The Myth Of More

By John Stallings


A few years back one of the most highly awarded films was THE AVIATOR, the story of billionaire Howard Hughes.

Hughes is a perfect case study of what GREED can do, because his life was an obsession to have more. He wanted more money, so he parlayed inherited wealth into a billion dollar pile of assets. He wanted more fame, so he went to Hollywood and became a film maker and star.

He wanted more sensual pleasures, so he paid handsome sums to indulge his every hedonistic urge. He wanted more thrills, so he designed, built and piloted the fastest aircraft in the world. He wanted more power, so he secretly dealt political favors so skillfully that two U. S. Presidents became his pawns.

All Howard Hughes ever wanted was more. And yet this man ended his life emaciated, colorless, and with a sunken chest. His fingernails resembled grotesque corkscrews that were inches long. His teeth were black and rotten, and innumerable needle marks from his drug addiction covered his body. He walked around nearly naked most of the time with his beard and hair to his waist.

He lived in darkness, wore rubber gloves, and sterilized everything in his junk-filled room. He spent most of his time watching old movies and drinking soup. He was so lonely that he talked on the phone for 10 to 15 hours a day.

I remember when Howard Hughes died, newscasters reported that he weighed only 95 pounds and I'm sure that with every ounce he still believed in The myth of more.” His life shows the truth of the old proverb: "He who covets is always poor."

There are several sins like lust, envy, sloth, gluttony and anger and God has much to say about them. Of course we’re talking about the Seven Deadly Sins. Let’s look at…

GREED
Greed is the love of money and possessions. Greed is when the desire for more money and material wealth causes us to ignore our spiritual well being.

A survey was taken a while ago and it dealt with questions about money and morality. One of the questions that were asked dealt directly with greed. Question was this. How far would you go for $10 million dollars? And then it gave several responses:

25% said they would abandon all their family.
23% said they would be willing to work as a prostitute for a week.
16% said they would give up their citizenship.
10% said they would withhold testimony that would allow a murderer to go free.7% said they would murder a stranger.6% would change their race.
4% would have a sex-change operation.

WALL STREET, MAIN STREET, WASHINGTON D.C
I don’t have to tell you that Wall street, Main street along with Corporate executives and many in our government, drunk with  greed and the power that money brings  pulled crooked deals and at this very moment are conspiring to ruin the nation financially. Credit card companies not only charge interest but charge interest on the interest, enslaving people in years of debt. Nations are doing outrageous things to each other in their mad rush for oil.

What amazes me is that nobody ever points to greed as the problem. Greed is the proverbial elephant standing in the middle of the living room that everyone ignores and talks around.


THE RICH YOUNG RULER

The Holy Spirit has seen fit to record the story of the rich young ruler three times in the gospel story of Jesus. This may seem strange when we notice the resurrection of Lazarus is mentioned just one time in John eleven, the famous prodigal son story is told but once in Luke fifteen, the Good Samaritan is noted but once in Luke ten. Evidently, the Holy Spirit must think the story of the rich young ruler has a very important message.

A RICH YOUNG MAN

It would have been obvious to the disciples and Jesus that this young man was rich. Rich people today typically don’t shop at the Dollar Store. Usually they’re wearing clothes bought at the high end shops. You see them and you know that they’re “well heeled.” It would have been obvious that this wasn’t some back water hick. This was a man who came from money.

The parallel passage in Matthew 19 tells us that he was a young man. In other words, the money didn’t come from his own work, but probably from dad. And from Luke’s parallel (Luke 18) we learn that he was also a ruler. That meant that he had a position of prominence in the local synagogue. He was young, wealthy and powerful. Putting Matthew, Mark and Luke together, we’ve come to refer to this person as the “rich young ruler.

He feels he’s in good spiritual condition but he wants to cover all his bases and make sure that he hasn’t left something out. So when Jesus is travelling by, he runs for him and asks this rabbi the question on his heart.

He came running to Jesus and knelt before Him and said, “What good thing must I do to inherit eternal life.” He showed utmost respect for Jesus by kneeling in His presence. When this man asked “what shall I do,” he evidently believed that you had to do something to be saved, and that being rich was not the answer.

