The Lord Is... Psalm 103 - Forgiving

“I can never forgive him for that,” was her comment in our very first meeting. To which I replied, “Then I think we’re done here because if forgiveness is off the table, there’s absolutely no hope for your marriage, or any of the rest of us for that matter. You see, we don’t forgive because the other person is worthy of forgiveness, we forgive because we have been forgiven.” She finally stopped pacing around, sat down and asked, “So what do we need to do?” I said, “I’m glad you asked, now we can make some progress.” The counseling sessions with that couple over 20 years ago took a much different turn when forgiveness was back on the table. I explained to them that, in a healthy, Godly marriage, there is a give and give relationship where we both give everything and both take nothing, and because we are both going to fail at that, we both have to stand ready to forgive each other.

This month we are going to be breaking down the 103rd Psalm, a spiritually rich chapter that speaks to the characteristics and to the nature of who The Lord is and, consequently, what is offered to those who are in relationship with Him through His Son Jesus. Many, for example, would see Jesus as the forgiver and God the Father as the judge and, while that’s not technically inaccurate, it certainly doesn’t tell the whole story. You see, the Son bears the nature and characteristics of the Father and Jesus Himself said, “I and the Father are One.” So forgiveness didn’t start at the cross, it goes all the way back to the garden and I for one am grateful that, upon seeing the failure and fall of Adam & Eve, God didn’t say, “I can never forgive them for that.”

“Wokeness” and the American Church - Suit Up & Stand Up

Let me start by saying that this is not a piece on men’s fashion, just an opinion that I am not a fan of the current design of the typical men’s suit. The so-called “European” cut that has found its way into the vast majority of men’s suits looks like something that might become a suit when it grows up a bit. The “fitted” cut, as they call it, looks 2 sizes too small, the pant legs are too skinny and a buttoned suit coat should never reveal a man’s belt.

Now that I’ve got that out of my system, let me tell you about my very first suit, or at least the first one that I picked out for myself. You see it was almost Easter and I also had my very first school dance coming up soon, the seventh grade Spring Formal, and I wanted to look like something other than my previous Buster Brown self. My mom drove us downtown to Watson’s on the Mall and we looked around there to see what they had and not finding anything that caught my eye, decided to walk over to JCPenny’s and check out their selection. We got off the escalator, turned the corner and there it was on the mannequin, a navy blue, pin-striped, worsted wool suit that might as well have had my name sewn into it. I know we’ve all heard the saying that the right clothes make the man and that, quite frankly is a bunch of hooey, but that suit did make me feel like a better version of myself back then.

There’s a suit mentioned in the Bible that turns you into the most protected, most effective version of yourself, if and when we will actually take the initiative to put it on every day. Plus, if there was ever a time in history that we need to be dressed for success in the battle over the soul of America, it’s now.

“Wokeness” and the American Church - To the Glory of God

I’m a strong proponent of team sports. I grew up playing team sports and aside from the fun and camaraderie I enjoyed, they teach some valuable life lessons, not the least of which is that life is not all about you. Also, we can accomplish more together in tandem with others than we can on our own and the losses and burdens in life are easier to take when they are shared. That’s why, wins and losses aside, I am impressed with this first edition of a Josh Heupel coached Tennessee football team. Whether at a postgame presser or a one on one interview with a reporter, when that player is asked about their specific accomplishments in the game they will always deflect the attention away from themselves during their response, in deference to the team. That happens for one of two reasons; either they’ve had it drilled into their heads during training of how to deal with the media to talk only about the team; or they have been lead to believe that it really is about the team, that they are playing not for themselves or even as much for the university or the power T on the side of their helmets as much as they are for each other. Believe me, in the “selfie,” everybody-look-at-me culture that we live in and that these kids have been growing up in, that’s a rare occurence. It’s amazing what can happen when no one cares who gets the credit... who gets the glory.

Speaking of glory and how to navigate the “You are going to see me and cater to me whether you like it or not” attitude of Wokeness in our culture, understanding where, or to whom, the glory needs to be directed is pivotal. It’s not popular and certainly not politically correct, among the pagans, to even acknowledge, much less glorify the Lord but that’s exactly what we are called to do and perhaps one of the most effective remedies to the “Me” crowd.

