned from church history is the point of view that minimizes responsibility from wrongdoing is called, Antinomianism.

This perspective presented a problem recorded in the book of Roman where Paul asked a question directed at responsibility for actions, “What shall we say then, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound”.  Consequently, rational people know that when there are evil acts, there is not a freedom from responsibility, but a challenge to accept responsibility that leads to a change in behavior in a responsible manner.

Apparently, some people believed that the more they sinned, the more grace was magnified as a principle of forgiveness and acceptance —more grace is evident and available.  Unfortunately, this is how many people view responsibility for their wrongdoing: the more they are forgiven, the less sensitivity that is felt about the grave nature of injustice to others.  For example, this is particularly evident in how passionately criminals rationalize the crimes against others when they find Jesus. Indeed, there is a feeling of need for relief through redemption and absolution in forgiveness.

However,   there is a visible absence of remorse, acts of restitution, or change of attitude about crimes committed against victims.  Those who are most passionate about forgiveness and who advocate acceptance, restoration, and vindication are those who have the greatest guilt and sin. What needs to be understood is that Jesus died on the cross for Sin to give a remedy for sin.  Sin is a legal term expressed in John 3:17, Romans 8:1, as condemnation, which means eternal punishment, separation from God.  The forgiveness that Jesus offers, in His work on the cross, is to provide a way to experience a changed life, not to escape the consequences of actions.  In the theological concept, forgiveness is about changing behavior and redeeming the consequences through building a life of trust and faith. On the other hand, naive acceptance without accountability reinforces the potential for evil to thrive and prosper.

One of the problems is that forgiveness is applied by using a utilitarian philosophy of forgiveness rooted in hedonism. The pleasure principle advocates that the greatest outcome in life is on the least path of resistance.  In other words, the way that brings the greatest pleasure in life. Utilitarian’s advocate the principle of greatest good and is the best for everyone concerned.

However, the question remains unanswered about how is the greatest good or best is determined?  Usually the good is in human terms, socially, from group input from sociocultural norms and mores’, not from a universal or rational truth.  Unfortunately, Utilitarian forgiveness is not very effective at helping people change behaviors or protecting people from harm, and restoring trust.

In this case, forgiveness carries with it toleration and means that there are no universal understanding of consequences for morally wrong behaviors.  Therefore, illegal activities and potentially damaging behavior deconstructs all normal boundaries for behavioral expectations and normal expectations about responsibility.  Therefore, when people become so desensitized to consequences of evil that the effect is no longer felt, the result is an inadequate view of forgiveness and responsibility.  As a result, when there is a fundamental belief that there is forgiveness for sin and there are no consequences, spiritual change or personal growth does not occur as a life principle.  Behavior adapts to wrongdoing creating no accountability and the system dynamic makes the abnormal the normal.  Consequently, forgiveness should demonstrate change in the forgiven not reinforce a potential to act in evil ways without accountability. Consequently, forgiveness should mean that, I am changing how I feel and how I believe, so life can move forward in a healthy productive way.

A cultural challenge to forgiveness in the 21^st century is that within Utilitarian thought there is never really any possibility of right or wrong.  Obviously, this belief is connected to a relativistic view of culture that removes all moral implications of sin or wrongdoing and no absolutes.  Therefore, the view is that nothing is really ever wrong, so forgiveness is just a psychological transaction where feelings are purged creating emotional catharsis and acceptance.  However, novel that may seem to modern people, this thinking does little for the person who has been violated and who has memories encoded with trauma after an experience creating Post-Traumatic Stress.

Forgiveness is an internal process that sets the forgiving person free from bitterness and internalizing of pain in self-destructive ways. However, contrary to popular thought, forgiveness does not mean the offender is free from the consequences of their actions.  The news report about Usama bin Laden being killed is a sober reminder that evil actions have consequences that will stalk a person and exact a penalty sooner or later through consequence in life and after death.  Obviously, we live in a time when universal truth has been rejected and been replaced with a view that makes all actions relative to the person. Consequently, the reality of 21st century sophistry is no moral right and wrong, but only what is relative to a person or a group.

Another point of view presented in Psalm 37 says,” Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.  For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb”.  Indeed what will happen is that a every person will fall into the hands of a just God who has reminded us that there are consequence for evil acts of violence.  Therefore, the message that resounds is the pain we feel for unjust acts in this life is only a token of the eternal reward for injustice from evil acts in this life.  Something to think about is that a point of view that may not be popular, but is a eternal reality is that God will have the last word on every act and consequence of evil behavior.

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Being Who God Created You to Be –The Reason for Existence (Part A)

Many theories suggest a rationale for the existence of human life that offers explanations about the origins of life.  Accordingly, Christian apologists and theologians argue that the origin of life was through special creation.  In other words, God created life from the ex-nihilo with the dust of the earth. In the same creative act the life created was material and spiritual; therefore, creation was with purpose, design, and intentional.  However, while many Christians accept the fact of creation, there are variant ways that the post-creation experience of existence explained to support views of life development.  As a result, an important point to consider about creation is if God created human beings, then a logical assumption follows that God had a reason in existence and goals to be accomplished in His acts.

Some things to consider about existence:

For those who believe that the biblical story of creation is factual, it is important to recognize that God, not only created life, but He also sustains life.  Therefore, God has diagramed a divine purpose into human existence.  Unquestionably, purposeful creation reinforces a view of life that emphasizes the confidence that God is the central equation of existence.  In fact, purposeful creation provides a clear reason for existence and instills a logical equilibrium for life reflecting reasonable belief in God as creator, sustainer, and source of human life.  Consequently, God’s intention is at the center of the initial act of creating life and is the active force before and after everything occurring in life.

