“God uses broken people.”

If you are a Christian you often hear this phrase. It is not a phrase that usually catches my attention. My response is usually something on the line of……..ok…..so….. next.

This week I am reading the writings of David in Psalms. David repeatedly thanks God for blessings, recaps his triumphs, and calls death and damnation down on his enemies.

God repeatedly rescues David, promotes his interests, and blesses him. God uses David to build Israel.

But…….David is the “poster child” for the “broken man”.

We meet King David on a fine spring day in his palace…….where he is a coward, voyeur, adulterer, liar and, ultimately, a murderer. In a few introductory paragraphs, he violates about half of the ten commandments. Later, he occasionally shows mercy to Saul, but, on balance David really isn’t a very nice guy.

There are many others:

Adam was disobedient.

Jacob was a liar and a cheat.

Noah was a drunk.

Rahab was a prostitute.

Solomon was promiscuous.

Judah had sex with his daughter in law.

Peter denied Jesus.

Judas betrayed Jesus.

I could go on.

We look at these people…….and we say, “OK, I may mess up from time to time……but I never did that!”

The first simple fact is this:

God uses broken people because he has no choice…….we are all broken. We shop around til we find somebody more broken than we are. We pat ourselves on the back and say I’m OK…….because I’m better than Joe.

But the second simple fact is this:

On God’s scale of righteousness, there is no meaningful difference between me and David……or Rahab……or Judas…….or Hitler.

How do we deal with this?

First, we have to stop patting ourselves on the back…..we have to stop putting confidence in our own righteousness……….because it isn’t enough…..not by a long shot. We must come to grips with the reality that we are a mess. We are not able to undo the wrongs that we have done, and only God can fix us. We must humble ourselves.

Second, we must open ourselves to the thought of being used…….by God. There is no stain on my character that is so bad that God cannot use me……..or you. Time and again, in the Bible, God approaches a broken man, or woman, with a job to do………..and the broken man says, “Here I am……send me”.

My challenge for all of us is that we must first humble ourselves and then allow ourselves to be used by God.

I have a mallet in my woodshop. It is decades old. It has pounded on tens of thousands boards and tools. It is covered with grime and dried glue. It is chipped and gouged. By any measure, it is an ugly mess. But I use it every day to create beautiful things. If I lost it, I would miss it desperately, glue, gouges, and all.

I hope to someday become such an ugly broken tool in God’s hand.

You can too.

All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

David, NIV

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Isaiah, NIV

Seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it?

In the Bible, we see a lot of Jesus. We see some of the holy spirit. And we see a bit of God in the old testament.

We see evidence of some of God’s character. He embodies justice and mercy.

We see evidence of his love for us. We see evidence of his patience…….especially when we mess up.

But, who is God?

When asked his identity, his name, God has a two word answer.

I am.

A good name identifies someone, a better name tells us a little about them, a great name tells us the central, dominant feature of their character.

I think that God chose his name very carefully. I believe that the most important thing that you can know about God……….is his name.

I am.

In my reading of the Bible, I have, for years skimmed past this point. It always seemed a little odd, a little arcane. And yet, I am coming to understand that this is the most important statement in the Bible…….the most important fact in all of Christianity……….the most important idea in all of creation.

I am.

In point of fact, this name…….these two words……these three letters……..divides humanity into two completely separate and mutually exclusive camps. It divides humanity into two separate and mutually exclusive destinies.

I am……..versus……..God is not.

The entire old testament fleshes out…..I am. The new testament adds a flourish………you are pardonned…..if you accept……I am. The entire point of the Bible is to explain………I am…….to build a bond between I am……..and you.

Secular humanism/Darwin fleshes out……..God is not. Thousands upon thousands of theories, based on observations, layered on more theories attempt to explain why we are here. But, the central tenet, the one rule that overrides all of secular humanism/Darwin……..is this:

THERE IS NO GOD.

Any explanation that includes God, any theory that includes God, is rejected out of hand…….is not even investigated.

In a word……..in the world of secular humanism……….God is simply against the rules.

Some try to split the difference……..to believe in both God and secular humanism/Darwin. This is dishonest and maybe even a bit cowardly. I know, because I tried to do it for decades. I finally realized that the mental gymnastics that this requires is extreme.

The hard truth is this. The choice is binary……..God either is or he isn’t. There is no middle ground. You must chose……..one camp or the other………one destiny or the other. And, like it or not……..ignoring the question, as many of us do……is to decide by default………that God is not.

