Problems | Tactical Christianity

Two Brothers to Avoid

by R. Herbert | Sep 25, 2016 | Overcoming, Problems

There is an old saying that “The proud and the liar are brothers.” There is a lot of truth in that statement as the two problems often are found side by side. Without thinking about it we might not guess that pride and lying are related, but it’s a truth found in the Bible itself – where the two vices are frequently mentioned together. Look at a couple of examples in the Book of Psalms:

“Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous” (Psalm 31:18).

“For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter” (Psalm 59:12).

Do you see how the two problems are connected and how their relationship is clear in these verses? Notice another example in the Book of Proverbs:

“haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:17).

Haughtiness is of course, pride: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). “Haughty eyes” are simply eyes that pridefully look down on others.

Consider one final example: “…Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate” (Proverbs 8:13 ESV).

The connection between pride and lying runs throughout the Scriptures. Two of the major traits that the Bible seems to mention of Satan the devil are that he was filled with pride (Isaiah 14:12-14 suggests this figuratively along with Ezekiel 28:14, 16-17) and that he was the “father of lies” (John 8:44). Other scriptures speak of what that being does, but these are two traits that particularly personify what he is.

So “Pride” (who also goes by “haughtiness,” “arrogance” and several other aliases) is almost always to be found in the company of “the Liar.” Biblical verses that warn us of one frequently warn us of the other and if we see one, the other is likely not far behind. This is understandable because lying is almost always a result of wanting to somehow look better in the eyes of others. Sometimes lies are told to cut others down or to elevate the self, but these failings are also manifestations of underlying pride.

This is important because – as many Christians have found – pride is probably the hardest sin to see in our own lives. It may be obvious to others when we suffer from it, but our own pride may be nearly invisible to us. Knowing the relationship between pride and lying can help us. In that sense, being alert to lying, exaggeration or shading of the truth in our lives can be an “early warning system” that makes us aware of the proximity of pride.

“Pride” and “the Liar” are certainly brothers, and they are two brothers we must beware of. But knowing their close relationship helps us in our personal growth. If we begin to see indications of one of these problems in our lives, we can know that the other is not far away – and we can be especially vigilant to avoid them both.

Jabez, Pain and You

by R. Herbert | Jun 19, 2016 | Prayer, Problems

The Old Testament character Jabez is perhaps someone you have never heard of, but he was possibly well-known in his day. Jabez is introduced in 1 Chronicles 4 without any background at all – as though he was an individual with whom the readers of the book would be familiar. But the story of Jabez is an interesting one:

“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request” (1 Chronicles 4:10).

The story gives the origin of Jabez’s name and the Hebrew seems to clearly mean “he causes pain.” But there are two possible ways to translate the final part of Jabez’s request to God. The New International version and English Standard Version, for example, translate it like this:

“ … keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” NIV
“ … keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” ESV

Apart from the fact that there seems to be little about this request to make it worthy of recording (the number of people who have prayed to be free from pain is doubtless a considerable one!), these translations ignore the fact that Jabez was given his name because his mother had suffered pain in his delivery and his name means “he causes pain” – not that he was somehow prone to pain.

What makes the Prayer of Jabez so unique is that it seems more likely that he was very conscious of the great pain he caused his mother in childbirth, and sincerely desirous not to cause pain to others. That leads us to the other possible meaning of the Hebrew in the last part of his prayer which is utilized by a number of other translations – as seen, for example, in the Holman Christian Standard Bible and the New King James Version:

“… keep me from harm, so that I will not cause any pain” (HCSB)
“… keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” (NKJV)

These translations understand the prayer to be asking God not to keep Jabez safe from evil, but to help him not commit harm or evil; the translations opting for “that I may not cause pain” seem far more likely to be correct based on what little contextual information we are given. If Jabez prayed for God’s blessing on his life that he not cause pain to others, then the prayer was certainly a unusual and unselfish one. It is perhaps especially understandable that God granted his request, and that it was recorded.

If we are correct in this reading of 1 Chronicles 4:10, it is an unusual prayer indeed. How often do we pray not to cause pain to others as opposed to praying to be delivered from pain ourselves? It is perhaps a prayer we can and all should pray – and one that, just as in the case of Jabez, God is very likely to answer.

At the Heart of Pride

by R. Herbert | Nov 29, 2015 | Problems

“The LORD detests all the proud of heart …” (Proverbs 16:5).