An important model from a Christian world-view providing definition to this proposition is intelligent design, which “is a theory that rejects the theory of natural selection, arguing that the complexities of the universe and of all life suggest an intelligent cause in the form of a supreme creator.  It’s all for him” (intelligent design) .  Making application of belief in intelligent design in creation presupposes that God existed before creation and is the designer, as well as, catalyst for design and creation of the world where humans exist.  As a result, the basic assumption in the argument for a supreme creator suggests reason for creation lay within the creator of humans and not with the creation.  Therefore, intelligent design implicates a watershed principle that God is the imperative reason for existence of all living creatures and inanimate matter.  Consequently, among those who believe in creation, recognizing God at the center of all creation moderates a rationale for life on based purpose –design not on random chance, which sustains belief in purposeful existence and an objective through existence.

Making sense of the rationale for existence:

On the other hand, if you are the person who believes natural selection governs existence or the result of biological migration from one life form to the next, here is something to consider.  It will be hard to envision any reason for existence other than the biological, physical, and random events in present experience of life contained within the choices and goals we set for accomplishment.  Within this point of view, a central theme is that humanity is at the center of existence.  Therefore, life purpose finds expression through the power of the will, beliefs, and choices exercised to create purposeful or meaningful existence.  Indeed, it is a view of life, which puts forward an opinion that the substance of life is like a game of biological and humanistic chance.  A belief in humanistic philosophy (4.Humanism) holds a very limited hope for effective outcome without the good fortune from choices.  As a result, life experience is lessens in scope to random choice predicted by biology, individual choices, and timing of events.  The outcome is a life with a sort of a fatalistic outlook where human ingenuity, genetic structure, and random events forecast an inevitable life within certain circumstances.  Undoubtedly then, existence functions in a manner that is limited to a subset of systems on different levels at work in human existence.  Therefore, existence, by this definition, is an existence within a given culture, time, and environment that is limited to humanity apart from intelligent design.  Unquestionably, the rationale for existence is reduced to a quantifiable product of random events intersecting with biological human experience in a set of unknowable variables in life.

In contrast to humanism, the content of conservative Christian Theology advocates for meaning and purpose intricately related to God’s intention within His Divine reason for human existence.  The contrast to natural selection is the point of view within Christian Theology This point of view states unequivocally that life is a unique creation of God with divinely inspired reason as a basis for existence.  To be sure, at a very basic level, the elementary reasoning communicates that there is an intended purposeful relationship.  It is an intended –purposeful relationship revealed through the redemptive power of a relationship to God in Jesus Christ resulting in a transformational life that is both spiritual and eternal.  Consequently, the work of God performed in Christ to achieve a purpose that biological function cannot achieve for man at his highest level of functioning, chances, or choices.

Consider what John, the Apostle said about God’s reasoning in existence:

In contrast to a secular world-view, there is a well-reasoned rationale within the Christian world-view for believing that life and existence are not an accident of biology, but rather a product of reasoning originating with God.  In support of this perspective, John 1:1 refers to the Logos of God, which delineates, “a word, being the expression of a thought …a broad term meaning, ‘reasoning expressed by words”.  Furthermore, John 1:1, ff. says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”  An essential conclusion in the record of John is that the reasoning of God is the rationale beneath “making” all things. Therefore, in John’s record, the preceding idea that predates creation is the Logos (reasoning) of God.

Accordingly, it is reasoning expressed in the choice of words selected to portray God’s concept that describe purpose and design in creation.  For this reason, the selection of words and arrangement of concept through language uses a picture portrayed that describes Christ, as the reason that stands above.  Furthermore, Christ’s description is with language indicating His preexistence before and beyond time as the very substance of creation, as well as, creation that initiated the concept of existential time.  Indeed, the suggestion is that reasoning by words command the interpretation that delineate that the Logos of God predated time, creation, the earth, and existence of humanity.  Without a doubt, by words and concept His reasoning express a purpose –design by God presented through creation and revealed in the disclosure of Christ.  In support of this, John asserts several important factors about God’s reasoning.

First, a fundamental reason declared by John is that the purpose for creation correlates to God’s purpose in Christ in a cohesive concept and executed plan.  The concept and plan reveal redemption as objective truth, which preexisted time and human creation as an essential reason within the plan of God for creation.  Therefore, the logical rationale introduced by John is that the activity in creation is as central to God’s purpose in creation, as redemption is to God’s purpose in Christ.  Therefore, John concludes that creation is not a random accident of molecular mutation, but a purposeful expression of the creator revealing His purpose in the creation demonstrating a rationale for revealing God’s purpose in redemption.

Obviously, the point made is that His Spirit intimately connects God’s general purpose in human creation to God’s specific purpose in drawing people into a relationship with a sovereign and eternal God that brings glory to Him.  When John speaks of Christ, He speaks of Him as the light of men, as well as, the light of the world.  In consideration of the light that is spoken of, a “light, a source of light, radiance” that brings spiritual illumination to existence in an understanding of God’s glorious purpose for the believer.  Therefore, the life that God purposes through Christ is a life motivated by a spiritual life that a believer grows into through the process of discipleship and personal development.  Accordingly, the object of God’s design is switching from a life lived for self interest to a life that is lived by God’s design being revealed through a life of surrender, sacrifice, and service.

Living For God’s Glory Is The Greatest Achievement We Can Accomplish With Our Lives.

In like manner, the position that a person must take in life leads to the place where the light comes on and revelation enables spiritual awakening to come.  It is in that moment that believers come alive spiritually because there is a realization that life is not about following some biological urge or environment conditioning to achieve some temporal goal.  On the other hand, the awareness comes that the central reason for existence suddenly focuses upon God and His plan.  From that moment on, everything that happens in our existence is because of Him, by Him, and through Him, and for His glory.  As a result, life importance and events translate into one simple statement, “That it is all about Him”.  For this reason, Theologians label this a theocentric view of existence, which situates God at the center of everything in our world.  What is evident is the only sound reason for existence and the only meaningful way to organize life into a purposeful existence centers in a relationship with God.  Consequently, in this moment that connects unique creation and the ultimate goal of life leads back to the principle that is man’s chief aim, “To bring glory to God and enjoy him forever” (Baptist Catechism).  Consequently, the rationale of God centered faith and trust infuses life with intentionality to fulfill the purpose of creation.

