When Roles Collide

So we’re getting ready to start presenting Persuasive Speeches in the class I teach at a local college. For the past semester, I’ve been encouraging students to really reach down inside of themselves, find an issue they are passionate about, and research it more than they ever have before.

And there’s a lot of work involved: personal reflections, practical exercises, book overviews, interviews, and more. I want them to dig deep! The compilation of all this research comes to a climax over the next couple of weeks as I hear about what they’ve discovered:

• new information they have learned
• discovering why their topic hits so “close to home” for them, why they are so passionate about it
• talking with people who have gone through it before
• watching others as they deal currently with it
• connecting their topic to their personal values and beliefs
• providing a “voice” for those who have no voice on their own

It’s an exciting time. I love hearing the passion and energy in these students’ voices as they essentially pour themselves out before us. We’ve come to trust one another, to be willing to share what is on our hearts. It’s what we’ve been working toward all semester.

So what happens when some of these topics are ones I’m “against”? When students are trying to persuade others to believe something that isn’t in line with God’s Truth?

I applaud their skills and want to continue encouraging them to grow, to voice their opinions and fight for what they believe in. But is it wrong to pray that God would help those listening to be discerning in what they hear??

Determined

The LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you….” So Abram went. (Genesis 12.1-4)

The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look… for all the land that you see I will give to you… Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land…” So Abram moved his tent. (Genesis 13.14-18)

The word of the LORD came to [Abram]… “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look to the heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them… So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the LORD. (Genesis 15.4-6)

[God] said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” And he brought him all these… (Genesis 15.9-10)

Notice a pattern?

God says; Abram listens. Now watch this:

And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. (Genesis 16.2)

Uh-oh… Does anyone else smell trouble?

As long as Abram is listening to God and believing that what God says is true, he’s good. God continues to reveal more of Himself. He also offers Abram more and more promises: land, a multitude of descendants, a child of his own.

But as soon as Abram starts listening to those who are speaking contrary to God’s direction, or even listening to his own fears, he gets in trouble.

In this case, Abram ends up having a child with his wife’s servant. Though God chooses to use this servant-woman and child in a unique way, the whole situation causes tension and conflict in Abram’s household. The servant begins to look on Sarai with contempt, and Sarai blames Abram for the whole thing. “May the LORD judge between you and me!” she shouts. “Then Sarai dealt harshly with [the servant], and she fled from her” (Genesis 16.6).

Whose voice are you listening to?

There were many times when Abram listened to God; but there were moments when he listened to the voice of others. Whose voice are you listening to?

When you read God’s Word, do you believe what He says? When you pray and get that direction or nudging from God, do you respond in obedience?

Or do you allow your fears, your friends, your anger, your cynicism to have the last word?

These past few months have felt somewhat like Abram’s “walk to the land I will show you” kind of journey for me. Being married, expecting my first child, purchasing a house, and adjusting to life as a step-mom… I’m not always sure where I’m going. It’s all new to me.

Sometimes I listen to God’s voice: stepping back from some commitments so I can put my family first, or seeking to find a home church where my husband and I can grow in our relationship with God. But it seems that all too often, I, like Abram, let fear or the voices of others lead me in the wrong direction.

I want to seek godly counsel from others. I want to learn from the experience of those who have walked this road before me. But not at the expense of what God is telling me to do.

Isaiah 50.7 says, “Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will…” That’s what I want: to know without a doubt that God is helping me, and to have a solid determination to do as He says.

What about you?

Boxes

A video, written and narrated by Greg Teghtmeyer
and produced by the staff of WCC.

Rescuing Our Captive Kinsmen

“So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.

“Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew… When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people” (Genesis 14.11-16).

When I read this story of how Abram rescued his nephew Lot from these evil men, I couldn’t help but wonder how many of us would do the same thing.

I mean, Lot seems like a bit of a shifty fellow to me. After his father died, his uncle Abram adopted him into his family. When Abram moved, Lot went with him. Both had a ton of possessions – flocks, herds, tents – so much so that “they could not dwell together, and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock” (Genesis 13.6-7).

To fix this problem, Abram proposes to Lot that they separate. This would give them both the land they needed to feed their animals, and would put some space between their workers. And Abram, as gracious as he was, let Lot choose which land he wanted.

Lot chose the Jordan Valley, a lush land, “well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord” (Genesis 13.10). He chose the best land for himself. Unfortunately, this land was also home to Sodom, an evil city filled with wicked men.

Taken Captive

The king of Sodom decides to go to war with some other kings, and in the midst of the battle, Lot, his family, and his possessions are taken by the enemy.

Do you know anyone who has been taken captive? Perhaps they are battling an addiction to drugs, alcohol, the approval of others, or work. Maybe they’ve become withdrawn and depressed. They may have lost their joy or purpose in life, or are fighting against a life-threatening disease and quickly losing hope.

Families are dealing with the loneliness and sometimes desperation of having their spouses, parents, or siblings overseas fighting with our troops against the evil in other countries. They know the risk of that family member never coming home, and sometimes the fear just seems to take over their lives.

Single parents may be working two or three jobs, just trying to make ends meet. It just doesn’t seem possible, paying all those bills. And working so many hours, they barely even get to see the kids they work so hard to provide for.

Little boys and girls have literally been kidnapped and violated by evil men and women. Widows, orphans, and single mothers have their houses stolen from them from family members who will physically hurt them if they come anywhere near to try to get their home back. Men, women, and children serve as slave laborers in fields and factories across the world.