This young man’s eyes were set on eternal matters. He had the look of a seeker. He seemed willing to listen and eager to learn. He seemed a disciple-in-the-making. But his story has a dark end. It was he that inspired Jesus famous words "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom." Matthew was there to watch the unfolding of this man’s confrontation with Christ.

Think of it; rich, young, and a religious leader, who as it will turn out had morals that cannot be questioned.

Most would say today that such a man as this doesn’t lack anything. He is a shoo-in for heaven just as he is. Besides that, we are told that the Lord loved him. Many people think that since God loves mankind, He would never allow anyone to go to Hell. Here is a man of whom it actually says, “Jesus loved him,” and He is going to tell him that he lacks one thing, and that one thing will keep him out of Heaven.

Now before the Lord answered this question, He had to set this young man straight on something. He had called Jesus “good Master.” Did he know what he was saying when he called Jesus “good Master?” Jesus reminded him that there is no one who is good, but God. “Are you calling Me God?”

Jesus is more than a great prophet, He is more than the greatest teacher, and He is more than the best of men. The young man knelt before Him, and some day he will kneel again. Paul reminds us in Philippians,

“Every knee shall bow of things in heaven, and of things on the earth, and of things under the earth, and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”

ANOTHER LOOK AT THE QUESTION

The young man asked, “What good thing shall I do? What good thing must I do?” He had the idea that if he were good enough, he would inherit eternal life. The Scripture teaches that no man is good, even at his best. Paul describes fallen man in Romans chapter three, with such terms as;


“There is none righteous, no not one; their throat is an open sepulcher.”

In other words, the un-forgiven sinner has spiritual halitosis; their breath smells as rotten as a putrefied corpse to God. The poison of the asp is under their lips, it seems like the words of the un-forgiven are as poisonous as a rattlesnake, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: There is no fear of God before their eyes. And then to clean the slate, Paul says,

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

That is how God looks on the spirituality of lost mankind. So it’s not enough to say, “Be good and you will go to Heaven.” What little good we possess is not good enough. Some other remedy is needed.

One of my favorite movies is “The Sound of Music.” We have it in our library and watch it at least once a year. If you’ve seen it, you may remember a scene when Julie Andrew’s character realizes she’s won the heart of a very rich man and will soon be his wife.

As the two of them stand under an archway amidst beautiful scenery, she sings a song with the theme, “somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.” It’s amazing how pervasive this idea is, that if we do good things we will somehow end up in a good place.

Of course there’s a certain amount of truth to that idea but when we approach God, we have to lay all our good works aside and depend on His grace alone to save us.

THE NEED TO DO SOMETHING

The rich young ruler wanted to know what one thing he needed to do. “Jesus, tell me that one thing, and I will do it.” Jesus told him, “Thou knowest the commandments,” and the young man said, “Which?” It was not a matter of ignorance, he knew what the word said, and wasn’t satisfied with it. However, the terms of salvation are the same today as they were 2000 years ago.

Now Jesus told him to do six things, not one thing. In essence He slammed him up against the Commandments of God;

“Honor thy father and thy mother,
Thou shalt not kill,
Thou shalt not commit adultery,
Thou shalt not bear false witness,
Thou shalt not steal;
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self.”

The young man said, “These have I observed from my youth up, what lack I yet?” Jesus told him- one thing thou lackest.

This young man had lived an exemplary life. For a person to live a good life like that, stay out of jail, vote in every election, never get drunk, be a good neighbor, stay drug-free, give to every benevolent organization, and leave Christ out of your life is the most respectable way there is of going to Hell.

But in view of all he was and all he lacked, it is said that Jesus looking on him loved him. This is a very intriguing statement, “Jesus looked on him.” Jesus was reading this man’s soul like a book. The word “looked” is the same Greek word used in John chapter one when Andrew first met Jesus, and brought his brother Simon to the Lord. Jesus looked on him; stared at him intently, looked right through him, and said,

“Thou art Simon the son of John, from henceforth thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation Peter.”

When Jesus looked upon Peter, Jesus saw the makings of an Apostle. What did Jesus see when He looked intently with love at the rich young ruler? Was the Lord thinking, “Here is another Apollos, or a Timothy?” Was He thinking of what this young man could become if he followed Him? What a tragedy when we read later that he will go away sorrowfully. We can’t help but wonder what the Lord sees when He looks at us, and sees our potential? Have you and I lived up to what we could have become?