 

References

intelligent design. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved February 08, 2013, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/intelligent design

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Being Who God Created You to Be: Seeing Life from God’s Perspective

Perspective: The Human Conundrum that Results in a Belief that  You are Right about What You Believe and Rationalizes an Outcome to Match the Belief.

Perspective is the way that you look at the world around you and the belief that you have formed about things outside of yourself, that results in behavior that are consistent to your beliefs.  It really doesn’t serve a good purpose to get lost in trying to explain right and wrong beliefs at this point.  On the other hand, it is important to think about whether intuition and sensor impressions are a sound or fair representation in comparison to God’s perspective about life events or what they   mean.  Quite often, our immediate response to what is happening  to you is a focus upon the experience, felt responses, and an interpretation of meaning from a finite, limited perspective.  Consequently, what happens is you form a point of view that is very personal and involves humanistic processes that are unique to your personality, mood, disposition, emotional state, health, age, and factors related to your experience of life?  The impact of belief formulation, as well as, the effect upon the storyline of life forms a perception deeply connected to you as an individual person.  As a result, behaviors surface in ways that coincide with perception formed into beliefs.  Therefore, a self-fulfilling prophecy develops along with a sincere belief that behaviors resulting from beliefs are consistent with a certainty that you are correct, even when reason suggests otherwise.

It is entirely possible to create an outcome in life by the perceptions believed to be true by acting on them.  This is possible because when we believe, value, and act in accordance with beliefs; we organize life in such a way to support the beliefs held.  This activity makes perfect sense to you and results in living that is consistent with a sincerely held belief.  Did you know that even born again Christians suffer from distorted perceptions about life, others behavior, or events because they believe they are right?  People who live in a social system or work within a organizational culture are impacted by their native environment, which enables a cultural perception that produces behaviors that conform to beliefs within a culture .  In many cases, a person can sincerely be wrong, conform, and behave in ways that support a life of beliefs built upon the misinformation effect of distorted cultural norms, group-think etc.  In the spiritual life this happens because the perceiver has not experienced a life changing spiritual transformation through the Spirit of God illuminating the mind, perceptions, and beliefs that separates them from erroneous that characterize the human existence .  Consequently, whether right or wrong, behaviors turn into a belief rationalized as correct, even though they may be irrational or bring the desired outcome.

At this place of belief, what seems right, looks right, or feels right may not be right because the belief is validated by human limitations, sociological rationale, or life experience that does not consider a larger perspective.  As a result, this pattern usually goes on until a life-altering experience turns life upside down.  Then, perceptions become convoluted confusion that takes perception through a sifting process of pain that unravels faulty beliefs and expectations.  The result is that in the process, we will get bitter or better.  Scott Peck, who wrote Further Along the Road Less Traveled (1993) said, that there are two kinds of suffering in life, neurotic, which leads to mental health issues or therapeutic (Scott Peck).  The first causes mental health issues,  physical problems and an inability to cope with life with unresolved beliefs. The later causes a person to look at life from a new perspective and define suffering in terms of healing rather than pathology to create a pathway to life in the future.

The Way You See Your Life Shapes Your Life into What You Really Believe is True.

Unfortunately, many Christians are carbon copies of the culture and people around them.  Life is the by-product is misled perceptions about life with a focus upon of conformity to a fixed set of norms, rules, or expectations, instead of a life of unique significance.  In our spiritual walk, God leads believers to a life of reflection, awareness, and development through His sufficient and efficient grace.  His goal is to empower the life of becoming His unique creation.  The challenge comes when human beings try to live with insurmountable odds each day without a clear understanding of God’s perspective about the purpose of life.  The tendency is to surrender to the programming that faulty beliefs are creating.  An outcome from this thinking sets in motion the effort to control things or events to bring an expected outcome.  As a result, you cannot fit life experiences into the beliefs held, which results in frustration.  Therefore, confusion sets in and you do not understand how to make sense of experiences that violate core beliefs.  Because we have a need to feel like there is an answer for everything, a solution for everything that happens, or a magical spiritual escape for everything; we jump through spiritual hoops to create an outcome.  The efforts are to construct a picture of experience that matches the cognitive map in your mind.  When the discovery comes that belief spun into reality, you come face to face with a conundrum.  Therefore, you adjust behavior to align with beliefs that shape existence to conform with an invalid belief, which leads to failure and further disappointment.  Because, it is what we believe should be true; then circumstances, others, and events are supposed to align with a mind map built out of the personal beliefs embedded in thought patterns.  The problem comes when life shaped by faulty beliefs meets resistance, uncontrollable circumstances, and reality spins out of control.  Then, you are faced with the question about what happens next and how can you make sense out of life?

A major disconnect with the outcome is whether a person trusts in a sovereign God or a sovereign belief, sovereign expectation, or sovereignoutcome.  When you listen to what people say in a crisis there will be a constant reference to I, me, or an expectation that personal beliefs held equals absolute truth, reality, and control over circumstances.  Therefore, a good question you can ask is how to put in perspective that holds a high view of God?

 Beliefs Centered in Human Expectation Put into Perspective.

Think about this statement: Is God really in control of everything?

Character develops and is revealed by tests; therefore, all of life is a test.  We can only trust with confidence a Lord who controls everything.  If He is unable to use wickedness to further, His plan, then evil remains free from His rule, and we could never be sure of His final victory.  Some say God only foresees human decisions without ordaining them, but Scripture never teaches this.  Moreover, if the Lord only looks into a future in which He has not ordained all things, then there are “chance” events to come that He will have had no control over.  How then is He God in any meaningful way?  How, then, can He prevent those events He finds undesirable?