Stuck - In Cynicism

I think it’s amusing how many comedians regularly traffic in cynicism and how funny we, as the audience, find that to be. Name about any current or past comedian and I can assure you that a healthy amount of their act is getting us to laugh, either at their own misfortune or the misfortune of others. We’ve probably all laughed at the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, with that whining delivery of his, talking about his own cynical spin on the ordinary or the mundane, or that of Jay Leno as he milks the missteps of another celebrity or politician. In fact, if TV sitcoms have taught us anything, it’s that it’s okay, even expected to make fun of someone else’s mistakes. I suppose that style of cynicism can cause us to not take our failures so seriously and hopefully bounce back from them a little more quickly because of it. However, it can also cause us to see the world around us through a jaded lens that leads us to lower the expectations we have for others, as well as ignore our own failures instead of correcting them. So am I urging you to no longer enjoy the cynical humor of your favorite comedian or television sitcom? No, but I am asking you to consider the effect of a nonstop parade of cynicism that finds it way into our homes as well as our heads and ask yourself, “Is that who and what I’ve grown into?”

As a bonafide skeptic myself that questions a lot of what I hear based on who or where it’s sourced, I’m prone to tiptoe around cynicism myself and I must admit, I don’t like it. That’s not the man I want to be. So how do we correct that thinking? How do we get beyond the cynicism and the negativity that grows out of it? As He always does, God has a way and the scripture is the roadmap that points us there.

Stuck - In Obsession

I watched a documentary recently on Jim Jones, the pastor turned cult leader who would regularly beat and abuse his church/cult members for their “unfaithfulness to the cause.” If that phrasing sounds familiar, it’s because it was used by the likes of Karl Marx, author of the Communist Manifesto, and by Adolf Hitler, the German dictator in the 1930s and 40s. In fact Jones studied those two fervently before deciding that ministry would provide him the best platform for manipulation, brain-washing and ultimate control. His story, and that of his cult, ends in the massive murder-suicide of his followers and of himself at the People’s Temple in Guyana in 1978. Similar to Hitler, what was the constant throughout Jones’ life was this pattern of obsessive behavior, from bullying his schoolmates on the school yard to stabbing small animals to death and then preaching their funeral/burial services as a child. Also similar to Hitler was his growing up in a home with an abusive (and all abuse is obsessive) father. It’s no surprise then that Jones would grow up to be a controlling, manipulative, obsessive man, regardless of the career path he would choose.

Obsession doesn’t have to look like a Jim Jones though. In fact, it can look very “normal” on the surface, all the while churning underneath as someone who battles with perfectionism, abuse, addiction, or even depression. Obsessive tendencies can be the by-products of what we experienced in the homes we grew up in, brought on by a set of circumstances, or even triggered by failure or loss of some kind. Regardless of what brings them about, left unchecked, they can lead us into some unhealthy, even dangerous places. We wonder how we got there and feel Stuck.

Stuck - In Doubt

The two heavyweight fighters had faced each other twice before with one going to Ali and one going to Frazier. Now it was time to settle things once and for all in what was being billed as “The Thrilla in Manila.” The event in 1975 was being covered by sports writers and media from everywhere and was being televised live around the world. A reporter asked Muhammad Ali, after his victory over Joe Frazier by technical knock-out why he was so confident going into this fight after Frazier had defeated him earlier. Ali responded that he always and only envisions victory as he trains for and enters a fight. The reporter follows up by asking, “So there was never any possibility of doubt in your mind?” “Never,” Ali responded, “because doubt will get you killed.”

Though it’s seldom immediate, doubt is definitely a killer. You see, it has a way of slowly creeping its way into our lives over time and eventually causes many of us to get ourselves Stuck - In Doubt. Whether it’s the lack of a miraculous recovery from some form of sickness or the urge to by that scratch-off lottery ticket on the way home from work as the supernatural answer to the overwhelming debt that we have gotten ourselves into, many of us are looking for a way out or a way around. When that doesn’t occur, our enemy will be faithful to ask us daily, “Where is your God?” Over time, our inability to answer him to our satisfaction leaves room for doubt to find its way in and doubt, as it’s designed to do, paralyses us, even to the point of questioning our own salvation.