THE YOUNG MAN’S PROBLEM

The young man wasn’t dealing here with “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,” Jesus was going to smash all of his preconceived ideas about things spiritual. Part of this man’s problem was that he was dealing with the “real Jesus.” That might sound like an odd statement but in truth it’s right on target. Sad to say, much of what is preached or written these days doesn’t present the real Jesus but rather some modernistic gobbledygook about Jesus that presents Him inaccurately. When you and I are faced with the real Jesus, He might just turn our theology on its head.

Jesus was telling this young man that if he gained eternal life it wouldn’t be because of his efforts but Jesus’ efforts. Jesus was saying that salvation and eternal life wasn’t something you could just add onto your life, it was an explosion that went off in your life, totally reorienting your priorities. Eternal life isn’t something you earn, it’s something you receive.

Jesus told him to go and sell what he had and give to the poor and-“come follow me.” Jesus didn’t ask everyone he talked to or healed to come follow Him. As a matter of fact he told people who wanted to follow Him to go home. Think about it; this young man could have been one of Christ’s disciples. He could have had his name as a part of heaven’s foundation and had one of the gates named after him.

Neither did Jesus tell everyone who came to Him to give up everything. Nicodemus was a rich man, Joseph of Arimathaea was a rich man, and Zacchaeus was a rich man. He said, “Lord, I will give you fifty percent, the half of my goods I give to the poor. Lord, I will give half of all I have.”

The reason the Lord told this rich man to liquidate everything and give it away was because this rich man did not have any money, the money he thought he had, had him. Greed was lifting its ugly head. Jesus of course saw it and realized spiritual surgery was needed to save his life. Money had become a monster in the life of this man.

The attitude he had is still a very popular attitude 2,000 years later; - “I’ll take the world, and you can have Heaven.”

You rarely if ever hear anyone say, “Lord forgive me for being greedy.”
It appears the rich young ruler had no big problem with murder, honor of parents, bearing false witness, or adultery. His big problem was he was tied down to this earth with money.

The reason it’s difficult for a rich man to go to Heaven, and millions of us are rich in varying degrees in America, is in the words of Jesus when He said,

“The care of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lust of other things entering in choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”

Many a person is like the man with the full barns. He said, “Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; I will build a bigger barn to hold it all, take thine ease, eat drink and be merry.” But God said unto him, “Thou fool this night is thy soul required of thee.”

Jesus also said, “Where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.”
Mark tells us that the young man went away sorrowful because he had great possessions. He wanted to go to Heaven, but he didn’t want to go badly enough. Many like the rich young ruler want to go to Heaven, but how much do they want to go? The bottom line of the young man’s decision was,

“I’d rather go to Hell than part with what I have. I’d rather go to Hell than give up my sinful habits.” Jesus did not try to make easy disciples. He didn’t preach “greasy grace.” Rather He raised the bar of discipleship, He didn’t lower it.

THE CHALLENGE

Consider now the challenge to the invitation of Jesus. When Jesus called James and John to come after Him, straightway they left the boat and their father and followed Him. When Jesus called Matthew, sitting in a place of business, and called him, Luke says, “Matthew arose, and left all and followed Him.” Paul in Philippians chapter three spoke of his great accomplishments before he knew Christ, and speaks of them as dung, that he might gain Christ.

If this young man with great possessions kept the mind-set he had that day, I can’t help but wonder about the regret he’s suffered for the past 2000 years out there in a place called hell where the doors only swing one way. There are millions now living this side of eternity who need to ponder that same question. Jesus warns all in Matthew 16:26, 27,

“For what shall a man be profited, if he gain the whole world, and forfeit his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then shall he render unto every man according to his works.”
When a well know sports figure of bygone years was asked, “What is your ambition?” He said, “My ambition is to go to Heaven.” When the reporters chided him and said, “What do you mean, go to Heaven?” He said, “Gentlemen, if there is no Heaven, life is not worth living.” How true that statement is.