If the Lord is sovereign over all things, then every wicked event is in His plan, not because He loves evil, but because He wants to work through and against the sin to achieve a worthy end.  Knowing that God does this enables us to fight the good fight of faith and stand against the forces of darkness.  Nothing they do to us is outside of the Lord’s will, and so they can never derail His good plan for us.  (R.C. Sproul http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/why-sovereignty-matters/ )

Something that needs consideration is that faulty beliefs will lead to an unmet expectation, a faulty outcome, and a disillusioned person.  Unfortunately, many of the beliefs often held and espoused by Christians are myths that support an  inadequate view of God, as well as, a deficient understanding of what God is doing in the midst of evil, disappointment, and unmet expectation.  The result leads to rationalizations, efforts to explain, because the core beliefs in the mind are spun into a reality to create a mythology that is really believed.  The real question is not about a God who is out of control or the will of a man that is in control.  However, the greater question is how belief has shaped a reality so readily embraced because it matches a feeling or belief of entitlement centered in your life expectation.  Consequently, a focus upon I, along with humanly shaped expectations, results in the way life works that is detached from a mind transformed by the Spirit of God.

Listen to the Apostle Paul about How Beliefs are Transformed:

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 New Living Translation)

No matter what you may believe, God is always at work and challenges you to realize that He is in always in control.  Indeed, it is most difficult, when you look into the casket of your child, a loved one, or a wife.  It is difficult to understand that God is in control because every belief, feeling, and emotion within feels like control is lost.  In that moment, belief is shattered on the ground like mirror that once reflected what life looked like. Like a cloud in the wind, perception that has shaped our expectations and beliefs about how life looks through our eyes is suddenly gone.  It is not until we shift our view to God’s perspective of life that beliefs that are shaped by the human eye are redefined with a trust that no matter what happens or how deep the hurt, that a sovereign God of love is still in control and we can trust Him infinitely with every detail of life.

Seeing Things from God’s Perspective Means Shifting Trust from What we See and Experience to Confidence in the Lord.

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” ( Psalms 20:7, NIV).

An important power that operates in a shift away from  trust in what we see, perceive, and  feel to Trust in the name of the Lord our God  is the work of the Spirit of God, which causes a transformation that moves you from simply believing to knowing.  Transformation changes beliefs from our perspective to God’s point of view.  Spiritual transformation is a long and sometimes hard process, which strips away faulty beliefs and  recognizes a life spiritually formed through the purpose of God in our existence.  A spiritual trust is formed when you begin to see life from His perspective, the more God gives, the more responsibility He expects in life experience.

An affirmation that you can walk away with is that all of life is both a test and a trust.  In fact, believers are always tested.  However, in the test, habituated obedience reduces the stress experienced in the test because obedience comes from a view of the test that has experience with how God has worked out of His character to transform an understanding of His nature and who He created us to be.

An application from a life of transformational beliefs brings to mind the way God transforms you into being the person He created you to be.  Count on the fact that you will be tested and God wants you to pass the test because of the great love He has for His children.  When we begin to view life from God’s perspective there is the reminder that God has entrusted us with something that He values and treasures enough to provide the sacrificial redemption of the Savior to create a life used, preserved, and invested in the way He designed us uniquely.  Therefore, an important reminder to remember is that life is not what we see or possess, it is about who possesses our lives and how we invest it in a stewardship of trust that will bring affirmation, promotion, and celebration.  (Rick Warren 2002).

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!”  (Matthew 25:21).

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Being Who God Created You to Be: You Were Made to Last Forever

Sooner or later everyone is faced with the absolute certainty that mortal life will end.  Indeed, life is a constantly evolving process that will culminate in an ultimate experience that ushers existence into a new reality called eternity.  A natural phenomenon of life-experience and awareness of conscious life is continually developing and ending simultaneously. This experience is a non-tangible present reality that is happening, as we experience it each waking moment of life.  One of the important certainties that we quite often lose touch with is that every experience of life is the staging ground for an eternity that is yet unrealized.  Something that needs to be considered is looking at life with the view that God has from now into eternity.

What a Spiritual Life of Purpose Looks Like From God’s Perspective.

“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter.  He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good” (Romans 8:26-28, The Message).

A Spiritual Reality is That We Really Do Not Understand, But He is at Work.

 Many people tend to hold a view of life that has a deeply embedded belief that the experience of today is fixed, set, and the expectation that life will always look as it does today brings disappointment when it is disconnected from a spiritual life. At the same time, a faulty perspective of life built around present experience tends to cause acceptance of the comfort or pain of the moment as a normal expectation in life. The reality of a life of surrender to a sovereign God is within the struggle.  Therefore, in the process, He hears our groans and struggles and works to make sense of something that is so confusing to comprehend in our humanity.

Tragically, without spiritual transformation an existence is constructed where hope is absent for anything in life better than present experiences, i.e., what is presently seen.  This type of perspective limits life to a purpose built on present or upon negative experience instead of eternal purpose designed by God.  Therefore, the reality, pain, or joy of the moment constantly acquiesces to expectation set by an event, experience, or impression from a millisecond instead of purpose driven by a firm faith and hope of the Spirit of God who is working out an eternal purpose through us in our experiences.

God’s Perspective About Earthly, Fleshly, Soulish People Who are Governed By Passions of the Present Instead of Focus Upon the Eternal.

“they think only about this life here on earth.  But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.  (Philippians 3:19b-20 NLT)

The indicative message is that a relationship with God that think about life with a different goal in mind that earthly minded people.  “God says His children are think differently about life from the way unbelievers do” (Rick Warren, 2002).

Unfortunately, mortal human beings tend to look at life like a picture of a moment recording only a solitary moment, not the larger picture.  It is a just a still frame expressing life captured in an immobile fixed moment of the present, which many people internalize and script expectations, hope, and dreams apart from an eternal purpose that is set in the mind of God to always work into something good for those who He has called.  Therefore, the present becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that predicts our future and limit our potential to the beliefs held about present realities.  Consequently, the unrealized potential of a future that God has written upon our hearts and lives cannot come to fruition because we are trapped in the prison of the present and has no pathway to the future.