So, back to the question.

The answer to the question “Who is God?” is in his name.

I am.

God is. This is the most important thing that you need to know in your life……..in this world.

And this answer comes from God himself.

God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

God, NIV

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus, NIV

“before Abraham was born, I am!”

Jesus, NIV

To begin with, I don’t claim to be a Bible scholar. So….I’m on thin ice here. Take this for what it’s worth.

My daily reading this week includes Job. I have often thought that this book is the “wordiest” book in the Bible. The writer uses an enormous amount of florid language and repetition. So much so that my eyes tend to glaze over and I miss the key points. Moreover, the writer never seems to get around to answering my central question………Why so much suffering?

So…….the object today is to cook Job down to the essentials.

The book of Job……..abridged:

God – Job is blameless and upright.
Satan – Only because you have blessed him.
God – OK……then test him.

and Satan did.

Job’s wife – curse God and die.
Elephaz – God is good, you aren’t, do better and he’ll fix it.
Bildad – you are a worm, if you are good, God will fix it.
Zophar – you are a sinful fool.
Elihu – you are a wicked, rebellious fool.

God – your friends are the fools.
Job – my “friends” are no help.

Job – This is so unfair. God doesn’t seem to be paying attention. I know I will someday see God…….though right now I can’t find him.

God – you don’t have a clue as to what I’m up to. How can you know justice?

Job – Only God has wisdom…. the closest I can get is to fear God and shun evil.

Job – I’m sorry Lord……. you are sovereign.

And then God fixed everything.

And he never did say why.

The End

So…..the moral of the book of Job is this:

A sovereign God doesn’t owe us an explanation. We can’t expect to understand what he is doing.

And most important of all…….. we don’t get to pass judgment on what God does or doesn’t do.

WE DONT GET TO PASS JUDGEMENT ON GOD.

Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.

David, NIV

All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: “What have you done?”

Nebuchadnezzar, after his period of insanity, NIV

But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

Paul, NIV

Spoiler Alert……. I’m going to tell you how the movie ends.

This is arguably Clint Eastwood’s best movie…..by far.

If you’ve never seen it, stop…….watch it and then return to this post.

Gran Torino, at its heart, is the story of the battle between good and evil. It is the story of the battle between God and Satan and it addresses a common idea held by Christians that I think we need to explore.

Who is more powerful?

Who is in charge?

God or Satan.

Just how powerful is Satan.

First off, let me be clear…..God is more powerful…..God is in charge. But…….many Christians act as though they believe Satan is far more powerful than he actually is.

Satan is the incarnation of evil. He is evil…… with an agenda. His work is not random, he pursues a carefully planned long range goal. But, the limits of his power are clearly defined. Satan can only go as far as God allows. This in most evident in the conversations between God and Satan in the beginning of the book of Job. Satan can only harm Job to the extent that God allows. Satan clearly has some autonomy……but………he operates on a leash. And that leash is firmly in God’s hand. Sometimes, it seems that the leash is very long……..but it is there.

Bad things happen…….every day.

Evil unfolds……..every day.

Satan acts……..every day……..but only within the limits that God has imposed on him.

Christians tend to blame every bad thing in our world on Satan……and no doubt he is behind a lot of it. But, I think we tend to give him far too much credit. Remember, he is limited…..by God. He can only go as far as God allows.

Think of the battle between good and evil as a chess game between God and Satan. God advances his queen……Satan takes the queen, kills her. This is a huge tactical win for Satan, it shows his power, he gains points, God is severely weakened. The odds makers in Vegas shift their money to bet on Satan. It looks like Satan has the situation in hand. But, 20 moves later, God advances a pawn, leans forward……..and says check. Satan loses. Mate.

Here is the point.

The disastrous loss of God’s queen, it turns out, was not an indication of Satan’s skill or strength. It doesn’t mean that Satan is a better chess player. It was all a part of God’s plan. The crucifixion of Christ was not an indication of Satan’s power……it was part of God’s plan.

Many of the disastrous things that happen in our world are not due to Satan masterfully executing his plan……they are God working things through.

Back to Gran Torino.