As the old saying goes: at the heart of pride, just as at the heart of sin, is “I.” There is nothing wrong with a healthy self-identity, of course, or with the use of personal pronouns, but the point the saying makes is that we can get into a world of trouble by making ourselves the center of the universe.

In that sense, it is as we begin to elevate the personal “I” above others, and ultimately place ourselves ahead of God in our view of things, that self-identity morphs into pride and pride into sin. Consider, for example, the words of the prophet Isaiah spoken against the king of Babylon. Since medieval times, at least, these verses have often been thought to be also spoken metaphorically against the power behind that king’s throne in the form of Satan himself, but the identity of the one addressed is not as important as the clear picture of pride the words give us, because the picture applies wherever pride is found:

“How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ’I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High’” (Isaiah 14:12-14).

When we separate out the statements of the one whose attitude of pride is condemned in these verses, we get a striking picture of self-identity gone terribly wrong, of the personal pronoun out of control:

“I will ascend to the heavens”
“I will raise my throne above the stars of God”
“I will sit enthroned on the mount of the assembly”
“I will ascend above the tops of the clouds”
“I will make myself like the Most High.”

Wrongful pride always involves the expression of one or more of the four aspects of self-elevation – focus on person, possessions, position, or power. In this case, we see excessive focus on all four very clearly. The constant use of the first person pronoun is the first thing we notice, and although, as we said above, there is nothing wrong with use of the “first person” in speech, when we so obviously put our person first – before all others – there is clearly a problem.

The second thing we notice is the element of possession: “my throne” and the element of position. In every statement we see a dissatisfaction with present position and a desire to be elevated. The desire for position is not the same as that for power. Numerous studies have shown, for example, that office workers will often give up responsibilities and privileges they have – accept an actual loss of power – to gain a new title that gives them more status.

But power is also an aspect of pride which cannot be ignored. There is a clear lust for power in all of the statements of the prideful one, culminating in the desire to be not only elevated, but also to be like God himself, to have God-like power.

Throughout Isaiah 14:12-14 we see the focus on person, possessions, position and power that reveals the heart of sinful pride. Notice, too, that other than desire for power like God, there is not a single mention of anyone else in any of these statements – every statement begins with an expression of self-identity and ends in a goal of self-elevation.

By contrast, think of the many statements of Christ in his earthly life that reveal the very opposite attitude. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45) and “… I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10) are only two examples of this pride-less state of mind.

When we look at other individuals in the Bible who were close to God, we find the same attitude. Take King David, for example. David’s humility is often clear in his writings and the biblical books that speak of him. His position as king did not affect his view of himself relative to God, and David often doesn’t refer to himself as “I” or “me” but as “Your servant” (Psalm 119:23, etc.) – the very opposite attitude to that described by Isaiah.

For the Christian, this attitude is a vital one. If, like Paul, we are to say: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20), then the person whose identity we seek is not our own self, the position we seek is not an elevated one, our possessions are viewed as being for the benefit of others as well as ourselves, and the power we seek is only to help others.

Whenever we realize that the ongoing focus of our thoughts or speech is on our own self, our possessions, our position relative to others, or some power we may seek, we should remember the words of Isaiah, and that it is precisely these things that lie at the heart of wrongful pride.

A Hero Like You and Me

by R. Herbert | Nov 1, 2015 | Problems

We are very happy to be publishing an excellent article by Angela Martin today. The article is about the biblical hero Sampson (Judges 13-16) and is an adaptation of one of the author’s recent website posts.

Samson is the archetypal strong man for all time – a Schwarzenegger for the ages, a hero for the long-haul – but if we read the biblical account closely, there are some problems in the picture.

In the article, “Samson: Seriously Flawed, Used Seriously,” we see the human side of Samson. But there is good news. Read this refreshing article to see how the lessons we can learn from this hero also apply directly to us. You can read it here.

Words for a Time of Persecution

by R. Herbert | Aug 9, 2015 | Problems, The Church & the World

“… persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:9).

The apostle Paul knew a few things about being persecuted for one’s faith. After turning from his role as persecutor of the Church, Paul was himself frequently attacked and assaulted for his beliefs and teaching. The harassment was not just verbal. The apostle tells us he was physically beaten numerous times and that “Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes” (2 Timothy 2:9). He was even, on one occasion, stoned and then dragged away and left for dead (Acts 14:19).