The watchword of Paul in Colossians is, “Set your affections on things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, and not on the things of the earth. And when Christ who is our life shall be manifested, then shall ye also be manifested with Him in glory.”
You have to give this man credit; he’d asked the most important question a person can ask, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

HE WENT AWAY

When the young man realized he would have to part with his possessions, he went away sorrowful. In a way, this is his only mistake. A man can misunderstand the divinity of Christ, be blind to himself, and misunderstand God’s grace and still be saved if he will commit to staying with God.

Peter, Andrew, John, Matthew, and the others did not fully understand the Lordship of Jesus, and they certainly did not fully understand the plan of grace, but they stayed with Jesus. They were willing to commit to a lifestyle of learning Him. They apprenticed themselves to Him, for the long haul.

That is the way to be saved. If you are willing to launch out with Christ on the long journey from brokenness to wholeness, if you are willing to walk all the way, every hard step, then you are a wise man, even if you are not young or wealthy. Did you notice that Jesus didn’t go after the young man and try to persuade him to do what was necessary for salvation? He didn’t send one of His disciples running after him to try to show him the mistake he was making.

THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE

Most people are familiar with the name Rick Warren. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, his best-selling book “The Purpose Driven Life” probably will. Warren has been on the cover of Christianity Today several times over the last few years and one recent article inside told of his work in Rwanda and South Africa.

I don't know if many folk realize this but his book, The Purpose Driven Life has been the best-selling new book in the world since 2003. People all over the world have bought more than 26 million copies. This of course made the Warrens very wealthy but they didn't hoard their money. They gave it to eternal purposes.

A look at their most recent "bank statement" would tell us that Warren stopped taking a paycheck from his church. In fact he repaid 25 years of salary to the church that he founded in 1980. He and his wife also created three charitable foundations and started "reverse tithing" meaning they live on 10 percent of their income and give away 90 percent.

And then they began to work with the people of Rwanda-helping an entire nation to become purpose-driven. They also ministered in South Africa to the people suffering and dying of AIDS. In fact, Warren has developed an acronym to describe the kinds of ministry he's doing with all his money. He's used the word "PEACE":

P - Plant new churches or partner with existing one.
E - Equip pastors and leaders
A - Assist the poor
C - Care for the sick
E- Educate the next generation.

I don't agree with Warren on everything,  and to be frank, I’ve heard and read a lot of criticism of the man which is probably to be expected.

But reading this story about all this giving, I sense a joy in Rick Warren and his wife-a deep contentment-a genuine peace they didn’t have heretofore. Their innermost longings are to further God's eternal kingdom, not to pad their personal pocketbooks.

And the wonderful truth is you don't have to have millions to experience that kind of peace and joy and satisfaction. If you and I just give what we have of our time and talents and money to further God's kingdom and keep our affections set on things above, we won’t fall victim to covetousness and “The Myth Of More.”

Paul's words in 1 Timothy 6:9 hit the nail on the head because the pursuit of MORE causes us nothing but emptiness and grief.

People who want to get rich really do fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.


Blessings,


John

Steps To Depression

By John Stallings

Keep an exhaustive list of all hurts, slights and rejections.

This is crucial because if you fail to do so, some of them may slip your mind as time goes by. Always be mentally practicing things to say back to people who hurt your feelings. Go out of your way to go back to places where you’ve been humiliated and try to even the score.

Spend some time each day scanning the past and rehashing your mistakes and disappointments. You’ve heard that time is the great “healer” but, what you don’t hear much is- the passage of time is a great “stealer” of our memories of hurts -and unless great vigilance is exercised things will slip through the cracks of our memory. This is such a pity when with a little effort the past can remain as real as the present.

IMPORTANT!-If you forgive too easily you’re undermining yourself. Only weak people forgive easily. You’re dealing with principle here, don’t lose sight of that. When great principles are trampled on don’t be lulled into taking it lightly. This is HUGE! If you are put in a position of being pressured to forgive, make a federal case out of it by taking the moral high-ground. You can get a lot of mileage out of your “Bigness,” and it will set you apart from weaker folk.

DON”T buy into the “dream” stuff and don’t always be working on your dreams. This is “pie in the sky” bunk. If dreams are meant to come true they will, so don’t stress yourself over them. The real goodies in life you just sort of stumble on.