Stuck - In Denial

Well it’s finally game day here on Rocky Top and it never ceases to amaze me as I listen to sports-talk radio and hear the fans call in to make predictions about the season and how many games the Vols will win. Some are realistic in their prognostications taking into consideration that there is a new coaching staff with systems, terminology, and game management style that are all new and thus unproven. Occasionally though there’s that one caller... you know the one I’m talking about. His call starts with something like, “Hey guys, I know this is probably going to sound a little crazy to some, but I see us with 10 wins this season. I don’t think the players wanted to play for Jeremy Pruitt and I believe that has all changed. I think these guys have bought in to the approach this new staff is taking and that we are really going to see a turn around this year. Whudda y’all think?” And all that from a guy that has, in all likelihood, never strapped on a helmet and played a down of football in his life. But he’s got the scoop and all the rest of you are going to see what he’s talking about when everything is said and done.

Well, I know hope springs eternal and all, but that dude is living in denial. I get it. I’m an optimist myself but reality and truth are standing there staring me in the face whether I refuse to acknowledge them or not. Many have chosen denial as a lifestyle despite the bank turning them down for a loan because of how deeply in debt they already are, or the doctor’s warning that diabetes is around the next corner if they don’t lose some weight, or the teacher telling them that their kids are headed for trouble if they don’t find some new friends. Denial is real, especially in this culture, but it is still a choice we make nonetheless.

Stuck - In Fear

Everybody’s afraid of something right? Many are afraid of public speaking, some are afraid of spiders, some are afraid of snakes, some of a dreaded sickness like cancer or heart disease, others of running into someone we have wronged or that has wronged us. The fears that people have can honestly be all over the map. Here’s one though that is seldom acknowledged, perhaps seldom thought about, but is there nonetheless, and it’s the fear of an unknown future. Why do I say that? Because many live the entirety of their adult existence with contingencies in place for about every “what if” scenario that runs through their minds as it relates to their families, their jobs, their relationships, their money, and yes their future, because all those things are tied together. How do I know that to be true? Well, a good starting place is how many seemingly healthy people can’t get a good night’s sleep, have high blood pressure, or are taking anti-anxiety meds for stress. While I know this isn’t true in every case, in many cases those things are the by-products of a bunch of “what ifs” stacking up in our lives to the point that they are effecting our mental and physical health. And, whether to a major or minor degree, those “what ifs” have grown out of some level of fear that we have about an unknown future. None of us have planned for that to happen but we all have an enemy that has. You see, he would far rather have us focused on our fears, great or small, than on the One that has said dozens of time in scripture, “Fear Not.”

Stuck - In the Known

About 40 years ago I decided to convert a 2 car garage behind my house into studio space for band rehearsal and eventual recording use. So, I took down the garage door, framed and formed the opening to pour a concrete floor over the gravel base. Figuring that putting down a moisture barrier of plastic wasn’t all that important, I decided to skip that step in order to save a little money. Besides, I hadn’t noticed any water problems with just the gravel in that garage, even after heavy rains and even though a small portion of it was below grade (below ground level). So I ordered the concrete to be delivered, made myself a concrete float out of a piece of 1” by 8” wood and a long 2” by 4” to finish it with. Having never done any concrete work before, I was pretty pleased with how it turned out, not a super slick finish on it but hey, I was going to cover it with carpet padding and commercial carpet anyway. You’ve probably already figured out the rest of the story. Yes, I had moisture and occasional mildew problems out of that room for as long as we lived there. I didn’t think 25 dollars worth of heavy plastic film would make that much of a difference but boy was I wrong. In short, I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and what I did know wasn’t adequate for the job.

A lot of folks do life in that place, in the known. They know what they know and that’s as far as they want to venture, in large part because the known is comfortable, it’s predictable, and in many cases manageable. It may not be the life I dreamed of but it’s the life I know. Consequently we often settle for less than what God has planned for us, and over time learn to live in the “safe” place all the while wondering “what if.”