It was not only the leaders of the early Church who underwent persecution, of course. In his epistles to the Thessalonians, Paul provides an example of a whole congregation that was experiencing persecution: “… you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:6 ESV). “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering” (2 Thessalonians 1:5 ESV). We don’t know all the details of how the Thessalonian Christians were being treated by those around them, but it is clear that they were facing discomfort and persecution.

But Paul doesn’t just commend these people as an example of those who are persecuted for their faith; he helps them realize where much of the spirit of persecution comes from, and he also offers them hope. Notice what he told them: “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3 NIV). In saying this, Paul foreshadows God’s help to persecuted Christians through the ages – stressing the fact that God either strengthens or protects his people, depending on his will, and sometimes he does both. Paul found this frequently. Sometimes he was rescued (2 Timothy 3:11) and sometimes he was not (2 Timothy 2:9, 2 Timothy 4:6-8).

We have only to look around the world today to see that many – possibly the majority of – Christians are still living in some degree of discomfort in terms of societal or official pressure and persecution. Many are suffering intense persecution, and God still protects his people or strengthens them to endure. But why do some suffer and some escape? The testimony of history and current events both show that God works despite the persecution of his followers. It is in times and places of persecution that Christianity grows the most – both numerically and spiritually. Not only does persecution and societal lack of approval help believers grow closer to God, but also it often gives them unique opportunities to be a better light to others.

It is no coincidence that Paul told the Thessalonians that they were a model to all the believers in the surrounding areas (1 Thessalonians 1:7-8). The persecuted Thessalonians were, he tells us, especially effective in spreading the gospel throughout their surrounding region (vs. 8) through their “work produced by faith,” their “labor prompted by love,” and their “endurance inspired by hope …” (vs.3). As a result, the Thessalonian Christians were both a powerful witness to other believers and to those outside the Faith.

Paradoxical as it may seem, Paul reminds us that the more uncomfortable it becomes to be a Christian, the more Christian committed Christians become. Nevertheless, we need to pray for the persecuted. Pray for the persecuted Church!

We recommend Jonathan Petersen’s excellent article on this topic on the BibleGateway.org site here.

I’m Fine – Save Me!

by R. Herbert | Mar 22, 2015 | Problems

Last year the suicide-prevention group Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) ran a highly successful advertising campaign in which they published a series of ambigrams – words or messages that say one thing, but have an entirely different meaning if they are read upside down.

“I’m fine,” the ad reproduced here, becomes “Save me,” when inverted, and the other ads in the series – “Life is great” and “I feel fantastic” – inverted read “I hate myself” and “I’m falling apart.” Each ad was run with the statement “The signs are there if you read them. Help us save a life before it’s too late.” These unusual advertisements drew attention to a widespread social problem and uniquely showed how we can be oblivious to the subtle and often hidden symptoms of depression and related disorders if we are not focusing on the people with whom we interact.

Effective though they were, the SOS ads are now remembered mainly as an example of an innovative and highly successful advertising campaign, though hopefully the message will be remembered by those who saw the ads. The messages also reflect an aspect of life that every Christian should keep in mind: that what we hear people say can often cover a deeper reality that calls for our help.

Sometimes the additional reality comes out if we simply take the time to engage the individual facing problems in sincere rather than surface conversation. In that way, the situation can be similar to the poignant New Testament story of the father who asked Christ to heal his son. The fact that he did this suggests, on the surface, belief, but when Jesus challenged that assumption, the father replied “I believe, help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). This is primarily about faith, but it is also a classic example of how a troubled person often opens up to someone who spends the time and energy to focus on them – perhaps only later in a conversation opening up to show desperation or depression.

Naturally, this doesn’t mean we should attempt to verbally probe and question every person with whom we interact, presuming they have problems; but as the SOS campaign so clearly demonstrated, if the signs are there we can often see them hidden in plain view. It is then that we should be sure to take the time to try to discern the problem and how we can help. That’s one of the things that Christians are supposed to do: to look beneath the surface of the world in which we live and to see the real needs around us and then seek to help as we can. Serious disorders and psychological problems may need professional help, but a great many people live with lesser problems, depression, discouragement and emotional pain. Those people often say “I’m fine” – and while it may not be a cry of “save me!” – it may be an invitation, if we can see it, to help them.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »