The Blessing of Irritation

Have you ever had something stuck in your eye?  As a kid I would always rub my eyes and they would grow red and irritated.  Over the years I learned how to remove eyelashes and other foreign bodies by flushing them out with water.  A stray eyelash is just one of many irritants life throws our way, like swarms of pesky flies or a pen which works intermittently.  Not only can we find physical problems irritating, but other people have a knack of doing just the thing we despise.  Have you ever wondered why things irritate us which don't bother others - and the fact they don't realise the awful things they do irritates us even more?

The Bible reveals amazing things about us we would never realise on our own, and perhaps don't even want to know.  One of them is found in Romans 2:1.  After writing a long list of sins common to all men, Paul wrote, "Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things."  The things we condemn in other people actually condemns ourselves, for it is genuine evidence we have made a practice of the same thing ourselves.  When we are irritated by the tone of someone's voice, that they sneakily cheat on their exams, or how they are such a hypocrite, we can condemn their behaviour and judge them as wrong.  But if we stop there, what will it profit us?  When others irritate us by behaviour we condemn as wrong, it should be a trigger for us to examine ourselves.  Condemnation in our heart towards others is evidence of our personal need to change.  Believing God's Word ask, "LORD, you have placed your finger on something in my own heart.  How do I do the exact same thing before you so I might confess my sin, repent, and be restored?"

Irritation in my life is one of God's surprise blessings.  God made our eyes to be irritated when there is a foreign body present which needs to be removed so clear, painless vision can be restored.  He also made our emotions to be easily stirred up and our attitudes bristle so we could address the sin which lies unseen in our hearts and minds.  In 2 Samuel 12:1-7, the prophet Nathan came to David and told him a story about a rich man who stole and ate the poor man's only lamb, David was furious:  "That man should die and restore the lamb fourfold because he showed no pity!"  Nathan said, "You are the man!"  David's anger was aroused by a man's petty sin in the story when he had just committed adultery, coveted, fornicated, conspired against Uriah, and murdered that honourable, innocent man in real life.  David's sin caused him to harshly judge others, and it is the same with us.  The speck we see in the eye of others is clear evidence of a stake in our own (Matthew 7:1-5).  If we will judge ourselves faithfully according to God's Word and humbly remove the stake from our own eye in repentance, then we will see clearly to help others with their own problems with a heart filled with meekness and love.  Irritation in us can lead to restoration to God and others if we will trust and obey Him!

Neptune Still Shines

In every person is a desire for significance:  to be appreciated, needed, wanted, understood, listened to, and loved.  We have many ways of trying to quench this inner thirst, and one way we attempt this is through seeking recognition from others.  We have been working and slaving away, but no one seems to notice!  A simple "Thank you!" would be nice, right?  But the truth is, recognition and appreciation by others for a job well-done is a superficial fix which leaves our souls thirsty for more.  Even as our bodies can be dehydrated by activity without replenishing fluids, Christians can find themselves feeling empty even after Jesus promised us satisfying springs of living water by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ is the only One who can quench our thirst for love, recognition, and forgiveness.  Only Christians therefore are able to tap into this eternal source of living water and find rest for our souls.  Not only that, but through faith in Christ we discover motivation and sustenance to continue labouring joyfully without recognition or applause from people.  We must realise our lives have significance, not because of what we do, but in who God is and our relation to Him.  The Almighty God created man in His own image - think of that!  David wrote in Psalm 139:13-17, "For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. ¹⁴ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. ¹⁷ How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!"

Not only does God know us, but He has ordained good works for us to enter into (Ephesians 2:8-10).  The personal testimony of Jeremiah the prophet is relevant to us concerning our relationship to God as revealed in Jeremiah 1:4-5, "Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: ⁵ "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."  To be known by God!  God knew Jeremiah before He fashioned him and set him apart for His divine purposes.  If we knew God had called us as a prophet, there likely would be a temptation to pride and to broadcast our privilege.  I mean, how would people recognise us as a prophet and appreciate our words unless we tell them?  Well, the call of God does not mean people will recognise, appreciate, respect or accept you.  Consider the life of Jeremiah!