Gaining God’s Perspective Reduces The Anxiety of the Moment and Releases us to See the Process of Becoming God’s Unique Creation.

In the flurry of our daily crisis, an important reality that is not being processed into our temporal experience is that life is quickly passing us by at such a rapid rate of speed that we do not realize that eternity is just a step ahead.  It is true that we shall soon enter eternity, sooner than we realize, through God’s grace into a life prepared for God’s children..  Unfortunately, human beings have to learn the value of eternity and God’s purpose through the broken experiences in life before they get a glimpse of eternity.  It is when, something happens that turns life upside down, changes the way life is experienced,  and shatters our expectations that we are forced to re-evaluate life with a view that is finite.  A fortunate value of a crisis is that it is an opportunity exercise faith and to put our trust in God to discover that God is using this present experience to develop a character that is pure, a trust that is firm, and a perspective that values the moment. It is an awakening, a moment of revelation about life  and experience that tells us in a still small voice  that  God’s hand is developing His eternal purpose in us.  Consequently, there comes  an undeniable and inevitable movement to life that it is so subtle that we may not even realize, in the present moment that life has changed, God has spoken, and nothing will ever be the same since you began reading this article.

We often lose touch with the reality that life is a process of development with periods of time that possess life span experiences, which eventually catch up with no matter how much we dislike it.  As we progress and age, things like our vision grows dim, the body wrinkles, sickness comes and one day all of the things that we have known in the life through momentary experiences will be absorbed into eternity.  Through the experiences of life, we learn that life is just a temporary assignment that could change any moment; then suddenly we will be faced with life developments that are natural and normal in the human experience of life.  The unfortunate reality that many of us have difficulty realizing is that the way that the way we look at life today is not what life will always be and we hang on to the moment in hope that it will never end, but it will and it does.  Then what should we do?

Think About What The Psalmist Said:

 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is” (Psalm 39:4; New Living Translation).

A life lesson that stands out from the psalmist is that life on earth is brief: therefore we d we need to be reminded that every day life is a wonder of existence. It is a divinely given opportunity to exercise effective stewardship and use the opportunity to live by eternal purpose, instead of extraneous circumstances.  While in the moment, the reality that life is slipping through our fingers like the sands of time is an well hidden that must be understood to gain an effective life of purposeful living and being the person that God created us to be.  What we invest our time in does matter now and will matter more once we enter into eternity.  The question the psalmist asks of God reminds us that mortality means that there are a limited number of days to live and to use in preparation for eternity.  Reading the words written, it seems that the psalmist is concerned that life should be invested in things that really matter, things of significance, and that will affect eternal existence in positive and meaningful ways.

Here Is Another Request From The Psalmist That Relates To Eternity:

“I am here on earth for just a little while; do not hide your commands from me” (Psalms 119:19 Good News Translation)

A principle that resonates from the words that relate to God’s eternal purpose is the reality that we must make the best of our lives, while you have life to live because we are here for such a short period of time.  What stands out here is that we should not get too attached to anything in this life because it will soon be gone.  An important point to grasp here is that we need to see life, particularly our life as God sees it, looking at life from God’s perspective.  “Our identity is in eternity and our homeland is heaven” (Rick Warren, 2002).

Remember that there is a solitary principle that stands out in being who God designed us to be: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever” (The Baptist Catechism).  The profound spiritual truth is that we must organize our lives by

keeping first things first.  Because life, as we know it, is  is not all that there is; it drives home the point that life will not end at the termination of physical life.  What the message of God says to us is that we  are made to last forever. Therefore, how we invest our life here and now is life is preparation for the next.  Consequently, when you live our lives in the shadow of this life and the light of eternity, your values change about how to be who God created you to be.

 God Gives us the Affirmation to Embrace our Purpose with a View of the Future in Sight by Faith.

 “ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”  (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV).

We can capitulate to life or live life in hope of what God has prepared and realize that eternity offers only two choices: heaven or hell.  The message is that we are living in the light of eternity, which is a powerful concept taught throughout the Bible. That teaches aa poignant lesson, we should live each day so that if it were the last day of our lives, we would be ready for eternity. An important facet of being who God created us to be is that there are eternal consequences to everything to do on earth.

 Listen to the Words of Solomon: Cherish Life and Use it in the Light of Etenity...

You who are young, make the most of your youth.
Relish your youthful vigor.
Follow the impulses of your heart.
If something looks good to you, pursue it.
But know also that not just anything goes;
You have to answer to God for every last bit of it.

 (Ecclesiates. 11:9, The Message).

An important application to be made is that we will be rewarded for our faithfulness on earth and reassigned to do work that we will enjoy doing.  We won’t lie around on clouds with halos playing harps!  God has a purpose for your life on earth, but it doesn’t end here.Yes, I must serve God in my generation, but my service here is preparation for greater service to come because I was made for eternity.

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Who were you created to be? You Are Not an Accident

Think about this for a moment: “there is a God who created you for a reason, and your life has profound meaning” (Rick Warren, 2002).

A beginning statement to ponder is that we can only really be the person God created us to be when God is the focal point of our existence and we surrender to His purpose for existence.  The Bible says it this way,  “The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him” (Romans 12:3, The Message). The truth is that we can never be who God created us to be until we are willing to surrender the life that we have created, are maintaining, and enduring to the potential life, which is possible by recognizing that God is the center of existence.  It is all about God.

Have you ever wondered why you are who you are and why you are different from others around you?  Read this poem and listen to the words as you say them aloud.

You are who you are for a reason by *Russell Kelfer

You are who you are for a reason.
You’re part of an intricate plan.
You’re a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God’s special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb.
You’re just what He wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones He chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom-designed with God’s plan in mind,
And they bear the Master’s seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into His likeness you’d grow.

