Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you. Hosea 10:12
Recently, members of the Christian community in the Seattle area have been shaken by revelations of Christ-followers making tragic choices. Most recently came news…the kind of news that weighs heavy as you shut your eyes in sleep and is still there in the morning before you get out of bed…that a pastor, husband, and father of young children, took his life. It’s a reality unbelievably difficult to process. Of course, as you dig into the story just a little bit, you begin to see just how a lover of Christ could choose such a destructive path: three military tours, childhood abuse, recently diagnosed PTSD. But understanding such factors makes it no less painful, shocking, saddening. A second recent event which sent shockwaves through the Christian community was the decision by a couple of young people, from Christian homes, to embrace a lifestyle clearly contrary to God’s Word. What makes it even more difficult to comprehend is the fact that many in their circle have chosen to embrace as good that which the Bible calls evil. As in the previous tragedy, it’s not too hard to see factors leading up to such a choice, especially in a culture where truth is relegated to the dung heap, and human choice becomes the god before which we bow. By addressing these two issues together in one letter, I do not, in any way, equate them. Both are tragic, yet they flow from two very different places. One stems from the pursuit of selfish passions contrary to God’s design. The other stems from the pain of personal tragedy resulting largely from self-sacrificial service. Yet, both issues share a common source—false narratives. In truth, this is the basis for all sinful choices. We are susceptible to the false narratives which dominate our fallen world. It isn’t a new problem. It goes back as far as the Garden where, for the first time in creation, the created rejected the Creator’s story. Why? Because they gave in to a false narrative which called into question their Maker’s intentions, motives, love. They chose the false narrative of the father of lies over the true story of the Heavenly Father. We are our parents’ children. We too give in to narratives which offer escape, usurp divine prerogatives or call into question the faithfulness, love, and power of God. It’s easy to point out the more shocking examples, like those above, but the reality is that we are all susceptible, moment by moment, to the stories which bombard us on social media, in entertainment, and even from within. None of us are immune from the influencing power of false narratives over and against the Story of God. I remember when I was first drawn into the narrative of God’s Story. It seemed so obvious, so easy. I loved this story. I loved the author of this story. Yet, it wasn’t long before I began falling prey to competing narratives. In reality, even in adopting God’s story, I was unaware just how much “other” stories had already influenced my thought patterns, my habits, my dreams. It wasn’t a matter of merely choosing God’s Story, it was a matter of daily allowing God’s Story to chip away at the false narratives I’d absorbed from years of use. It’s hard. It’s hard to live out God’s Story. Or, as Christian artist Rich Mullins put it, “It’s hard to be like Jesus.” And yet…and yet…it’s not hopeless. Why? Salvation. Jesus has saved us from our sinful, selfish, false narratives by His sin-conquering death on the cross. Jesus is the hero of God’s Story! Not only that, He’s given us His Spirit to empower us to walk in His Story, His Word to instruct us in His Story and His people to encourage and challenge us in the truths of His Story. It’s easy to get discouraged when we see others giving into false narratives that lead to destructive decisions or abandoning the true Story of God for a more culturally acceptable, politically correct narrative. But that is why we need reminders from God’s Spirit, God’s Word, God’s people…of who He is, of who we are, and of what is the bigger narrative in which we play a part. That is why quality time with God and His people is so important. One of the key truths we must be continually reminded of is that the Story of God isn’t over yet. Life in the shadowlands can feel so dark and depressing at times. But by His grace He gives us glimpses of His beautiful light as we await the ultimate illumination of the Son described at the end of Revelation. Until that day, we must continue to sow righteousness and unfailing love, letting His Word and His Spirit break up our unplowed ground, seeking the Lord until He comes and showers His righteousness on us!
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Dan GannonDan has ministered at Renton Bible Church, with his wife Debbie, since 2003. Archives
June 2022
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