A truly evil street gang relentlessly attacks an immigrant family. The hero has a plan……he knows that the gang doesn’t stand a chance against him. The hero sets it up so that the gang kills him…..in front of dozens of witnesses……just as the police arrive. The death of the hero, it turns out, does not prove the mastery of the gang. It is a win for the hero. His death, on the surface, looks like a disaster. But, in fact, it is the hero working through his plan. His death is the key to the destruction of the gang. Just as Christ’s death is the key to the destruction of sin……and, ultimately, the destruction of Satan.

So……..when disaster strikes……be patient. Remember, God is sovereign. Remember that he is working out a plan…..a plan for your good……..because he loves you and cares for you…….even if you can’t see it.

Remember………Satan doesn’t stand a chance.

The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he(Job) has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger .” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

God allowing but limiting Satan’s first attack on Job, NIV

The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, he(Job) is in your hands; but you must spare his life .” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

God allowing but limiting Satan’s second attack, NIV

I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.

God, NIV

Sounds like a contradiction doesn’t it.

How can evil be necessary?

And what is evil anyway?

It turns out that evil is anything that I really don’t like.

The Bible is full of episodes where something evil happens……a righteous person suffers a grevous wrong. And then as everything unfolds, it becomes clear that the bad thing was a necessary prerequisite for a subsequent triumph. The bad thing was merely a single link in a long chain of events that turned out well.

Sometimes, a good ending cannot occur without a bad precursor.

Joseph was sold into slavery………Israel was saved from starvation.

Esther was orphaned, adopted, and forced into a king’s harem……she becomes queen and saves the Jewish people from genocide.

Ruth’s husband and father die and she was left destitute and probably homeless. She marries Boaz and becomes a link in a family tree that leads to Jesus.

The states of Israel and Judah were destroyed and the Jewish people are dispersed……first by Assyria, then Babylon, and finally by Rome…………this spreads monotheism and effectively ends polytheism in Europe.

Paul was imprisoned……….his prison letters comprise much of the new testament.

Jesus was brutally crucified…….we are freed from sin.

Adam and Eve ate the apple and were thrown out of Eden…….humanity acquired free will. From that point on, our relationship with God is a conscious choice, not just a part of the landscape. In the ultimate manifestation of free will, we become active seekers of God…….not simple, naive, passive bystanders. Instead of being forced or defined into a relationship with God……..we choose it. For believers, this is a far richer relationship than what went on before.

In each of these cases, the horribly evil thing that happened was not just an interesting event in the story, it was an essential prerequisite to the final triumph.

I keep hearing about how God uses bad things for good purposes. But, I can’t help but wonder if these bad events were necessary steps in God’s long term strategy……..from the very beginning. It is hard to believe that Satan pulled off the crucifixion of Christ…….that Satan killed God……..all on his own.

Either Satan gives us lemons…….and God makes lemonade.

Or

God made lemons so that someday he could give us refreshment.

From our side, the distinction doesn’t matter. The moral is that we must be patient. We must trust God…….and his promise.

He will make things right…….in the end.

He always has…….and he always will.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Paul, NIV

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah, NIV

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Joseph, NIV

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Jesus, NIV

“Sir, you attract more skinheads than free Rogaine. You have more people marching against you than cancer. You talk like a sign-language gorilla that got hit in the head. In fact, the only thing your mouth is good for is being Vladimir Putin’s c–k holster.”

Steven Colbert
addressing Donald Trump

“This whole thing about not kicking someone when they are down is b.s. Not only do you kick him—you kick him until he passes out—then beat him over the head with a baseball bat—then roll him up in an old rug—and throw him off a cliff into the pounding surf below!!!!!”

Michael Scanlon, aide to Rep. Tom DeLay
referring to Bill Clinton

I heard a recent study on NPR. It said that the way to make money in today’s media is to get more people to “follow” you……… to get more “clicks”. More clicks leads to more advertising income and this grows your paycheck. It went on to say that, by far, the most effective way to get more “clicks” is to choose a person or group of people, identify them as “others” and then attack them relentlessly.

You don’t have to spend too much time watching the media……..the people whom we once called journalists……and our politicians……. the people we once called our leaders……..to realize that this has become the “business plan” of the big names in our culture…..the talking heads who dominate our media……. and our politics. They earn their living by creating discord among us. The more divisive they are……..the more divided we become……….and the bigger their paycheck and/or their campaign fund becomes.

Is it any wonder that we are at each other’s throats?

The discord in our society is not an accident. It is intentional. And it is driven by money…….and the desire for power. I recently heard this described as
“the hate/industrial complex”.