You are who you are for a reason,
You’ve been formed by the Master’s rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God! (http://www.donnarosestewart.com/other/kelfer.html)

There are two important things to think about within these ideas.  One is the issue of reason.  God has a purpose for your life, but your purpose can only be found through surrendering to Him, not surrender to circumstances, sociology, or opinion –yours or others.  Closely related is how some people see themselves or acquiesce to the status quo.  As a result, many people see themselves as a failure   or as a mistake.  Therefore, the second issue that we need to understand about who God created us to be is that your conception, birth, life development, and challenges are not the result of a mistake of nature.  Believe me, no matter what you see in the mirror or feel in your private thoughts; you are not an accident of biology, environment, or experiences.  In the last post, “Why do you Exist”, the core question about why we exist presents a theme that life can be built around s the central purpose for existence.

Man’s First Purpose in Creation

 From my personal spiritual background, I am reminded, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.  [Scriptures that supports this position  are found in]: 1 Corinthians 10:31; Psalm 16:11; 37:4; 73:25-26; and  Isaiah43:7.  [The application of] To ‘Glorify’ does not mean make glorious.  It means [to] reflect or display as glorious.  Other words you could use for ‘end’ are ‘goal’ or ‘purpose’” (A Baptist Catechism).

How Did God Create Man?

The next question that relates to who God created us to be is answer in how God created people. “God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.  [Scriptures to support this position are in] Genesis 1:27-28; Colossians 3:10; and  Ephesians 4:24. [To understand this better,] In saying that we were created after his image ‘in knowledge, righteousness and holiness,’ we do not mean we know all God knows, nor that we are a fountain of righteousness and holiness the way he is.  We mean that we were capable of sharing his knowledge and righteousness and holiness in a relationship of trust and love unlike any other creature under the angels” (A Baptist Catechism).

Therefore, what we understand from scripture is that God had a plan, a purpose, and a design, which was not an accident of nature, events, or mistakes.  The importance of who God created us to be was initiated long before we were conceived by our parents –you were conceived in the mind of God.

Affirmation of Faith

What the scripture teaches us about being who God created us to be is that while there are illegitimate parents, there are no illegitimate children.  This is an important and  helpful distinction for those of us who feel like we are the product of a mistake made by someone else! Therefore, the use of scriptures like Deuteronomy 23:2 to support illegitimacy in birth, “A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD”, clearly is not a reference to physical birth, parents, and marriage.  Obviously, Deuteronomy 23:2  is a reference to someone who does not have a covenant relationship to God, which is a indication of an illegitimate connection to the church, religion, and spiritual life, as stated in Hebrews 13.  As a point of reference to remind us who created believers to be in a familial relationship with Him, “They are reborn–not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” (John 1:13, NLT).

Clearly this is an indication that we are not a mistake, freak of nature, or an aberration of evolution: we are God’s special creation.  Therefore, we can be reminded that the person that God has created us to be, specifically disavows atheistic evolution.  If you are wondering about who God created you to be, remember the first purpose for existence; “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever”.  Therefore, be assured that it is abundantly clear that God is the reason alone for purposeful, divine creation.

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Why Do I Exist?

One of the important questions related to discovering who God created us to be has to do with what we spend our life pursuing.  For many, the chief pursuit of life is the acquisition of things and the pursuit of things to bring pleasure.  To address this hedonistic principle of humanity, Solomon wrote and said, “A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree” (The Message Proverbs 11:28).

People who are devoted to things often are people who do not really know who they are and acquiesce to a life in search of identity and importance by defining existence by the things that surround them.

A great discovery to make about existence is that it is not about you.  Focusing on things or ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose.  The reality is that you were made by God and for God—and until you understand that, life will never make sense.

Affirmation of Faith

Our affirmation of faith from the scripture resonates with me an important message that needs to be understood, even after having read it multiple times: that “It’s purpose is not about you.”  The reason for this truth is that this truth never loses its importance because it is timeless truth.

This assertion is hardly new in the history of Christian faith. The reason for our existence is as old as Wesley who said, “God made us to be happy in Him.”  In Baptist history,  it is as old as the Westminster Catechism which affirms that “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”  Furthermore, in Jewish history, it is as old as David who said, “It is He that hath made us and not we ourselves.  We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”  It is as old as Moses who said, “So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”  What do these examples have in common?  The central theme is reverence and life of worship that brings an understanding of why we exist.  Life and more particularly, my life is not about me.  The affirmations and history are spiritual markers that reveal that all of life is about God, not about finding ourselves.

APPLICATION OF FAITH

Our origin, identity, meaning, purpose, destiny all originate and are completed in relationship to God.  As a result, I cannot help but think embracing life with this perspective would revolutionize everything that we do in life and the choices we make.  I can remember the frustration of many people who have shared their never-ending search to find what they want to do in life.  Obviously, this common mistake is the wrong approach to life because it reduces why we exist to a simple human endeavor to do something in our own power to create an identity and a purpose to feel significance in life.

The place to begin is that understanding why we  exist will only find significance when we gain the insight that identity and purpose are found only through relationship with Jesus Christ. Anything else will leave us to the task of creating a purpose that is simply the natural part of a human life apart from God.  When God reveals to us and we understand in our heart of hearts that God planned the purpose of our life and intends for it to last into eternity.  Then, our lives and purpose for existence aligns with the eternal plan of God and has the potential to be effective and produce lasting fruit now and in the future.  When we realize that, we will find that we understand existence from God’s perspective and we have found something worth living for and someone worth dying with because it is eternal.

Final thoughts

Some of you upon reading this may get the idea that determining your life purpose has nothing to do with you or the choices you make.  Obviously, that is not the case, because what happens in our life depends upon responding to God and reverencing Him in worship through obedience The problem exists that we start with us and what we want; then we tell God what we’ll do.  To understand why we exist, God wants us to start with Him—His Kingdom, His Will—and then ask how we can use the gifts and abilities He has given us to participate in His plan.