SURER-SENSITIVITY is the way to go so stay on guard at all times for things that offend you. If you’re doing this right you’ll never be able to go out to do anything without getting your feelings hurt. Malls, restaurants, dept. stores, even church---mostly church---are great places to get upset. Churches abound with rich opportunities to be hurt or unsettled. When in church, a great area of concern to you should be the music. Music may be too loud or soft, and the songs are a fertile field for you. You can be very vocal in a church because if you don’t speak your mind, “how are they to know how people really feel?”

The minister shouldn’t be exempt from scrutiny. If you feel he hasn’t as yet grasped the minister/servant principle you shouldn’t hesitate to “straighten him out.” It goes without saying that you should never take notes on sermons or jot things down in your Bible. Only preachers do this. Besides, if a point or truth is powerful enough, you’ll remember it.

When you’re going through especially hard struggles, this should be looked on as a time for isolation because being around people during these times will only provide more opportunities for being upset. Anyway, when you’re depressed your presence will only be a drag on others.

The idea that you can “shake off” depression is a myth. Don’t buy into that dangerous hokum. This idea that getting busy will help depressed people is a total trivializing of the problem. Again, isolation is the ticket.

Another dead-end street is buying Christian books and CDs when depressed. This is not only a mistake and can’t help, it’s just another shameful marketing ploy of religion. You may hear someone say that millions of people have been blessed by these materials but, again, you can see right through that can’t you? These are basically urban myths and people who believe them are “mythstaken.”

Never underestimate the power of “Retail therapy” or impulse buying in beating the blues. There’s a special lift that can only be gotten by a new hat or pair of shoes or maybe a new outboard motor.

This is KEY; never miss watching the news, national and local as this is an important part of our modern everyday lives. You must stay abreast of what’s happening in the world. Also, you need to listen closely to what the commentators say about the news as they’re trained intellectuals who’re there to help us understand. Stick with it even though you might sometimes feel like skipping the news for awhile.

It’s only human for us to spend some time comparing ourselves to others. Compare your house, your car, clothes, the lucky breaks or lack of them you’ve had. Do it often. Do it especially with your relatives. There is somehow very helpful therapy to be realized in this so be faithful in your comparison work.

Don’t make a big deal of staying connected with friends. They won’t be of any help and besides they’re probably more defeated than you are. Be sure not to write letters to people you haven’t seen in years. They’re in the past and are better left that way. It’s a waste of time and it’s an exercise in futility. Reaching out to them will in all likelihood set you up for more disappointments. Just make a flat rule not to reach out to others when depressed as it only makes things worse.

During this time avoid anything that takes effort. This will just wipe you out and you need to save your energy for the fight. Being pro-active might make you forget some of your problems and its key during this time to not be outgoing but rather incoming. You’ll find this approach will leave you with more time and energy to think of self which may help you to figure out what’s wrong with you. No matter what you may have heard to the contrary, “we’re all in this alone.”

By all means don’t make the mistake of going to anyone to talk about your problems. Books have been written about how this can get you into trouble. Let’s not forget our principle— “if God wants you to know something, He’ll tell you.”

Always have someone in your life that’s a “makeover project” for you. This is invigorating. It’s a myth that you can’t change another person. This is patently wrong. People will tell you this is a waste of time but not so. Even if it gets a little frustrating at times, you can do it.

Maintain at all costs a strong belief in the theological viewpoint of “works righteousness.” This is pleasing to God. Constantly remind yourself how “hot” hell is. These “greasy grace” folk will have a rude awakening someday. If you hear a preacher say things like, “Some things aren’t sins, they’re weights,” or “God isn’t mad at you and waiting just to throw you into hell.” you’re probably listening to a soft-soaping compromiser. Stay keenly aware that things can never be called “mistakes.” They are sins. There is right and there is wrong.

Advertise, advertise, advertise. When you feel you’ve been wronged tell as many people as possible. The key here is to enlist people to your cause. You’re not bitter, you’re wounded and the more people you can unload on and get involved, the better. They won’t be hurt by this. Remember what doesn’t kill them makes them stronger. And besides, this will give them a chance to show their loyalty to you.

Please listen carefully because there’s been lots of misunderstanding on this next point. There’s a false teaching afloat that when you’ve been rejected by a church group, an individual or any group large or small, that you should “take your ball and go home.” Removing yourself when all the signs are clear that you’re nor accepted will help you in the area of depression. Can you see how subtle that teaching is? It’s dead wrong!