C.H. Spurgeon is called "the prince of preachers," and became the most famous preacher in London and became known world-wide.  He is widely quoted to this day.  Yet this was never his ambition, to be known or recognised by men as someone great.  He wrote of the planet Neptune, "Neptune had long been shining before he was discovered and named; and you and I brethren, may remain unknown for years, and possibly the world may never discover us; but I trust that our influence, like that of Neptune, will be felt and recognised, whether we are seen of men, or only shine in solitary splendour to the glory of God." (Spurgeon, C. H. Lectures to My Students: Complete & Unabridged. New ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Pub. House, 1954. 438. Print.)  God created Neptune to shine, and it had been shining a good while before anyone "discovered" it.  Seeking recognition from men is a thirst which cannot be satiated by recognition from men.  Strange, isn't it?  Solomon wrote a man who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver (Ecc. 5:10), and desiring recognition from men is the same.  Haman loved the praises of men, and when only one man in the entire kingdom did not bow to him he was filled with rage and sought to kill him.

Are you content to shine bright for God and serve Him faithfully even if you are never recognised by men?  If your relationship to God as His beloved creation and redeemed children through faith in Christ is not enough for you, the world is better off not recognising you because you are like the world - without transformation, joy, peace or contentment.  What does the scripture say concerning how we should live?  Philippians 2:3-8 reads, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. ⁴ Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. ⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."  Jesus was lifted up - not in the minds of those respected in the world - as a man despised and rejected and nailed to a cross to die.  Jesus did not count his "followers" every day on social media and was happy if the numbers were up or depressed because He had been "unfriended."  He did not care to receive recognition from men, nor did He commit Himself to men because He knew what deceit, hypocrisy, and fickleness is in man.  Our courage need not rise and fall with man's approval, for we have been accepted by God.

The people who recognise the Almighty God in Spirit and in truth are satisfied with His recognition alone.  I still need an occasional reminder!  Should I find myself disillusioned it is not because God has changed or deceived me, but at some point my focus shifted from praising my Saviour and remembering His sacrifice for me and started feeling sorry for myself.  People of faith in Christ, take to heart Hebrews 12:1-3 to avoid the pitfall of discouragement:  "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."  Having your labours or service recognised by others is no cure for discouragement, but considering the sacrifice and humility of Jesus is.  Neptune still shines, and most people don't notice and don't care.  So what?  God does, and any and all rewards which count for eternity come from Him!

If God is For Us...

Christian catchphrases can be scriptural in basis, but understanding the biblical context is important to avoid error.  Over the years I have grown increasingly thoughtful concerning "pat" answers people commonly give.  Even the worship songs we enjoy and sing are not guaranteed to be free of dubious doctrine.  Now granted, a song is not the means to fully explain theological truth.  But we must be cautious not to place an artist's rendition on level with God's revealed truth in scripture.  Unless the song IS scripture verbatim, it is not scripture - is it?

Even as songs written to praise God should not stand in isolation from scripture, neither should scripture.  God has provided the entire Bible - both the Old and New Testaments - so we might have the full counsel and wisdom of God understood by the power of the Holy Spirit.  One of the phrases I have read and sang many times for good reason is found in Romans 8:31:  "If God is for us, who can be against us?"  This is a true statement written to Christian believers in Rome.  The purpose of Paul writing this was not to promote a self-empowering theme, but to exhort Christians to actively rely upon Jesus Christ for everything.  They didn't have to live in fear of being judged, persecuted, or even death, for God was on their side.

And so it is with Christians today.  One could say God is in a sense "for" sinners because He sent Jesus to die on our behalf when we were enemies of God dead in sins.  He loves all people and is not willing any should perish.  But don't miss the "if" at the beginning of the sentence in Romans 8:31.  This is a conditional statement not focused on the unchanging character of God but upon our obedience.  God is not "for" us on the basis of our theology or beliefs, but when we live "for" Him.  God is for us as long as we are for Him.  Many times in scripture God told His own chosen people He was against them because they rebelled and lived contrary to Him.  This may be a surprise to you if your understanding of God only comes from songs sung in church.

From the Bible we learn disobedience kindled God's wrath against His people (Deut. 7:4).  The prophet Samuel bluntly told the people in 1 Samuel 12:14-15, "If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the LORD your God. ¹⁵ However, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it was against your fathers."  God said the same thing of nations in Jeremiah 18:7-11:  "The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, ⁸ if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. ⁹ And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, ¹⁰ if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it. ¹¹ Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I am fashioning a disaster and devising a plan against you. Return now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good."  And again in Ezekiel 13:8, "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you," says the Lord GOD."

I figure there will be some who say, "That's all fine and good to use Old Testament examples, but we are under the new covenant of God's grace."  Romans 15:4 affirms it is perfectly legitimate to use Old Testament examples God included especially for our learning:  "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."  Also, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He does not change (Malachi 3:6)!  When Jesus instituted the new covenant, He established a higher standard than that of the Law - which no one can keep!  Jesus prefaced many statements in the Sermon on the Mount with, "You have heard it said, but I say unto you..."  God highly values faith, repentance, and obedience in both the Old and New Testament.  It is by grace we have been saved, yet we are called to abide in Christ's love through obeying Him!  Jesus said in John 15:10, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."  We can only meet God's conditions for salvation by being born again by grace through faith in Christ, and we are called to obediently follow Christ and His example of obedience to the Father.

"If God is for us, who can be against us?"  Truer words were never spoken.  If God is for us, no one can be against us, and nothing can separate us from His love through Christ.  We are each called to examine our hearts and lives to ensure we are living for God.  Don't assume God is "for" you when you are living a life in opposition to Him.  Those whom He loves He chastens, and we are commanded not to despise this expression of His gracious love.  Take comfort in God's Word, for none who come to Christ will He cast out (John 6:37)!

The Comforts of Clean

This guest post has been contributed by my sister-in-law and sister-in-Christ, Jena Grisez.  The message of our need to be transparent and connected through relationship with fellow Christians resonates in me strongly.  In our western culture deeply steeped in individualism and self-sufficiency, there is a risk Christians can be influenced to worship the idol of privacy instead of exercising faith in God by allowing others to share our private lives.  Enjoy!

I hate cleaning. I guess it would be more appropriate to say, “I hate scrubbing.” I like vacuuming, laundry, dishes, etc., but I can’t stand showers and wood floors. My cycle goes like this:  showers need scrubbing and I begin to notice, then the mold starts growing and I start to consider cleaning them. At some point it’s so disgusting and I’ve put it off for so long, that I begin to fear for our health and I clean them. Because I’ve let it go so long, it’s an hour long deal and I vow to wait as long as possible before I ever do it again. Windows shut me down entirely. Ours have what I call "a natural tint" to them. Others call it dirt. Here’s the thing:  I like picking up and I’m a minimalist, so on a daily basis “stuff” isn’t everywhere. Counters are clear and wiped down, beds are made every morning, and the floors are clear of debris. Generally, I’d say we live in an up-kept house...that is until company comes over.

As soon as someone comes over, all I see is filth. I open the microwave and realize they are looking at the same splattered mess I am. I never noticed that! I guard entry to my master bathroom like it’s storing Ebola. I surreptitiously stand in the way of eye shot when I open the stove. I’ve lived here twelve years and have never once cleaned it! All of a sudden, my safe haven stands in condemnation of me. How do I live so comfortably in such grossness? I’ll tell you how:  I don’t invite guests in.

I think we live our entire lives this way. The obvious is well put together for those around us, but do not pry deeper. We are totally comfortable living in sin as long as no one sees it. I heard a pastor tell a story of a man struggling with sexual sin. He went to the pastor and asked for a counseling session. He expressed how powerless and overwhelmed he felt. The pastor told him to write down every thought he had over the next two weeks pertaining to the subject and the two of them would get together and go over it. Two weeks later the man came to the pastor’s office grinning ear to ear. He sat down and said, “I have nothing to tell you! Not one thought.” “Really?” said the pastor. “What happened?” “Well, I didn’t want to have to tell you anything!”

The point:  we need each other. We need to let a few trustworthy people get right up in our business. If we can't let them see our “dirty bathrooms,” I think we would clean them. Our church family is a powerful tool. Satan knows that, which is why he loves secrets and dark corners. We can do more together than we could ever do alone. Why do you think Jesus so strongly emphasized to love one another and to keep unity? Why do you think Satan works so hard to break us apart? We can be a safe place for one another, bearing one another's burdens in a spirit of love and truth. How beautiful is that? Let’s bring our sin and weakness to the light. We will all be better for it.  (Jena Grisez)