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Bitterness: Drinking Poison and Wishing Someone Else Dies

What happens to a person when they are exposed to continual invalidation, while feeling the pain of rejection, isolation and then made to believe that what they are feeling is  not important enough to be heard?

If you have not had that experience, you will not understand what I am talking about.   After serving others for most of my life in pastoral ministry and having the unfortunate experience of having Thyroid cancer, being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and subsequently, losing a wife to Cancer; I felt invalidated by life, the church, and everyone that I had given my life to serve.  My experience was that when I was transparent enough to share with the church, the deacons, and leaders that I was very sick,  I was pressured out of my  position by a group of religious haters. If it sounds like unresolved anger that needs expressed, let me assure you that I was angry and had good reason to be angry with people that I had invested in and who were only interested in what they wanted, while I felt so sick.  I am here to tell you from  an experience of wishing certain (unnamed) people would eat crap and die that bitterness is a counterproductive emotion and only hurts the person who is bitter.

So, I moved away and in my new location, I do not have the constant reminder that comes from seeing the people who  talk about expressing love, acceptance and mercy, but give judgment, pain, and isolation.  If that sounds serious, it is, the Bible says, “to shun the very appearance of evil” and they were acting evil so I obeyed the command and made a clean break.  As a recovering church and ministry junkie, I know now that I lived inside a religious life that only offered redemption as a concept and not as a practice.  Personally, I felt like I was  victimized by religious do gooders when, in fact, the problem was I had a distorted perception of reality.  I somehow thought Christians would be Christians when called upon. However, this belief could not have been further from the truth– people always act in their best interest and out of their own need justifying what they do.  The problem is that religious types do not want to admit that and believe that their actions are always spiritual.

Unfortunately, the assumption is not true and the result is misunderstanding, about the character of human behavior.  When a person has false expectations about people and life, then that individual ends up disillusioned and disappointed by the false ideas believed.  Disillusionment leads to failure in life, bitterness about experiences and alienation from the church.  What experience has taught me is that the church is ill-equipped at helping people who have problems. What the church is good at is creating emotional invalids, people who cannot think for themselves, and creating conformity.  The best organization in the world is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, but it is made up of people who are a part of an organizational system that has no fail-safe approach for people who experience problems outside of the box.  What is a person to do when all that is right goes wrong leaving you in a pile ruins, then in one fell swoop everything is lost, hope is gone, and you’re left alone?

I remember when I sat in the hospice with Linda who was dying with colon cancer and thinking– remembering about how many times that I had been there with other families who had a family member dying.  I remember asking myself, “Where are those people that I served and where is the church, the pastor, the family now?  Death is one of those solitary experiences that you have to go through alone, but it is a time that no one should be alone.  If you want to invalidate someone, leave them alone when they get older and when they are dying.  I remember very clearly the isolation and loneliness of those moments.  I had just had a TIA, my sugar was out of control, my wife dying of cancer and life was ebbing away.  I sat there and waited hoping that someone would come.  I called and talked on the phone with my mother-in law who had told her dying daughter that she had received a word from God that she was going to be healed, repeatedly telling her that she did not have enough faith—she invalidated her in her dying moments in the name of a religious mysticism. Further invalidation came when she called and told me that I should take her out of Hospice because that was where people went to die– we did not have enough faith.  I understand that it was her fear of the reality of death, the children’s inability to deal with their mother’s death that explained the confusing behavior.  Meanwhile, I sat there day in and day out– around the clock wondering when someone would come.  People trickled through occasionally, sporadically– but no one really came who stayed, who invested, who made a difference.  It was not until the last week that Linda lived that her mother, dad, and brother finally came.  On the phone I had to tell her mom, if you do not come, you may never see her alive again– then she came.  How can a person ever get over that and get on with life?  What I discovered through this process is that I had faulty notions about people that made me believe that if they were really Christians they would show love, if they were family, they would show respect, if he was a pastor, he would show care, but it did not happen and I was disappointed.

What I discovered is that, generally, people are the same inside and outside the church.  The difference is that people inside the church have one set of answers about life and people who are outside the church have another set of answers.  People do act according to their personal interests, needs, and beliefs.  I believed that, somehow, people would act as I thought that I used to– go sit, pray, or give support.  The result, for me, was I got disappointed.  The point is that I thought they should, would– show interest and it made me angry, and not for myself, but that people could show such a lack of interest or could not feel a need to inconvenience themselves for someone who had cared about them throughout life.  At the end of the day, the anger that I feel has not gone away about injustice, but I have learned to manage what I felt, experienced, and is a reality. The unfortunate thing is that when such emotionally charged memories become a part of existence that it changes life forever.  I will probably never get over what has happened, but living with bitterness is no more an option that living false beliefs and expectations about people.

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Finding Grace In A World Demanding Performance

Is it really reasonable to expect that anyone would demonstrate God-like capabilities and give you grace and expect nothing in return?  It is a good question and worthy of examining because there are times in life that all of us need to have grace extended to us and not get what others think we deserve or what we feel is justified.  The dictionary definition of grace is, “unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification” and is connected to religious and theological ideal that have to do with salvation and being set apart by God for holy living.  I think that these are far removed from the idea that most people have of needing grace from others in their lives.  We often think of giving and receiving grace in terms of extending an undeserved or unearned kindness to someone who is in need done in an act of compassion.  It is something that we all need and desire, but how can grace be experienced in the holiday season?

Take time to look at people in terms of their humanity and not their failures.