Here’s the truth; when rejection comes and it will sooner or later, that’s when you should “double down” in your efforts to be accepted. You see, maybe these folk are just tolerating you now but if you’ll put your energies to work they’ll soon be celebrating you. Obviously they haven’t as yet seen your gifts and talents but by all means hang in there and you’ll eventually win these people over. Don’t let a concept like “obsessive” get to you. There’s no such thing as a “dry well.” Keep digging and your efforts will pay off in a big way.

Never do anything that will present you in a bad light such as answering a question by simply saying- “I don’t really know. Or “to tell the truth I haven’t thought about it that much.” This is so lame. Always—always have an opinion. This will let folk know they aren’t dealing with someone who “just fell off a turnip truck.” You may have heard that the best thing you can say sometimes is-nothing. The reality is you must never hold your peace.

Never, ever let a good- uplifting statement or personal compliment go unchallenged. If it’s about your clothes point out that you got them at a fire sale for practically nothing. If it’s about your nice smile and pretty front teeth point out that you have some back teeth that are almost black. Be willing to show the teeth. If it’s about your car, say, “Well; it gets me there.” If it’s about your home say, “Well, it keeps the rain off and that’s all that’s important.” Now we’re talking humility.

Cultivate a “what if” mentality. Don’t let anything happen to you that you haven’t worried about well in advance. Constantly remind yourself that you’re subject to a vast gene pool and be well versed on the ages that your grandparents died. Scrutinize every ache or pain and carefully examine every wart and carbuncle. Stores are full of books on the subject of symptom logy and there’s no excuse for not being well read on the scads of illnesses out there.

Expect to be patted on the back when you’ve done good work. People love to give this kind of support so just take it for granted. When you win an award or get a promotion or experience any kind of high-water mark in life, watch out—you’ll be inundated with congrats and cudo’s.

If and when you cross that invisible line into super- success, have great expectations of the love that will be showered on you. You surely won’t be disappointed.

These are but a few helpful hints on how to be -and stay depressed.


Blessings,


John

Facing Criticism

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me." (Exodus 17:4)

I hate criticism. Don't you?

 Is there anything that pierces deeper than harsh, judgmental words? Over the years I’ve had to occasionally stop and readjust my whole outlook because of criticism.

Having said that, I’ve often been surprised at the small amount of criticism I’ve dealt with, though I’ve had my share.  But I’m still moving and have never been bitter and that’s important. Cheer up my friend, you and I definitely will survive criticism.

There are two kinds of criticism. One is called "constructive." It’s designed, in the critic's mind, to bring a positive end. However, constructive criticism can be as painful to the one being criticized as that which is called "destructive." Both hurt, but as we’ll see, you and I should praise God for criticism!

THE SENSITIVE PLANT

I visited China in the early 1980’s and became aware of a little flower called “the sensitive plant.” All you had to do was touch the plant ever so gently and it closed up as if it had been mortally wounded.

 It impressed me as sad for the little flower. They are called by several names including “the humble plant.”

This plant reminds me of people I’ve met. They’re seemingly just too sensitive for this world. To tell these good folk to take criticism lightly is like telling a Mocking bird to “pipe down.” It ain’t gonna happen. These good folk are virtually incapable of it. They find it quite impossible to leave the confines of their home and not become upset, hurt and often deeply offended by something. Restaurants, malls, sports events, school, driving the streets, even in church, these folk can’t seem to escape being offended by someone or something. They can even be deeply hurt and flustered by a billboard sign on the side of the road. You have to walk on egg shells around them or you’ll witness a meltdown and it won’t be pretty.

We’re all aware that we’re in a new age of technology. We now live with the reality that scores of people can and do read and listen to our thoughts if we use twitter or for that matter email.  The offshoot of this is that our innermost expressions and thoughts are available for folk to read, evaluate and critique. In our present culture, many people will take offense at even the slightest attempt at humor.