Rescuing Our Captive Kinsmen

When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he immediately set out to rescue him. It didn’t matter that Lot chose the Jordan Valley and left Abram with the unhealthy field. It didn’t matter that Lot had chosen to live amongst evil men and put himself in the midst of this battle, increasing his chances of being hurt.

Lot was family. And family comes alongside family.

Will we follow Abram’s example and go rescue our kinsmen who have been taken captive?

Unexpected Grace

It is clear that we humans have no idea what’s best for us.

I’ve been reading through the early chapters of Genesis. As God creates, He continuously says, “This is good.” So why don’t we believe Him? Why do we regularly turn away from Him to pursue something else – something far less satisfying, something that often causes trouble in our lives?

Forsaking Him

Genesis is full of examples. Adam & Eve choose to eat the fruit God had forbidden them to eat, forsaking the perfect relationship they had with the Father. Cain let his own jealousy and hard-heartedness get in the way of his relationship with God, but also destroyed the relationship he had with his brother Abel, whom he killed. It isn’t long before the whole earth is filled with wickedness, before “every intention of the thoughts of [man’s] heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6.5).

But it doesn’t end there. People gather together and attempt to build a city for themselves as a monument of their power and glory, instead of following God’s command to disperse and fill the earth. Abraham enters the land of Egypt (leaving the land God had given him) and lies to Pharaoh, letting him believe that Sarah is Abraham’s sister instead of his wife.

And we’re no better. God says, “Church is good,” yet we make excuses for not being committed to a local congregation. God says, “Friendship is good,” and yet we either shy away from developing solid friendships or we turn good friendships into inappropriate ones.

Family is good. Work is good. Serving is good. Time alone with God is REALLY good.

So why don’t we take God at His Word?

Unexpected Grace

But God doesn’t leave us alone, even as we pursue other things. He steps in, offering grace in unexpected and somewhat uncomfortable ways.

• With Adam and Eve, God kicked them out of the Garden, so they wouldn’t live forever separated from Him.
• With Cain, God separated him from the rest of the population and then gave him a special mark so that anyone who tried to take revenge on him for killing Abel, they would be cursed.
• Deciding to destroy the earth in a flood, God showed grace upon the family of Noah and provided them with the materials, tools, and instructions they would need to survive.
• God stopped the people from building the tower of Babel and dispersed them throughout the land. In other words, He destroyed their idol and put them in a place where they would follow His command to “multiply and fill the earth.”
• And with Abraham… well, God let Pharaoh know that Sarah was Abraham’s wife and she was returned to him. Both Abraham and Sarah were sent away from Egypt, back into the land that God had promised Abraham and his family.

What about you? Has God stepped in and shown you unexpected grace as you pursue something else? It may not feel like grace right now. It may actually feel like a negative consequence or punishment. But look at it through God’s eyes: He loves you so much that He doesn’t want you to continue living in sin. He has forgiven you and is inviting you to turn back to Him.

Will you take Him at His Word and believe that what He has said is good truly IS good? Will you trust Him in whatever area it is you are struggling with – church, friendships, family, work, service – and seek to grow in that area and learn to see it as God designed it to be?

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good…” Romans 8.28

Frank talk about suicide

The following was taken from an article written for the Journal Gazette, a newspaper in Fort Wayne, IN.

Colleen identifies the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, which is a fantastic resource. But for those of you who know me personally or have gotten to know me through my blog, know that I have been professionally trained in suicide intervention, and I am more than happy to come alongside anyone who is struggling with thoughts about killing themselves or who struggles with depression.

Tomorrow is the end of Suicide Awareness Week… Help spread the message, and help save a life!

Frank talk can help halt suicide
Colleen Carpenter

Given our fear of death, it shouldn’t be surprising that people fear talking about suicide.

But we fear it for the wrong reasons – that somehow if we discuss it with someone we’re worried about, we will somehow “cause” suicide. That somehow we will make things worse or put suicidal thoughts in someone’s head that aren’t already there.

It’s not true. In fact, it has the opposite effect. If you ask someone who is in distress whether things have gotten so bad that they’ve been thinking of suicide, you are taking direct and bold action toward preventing it. Your asking is sending a very explicit message that you care. You are telling them that you are not afraid to discuss their thoughts and feelings with them. You are also giving them permission to talk to you.

People who are thinking of suicide feel intensely alone. Often, suicidal people experience or perceive extreme isolation. Our busy lives may mean that we don’t thoroughly check in with those who are struggling to find out how bad things have gotten for them.

With Indiana data for high schoolers showing that 1 in 6 has seriously considered suicide at least once in the past year, we need to face the reality that many more people consider suicide than we realize.

We can help prevent suicide by helping those people not act on their thoughts. Asking about suicide shows you care and can rekindle hope among those feeling desperate and alone.

The reality is that anyone can ask someone who they’re worried about whether they’ve been thinking about suicide. But once we do, we need to commit to listening openly to what’s brought them to the point of giving up on life. This can be tough, and a lot of us hop right into “advice-giving mode.” We may make statements that may make them feel as if we don’t care or don’t get it (e.g., “You’re so young. You have so much to live for”).

Listening openly to the intensity of their hopelessness can be hard. But reassuring them that you care and that there are resources out there that can help them get through can be very powerful. Calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK (8255)) can help you locate resources if you aren’t familiar with resources in your community.