A truth that might be understood about how we look at others is that when we see others at the point of their need and have compassion: giving grace, reflects our own sense of need, realizing that we also need grace at times in our lives.  Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” that was targeting an attitude that would characterize those who understand their culpability, have sense of their humanity, and potential for failure which results in humility about who they are.  It is a truth that it is very hard to extend grace to others when you have no understanding how much a human that you are or how failure may have characterized our existence.  How we look at others says something about the impact of humility upon our character. People are human and fail at times in life and if the only people who we are willing to give grace to are people who look like us and fit into the cookie cutter that we have made of our view or brand of church-ology, we will never be of any help to anyone except a select few and we may miss a rare opportunity to be incarnational in how we respond to people.  Jesus looked upon the multitude as sheep without a shepherd.  Most people need a shepherd that can see them as they are and realize that there is a felt need that needs intervention that expresses grace.

Use what you have to be a blessing to someone else who may need a hand up.

One of the most profound things that you can do for someone is not to give an expensive, costly gift that is beyond your ability, it is the act of showing that you care enough about someone else to give what you have, what you can, and what helps the person. If you have ever been desperate with nowhere to turn, no one to call, stranded with no where that you feel that you can turn to get help, and God places an angel (messenger) in your path who does not know you, but chooses to help you because they have been in that exact spot before, then you may understand a hand up.  The unfortunate thing is that many Christians are so self-absorbed and detached from others–that all that they can see is their own need.  What people need to know more than they need your money, food, or time is to know that you see them as a person and that you have a genuine concern that will do more than talk about being missional.  To give people a hand up means feet on the ground—using what you are and what you have to offer to show what people need the most, loving concern that shows.

Finding grace in the holidays will come when grace has found us and we come to realize that people all around us every day need a touch on their lives that communicates that I accept you like you are and I am willing to give of myself, giving grace that connects with the felt need of another person .  Everyone needs to experience salvation, redemption, sanctification, and empowerment from God to live an effective life.  The best expression of love that is demonstrated gives with no expectation of receiving anything for the giving. Giving love with no strings or conditions is a choice made reflecting the Grace that God gives in loving us. Loving without expectations the act of Grace reflecting a character that seeks the best for the one being loved freeing the person to give love freely. (John 3:16)

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Gaining Perspective about Criticism

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Any time that you get a group of people together; there will always be a problem with someone who will criticize what is being done. A question that must be asked is: are critics going to shape the way that organizations operate. We can see this in every level of organizational culture, from the president of the United States, Congress, the Senate, corporations, and small businesses. I have heard it said that, “the squeaky wheel, gets the oil” as an explanation for responding to criticism. Sometimes, we think of criticism as coming from outside sources, but it is true that the most disabling critics are people within the ranks of an organization which disable execution of successful actions.

I served as a pastor for many years and something that I learned in the organizational culture of the church is that every church has a cold water committee. Unfortunately, the reality which has to be faced is that anything worthwhile that will be done will be criticized by some. The fact is that if you are always worried what someone thinks, you will never be able to accomplish what needs to be done.

Criticism is Not Always a Curse

Sometimes criticism is May Be an Indication that your doing something right. There are so many people who are so worried that somebody might say something negative about them, so they just choose to stay quiet, sit on their hands. Dwight L. Moody said. He said, “If no man ever has anything to say against you, your Christianity isn’t worth much.” I have learned that you will never get away from criticism. You are going to be criticized from those outside and criticized from those inside. No matter what you do, someone will not like it.

A cowboy rode up on his horse and looked at the two buffalo, and he said,”You are the ugliest critters I have ever seen. You stink to high heaven, you have those ugly beady eyes, you’ve got those gross stupid-looking humps on your backs, and if I had a buffalo gun I’d blow both of you to kingdom-come,” He turned his horse and rode off.

One buffalo looked at the other one and said, “I believe we just heard a discouraging word.”

You will never get away from discouraging words. Even in the hallowed halls of the church; you will discover an army that will shoot at its own soldiers.

Criticism Can Be Contagious

A solo of cynicism can turn into a chorus of criticism. It is so easy to join with the negative crowd.

Criticism is both caught and taught. It is a symptom of misery and unhappiness that someone is projecting on to an organization. A report can be given of positive successes and the chronic critics will always find something wrong, something that can be criticized. Did you ever notice that when someone begins to criticize, that a question is created that occupies the vacuum of some people’s minds and instead of asking questions, they will say, “yeah me too.” Others will get caught up in the mood of the moment, the mob mentality, and catch a critical attitude. When this is reinforced and not corrected, it becomes an ingrained behavior that is learned and to be stopped must be untaught.

Criticism Demonstrates A Conflict of Values Between Leaders And Followers

When there is a conflict in value systems it defines attitudes about what will be done.Therefore, a person’s character is intimately related to his or her values; personal character rests on the foundation of personal values. A person’s character directly affects how he or she lives life–at the core of all human behavior is a statement of what is valued. As a result, defining the source of conflict is critical to developing pro-active strategies for leading; even when there is a clash of values.

What is it that defines what is done–when there is criticism or opposition? Is it the survival of the species by dominance and destruction of an antagonist, or is it leading and making choices out of one’s character? What we value is a related to our character. Gary Smalley, in the Search for the Soul, said “We are a people who value productivity … human thinkings and human doings instead of human beings. The highest paid people in the world can hit, run, pass better than anyone else, but it is done at the cost of developing the soul … the inner life. We keep soul expansion to a minimum which can rob us of the greatest success … becoming a real– authentic person.” If we value thinking, behavior, or productivity over what is can come as a result of the inner processes of character choices and development, we may be circumventing our own development for a feeling of gratification from a success that is define in a moment in the present. As a result, there will always be in-congruence between who we are, what is communicated, and how criticism is negotiated.

Character directly affects how life is expressed–at the core of all human behavior is a statement of what is valued. Core values affect the character of what is done in an organization or in leadership through a commitment to excellence. A conclusion can be made that criticism can define how organizations develop or leaders can lead organizations to value the right things(or wrong things) and do the work of developing character and instilling values that rise above criticism. I have often told friends that if you don’t manage conflict, it will manage you. You can choose a response, but it’s up to you.

An Observation: When your motives are right and your methods are pure, and you are doing what is right, you don’t have to explain anything to anybody.

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