It turns out that hate……….is a thriving business. It has become a multibillion dollar industry. And if you watch many of the shows on Fox and CNN, you are feeding it. If you despise Trump……or Pelosi……then you are a supporter of the “hate/industrial complex”……….and, unfortunately, you are also its victim.

But

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Christianity tells us of another path. The very heart of this path is not hatred…….but love.

So……..the next time some representative of the “hate/ industrial complex” launches into an attack on some “other” person or institution……….just remember that your creator asks……no……demands that you love them……..both of them.

We must learn to practice disagreement without adding contempt. We must argue against the idea without attacking the person.

You must decide whom you want to follow:

Colbert, Scanlon, or God.

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

Jesus, NIV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus, NIV

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”

John, NIV

“Practice warm-heartedness”

The Dalai Lama, when asked how to deal with contempt.

I am reading a book:

“Love Your Enemies: How decent people can save America from the culture of contempt”

    by Arthur Brooks

I recommend it.

We all experience loneliness.

It can be brief or it can seem endless. In either case, I think that it is hard to be lonely and happy at the same time.

Loneliness and happiness are mutually exclusive.

I believe that God wants us to be happy……..joyfull. In fact, I would go so far as to say that happiness is our natural state. I have heard it said that joy………happiness…….is the surest sign of the presence of God. Happiness will be a central feature of paradise. Joy is our natural response to God.

I believe that our deep abiding desire for happiness is a reflection of God’s heart.

If happiness is what God wants for us, then I have to believe that loneliness is not part of God’s plan.

We were clearly created for relationship. If you ask 100 people who are near the end of their lives what the was worst thing that ever happened to them, the answer will usually be the loss of a relationship.

The Bible can be summed up in one sentence:

Love God and love your neighbor.

To rephrase: nurture relationships with God and your fellow man.

If we steadfastly work toward those two goals, we will be happy rather than lonely.

I have often said that the only route to true lasting happiness is to love and care for others. But, it is difficult to will ourselves to love someone. It is much easier to care for their needs. And one of their needs…….just like you…….is relationship. Care for the needs of those around you and love will grow……. relationships will grow……… happiness will grow.

So……….the fix is to care for others. Build relationships, and you will find happiness. Build your relationship with those around you……build your relationship with your creator.

And, it turns out, that is also the fix for loneliness.

I wish that I could say that I am good at this……. unfortunately, I am not.

Something to work on…………today.

But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 

Moses, NIV

God sets the lonely in families

David, NIV

Sounds pretty straightforward. And yet I see people and institutions fail at this simple task over and over.

So….what are the steps to solving a problem?

Have a good hard honest look at the truth of the situation. Forget about your appetites. Forget about your politics. Forget about what will get you ahead. Forget about what you want. Forget everything that the “talking heads” have told you. Focus on the truth. This will be hard work, because there is a lot of bad data out there…….and almost every source has an element of bias and manipulation. No matter how absurd an idea that appeals to you is, you can find a dozen “experts” on the web who will tell you that you are right. Apply this test…….if it doesn’t line up with the command to love God and to love your neighbor…….throw it out.

Accurately identify the problem. Don’t get distracted by the most immediate symptom. Dig down to the root cause. For example: the problem of climate change………no………it’s not “greenhouse gases”………..the root problem is overpopulation. Trying to solve climate change by attacking CO² is like trying to cure your brain tumor by taking aspirin for the headache.

Tease out the part of the problem that you can affect…….the part of the situation that you can change. Don’t waste your time coming up with changes that somebody else should make. As a general rule……..other people don’t change…….but you can. Stop yelling at the other guy and quietly change your own behavior.Do something concrete to fix the part of the problem that you can affect. Don’t waste your time whining about the other guy and his failures.

So……. what is wrong with our world?

If you dig down through the symptoms to the root cause, you will find that the problem is us……. every last one of us. The problem is that we keep doing things that are wrong…… some of us more than others……but all of us, nonetheless. This is sin. And don’t kid yourself…… we do it every day.

So…… what is sin?

Sin is anything that separates us from our creator. Sin is any act or thought or belief that violates rules number one and two…… love God……love your neighbor. Sin destroys us by defeating the only reason for our existence…..loving.

SIN DESTROYS US………BY DEFEATING THE ONLY REASON FOR OUR EXISTENCE…….LOVING.

So……..how do we fix our world?

Stop complaining about the other guy. Stop being angry at “them”……whoever “they” are for you today.

Find someone today and show them your love in a concrete way. Start in your family but then move on to strangers. Then start cleaning up the parts of your life where love is missing.

That’s all.

Then get up tomorrow and do it again.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

Paul, NIV

We love because he first loved us.

John, NIV

Authority:

the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.
“he had absolute authority over his subordinates”

Oxford English Dictionary

Authority is an interesting idea. It has two levels. The first and most immediate is the power that it gives to the person bearing it. Behind this power, however, is another level. All authority is bestowed. It is delegated to the person who has it by a higher source. And that higher source is the true center of power. The higher power must be legitimate. It must be true. Any authority that we encounter in our lives, ultimately, is a reflection of this higher source of power. Unless you are this legitimate, true higher power, you cannot create your own authority.

The truth about authority:

Authority must be given to you.

Authority must originate from a true, legitimate source of power. This higher power may be many steps removed, but all authority passes down through a chain of command.

There can be only one true, legitimate, ultimate source of authority. Anyone who claims authority is either acting on behalf of the legitimate higher power………or is an imposter who has created his own authority………or is acting on behalf of an imposter who has created his own authority.

Real authority is permanent.

Real authority never changes.

We all exercise some degree of authority. You may have authority over an army of millions. Your authority may be limited to your Labrador retriever. In either event, if you are honest, you need to know where your authority ultimately comes from. More to the point……you need to know if the source of your authority is legitimate.

For the Christian, this is simple. The ultimate and only legitimate source of authority is the God of the Bible……the God who teaches us to love him and to love one another.

For the secular humanist it is far more problematic. In practice, the secular humanist relies on multiple sources of authority. They are often in conflict. They change frequently. The authority that was preeminent when you were a child is no longer on your radar. The authority that told us that the earth is flat and is the center of the universe has been replaced by NASA. There is a darker side too. We are very good at choosing an authority that endorses the things that we want to do…….. the things that satisfy our current appetites.

Possible sources of secular authority:

Science
Our political party
Fox news
CNN
Donald Trump
Nancy Pelosi
Our appetites

So…….my challenge for this week is this:

Make an honest search for the source…..or sources……of your authority.

Then ask the fundamental question…….is the source of my authority legitimate…….is it true?

Because, in the end, this will determine if your authority, if your life, is legitimate.

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

Mathew, NIV

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Jesus, NIV

You don’t hear much about humility in our modern culture. When was the last time you heard somebody recommend that we should be more humble?

Name one media personality, one leader, one captain of industry who is truly, comprehensively humble.

And yet the Bible repeatedly mentions being humble as a key trait of the mature Christian.

Humility is a growth goal that I have struggled with for my entire life.

So what is humility?

First of all, humility has very little to do with your strengths and weaknesses. We all have strengthens. We all have weaknesses. We all have a pretty good idea of what they are. Humility is not about saying that you are not smart when you are. It is not about saying that you are weak when you are strong.

At its core, humility is about recognizing your place in the hierarchy of the universe.

As a group, secular humanists see mankind as the top of the pyramid. For the secular humanist, there is no being above man. The secular humanists, as a whole, answer to no one. They are the final arbiter of right and wrong. They are the final arbiter of truth. The secular humanist can be wrong; but, only by violating the rules and principles that they themselves have created.

The creationist sees man as a being on a plane that is not the top plane. The creationist concedes that there is a cosmic plane that is completely superior to our world in every way. The creationist allows that there is a being who is completely superior to us in every way. This being, the creator, is the only arbiter of right and wrong……..the only arbiter of truth. A creationist, if he or she is being honest………and an great many Christians are not, must use the creator’s definition of right, wrong and truth. So a creationist, must seek out, study, and follow the moral code of the creator. This is very hard.

It is not hard because we can’t find the code……..it is there in plain sight…… Love the creator…… Love your neighbor. It is hard because we resist the idea of not being in charge. We hate the idea that someone else gets to make the rules. We hate the idea that someone else tells us what we can and cannot do.

And there is the great irony.

In our hearts, Christians really want to be secular humanists. In fact, many…….perhaps most…….Christians are functional secular humanists.

The great challenge for Christians is to be humble. Humble enough to submit to the leadership of our creator.

The bad news is that we just are not very good at humility.

The good news is that humility is connected to one of God’s great promises……..a promise that we desperately need in America today:

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

God, NIV