I’m told that many of the “top” comedians of the day have a new rule- to never entertain on college compasses. The reason? Students nowadays wear “chips on their shoulders” and find something objectionable in almost any attempt at humor. Speakers and entertainers have to be constantly aware of the new phenomenon called being –Politically Correct.- Think about it; do you witness many laughs at things that are legitimately funny, or do you more often see “eye rolling”? Are we losing our National sense of humor? If subtle humor can render many people incapacitated, it stands to reason that outright criticism will just about do them in.

LET’S FACE IT, CRITICISM CAN DRAG YOU DOWN

Some people call me a songwriter and I trust they’re right. Over the years I’ve put songs out and watched as they were critiqued and analyzed. Some songs were widely accepted and some laid aside. This process can be very disheartening. Many songs that I had high hopes for never saw the light of day, and some were embraced and became popular. Over the years I’ve had to learn to say with my Italian friends, “What are you gonna do?” As a writer about all you can do is do your best knowing others will decide if your work survives.

Moses found out what a bitter pill criticism can be. He didn't want to be a leader. He knew that he’d have to pay the price of criticism. Moses stuttered. What were his critics going to do with that one? In the final analysis, Moses agreed to lead this band of slaves. Their lot in Egypt had been bad. Their children had been massacred. They had been driven in a terrible way by the oppression of their cruel taskmasters. You would think that Moses would be praised for His leadership. On the contrary. The story of the wilderness journey is one in which Moses is constantly maligned. You would think that the people would appreciate his courageous leadership. Instead they cried out…

 "If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death." (Exodus 16:3).

God provided for Israel’s needs. He gave them a promise for the future. Again they complained, criticizing Moses. The reason? He had run out of water. Once again they murmured against him, complaining about the fact that he had led them out of Egypt. Poor Moses. Broken by criticism, he falls on his face before God and cries out,

 '"What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me'" (Exodus 17:4).

Truthfully, criticism can be a terrific stabilizer. Moses grew spiritually in his dependence on God through the criticism.

SLANDER

There's a difference between criticism and slander. Every so often we may actually be slandered. This may get back to us through the grapevine. I find myself disturbed; however, I am not nearly as disturbed by slander as I am by criticism. Slander can be dismissed because it’s simply dishonest. What is said has no factual basis. It disturbs us because others could believe the untruths.

 Criticism rather gets to us in a much more subtle way. So often the critical word has some factual basis. An explosive response to it is a clear sign that someone has gotten under our skin. Our pride is wounded. We’re painfully aware that this person has insights which are more valid than our own self-appraisal.

BLESSING IN DISGUISE

Learn to appreciate your critic. He’s protecting you from yourself. He may dislike you. He may wish ill against you. Still, thank God for critics.
Imagine the political climate here in the United States if public officials were not subject to criticism. How wounded our presidents must feel when their every action is sliced apart. But in truth the pain is worth it. It makes the elected official all the more sensitive to the public trust. A totalitarian regime clothes its leadership in enormous power. Criticism is muzzled. There's no freedom of the press. Totalitarian governments stagnate. Why? Because they protected themselves from criticism.

If you follow American politics, you’re aware of the man who at this writing sits close to the top of the Republican heap of presidential contenders. Mr. Trump has many admirable qualities but as do all men, he has his weaknesses. One of Trumps weaknesses is his deep dislike of criticism. He tends to implode when people point out a flaw in his makeup. My thought is…this man in many ways has the potential to go all the way and win the election of 2016. IMHO the deciding factor will be if he can rise above pettiness and assimilate honest criticism and let the rest roll off his back.

And my dear friend, the same will be true of you and me.

Often we get relief from our critics in remembering that people for the most part judge others out of their own hearts. In other words, we blame and criticize others for what we ourselves are guilty of. –Romans 2:1

I love the story of the wife who pleaded with her husband to visit a museum of fine arts with her. She felt that her man needed a little more culture in his life so off they went to the museum, never mind the fact that the husband’s feet were firmly planted in the ground.

The couple walked up the steps of the museum and had no sooner entered the place when the out- of -sorts man noticed a painting hanging on the wall. “Look” the man said, “Look at that. Who in the world would ever paint that picture and frame it when the man in the picture is so scruffy looking. Who in their right mind would call that shabby picture a great work of art?” The wife grabbed her husband’s sleeve and cried, “Honey, honey that’s not a painting, it’s a mirror.”

And so it is that the things we criticize in others is often what we ourselves are guilty of. If we weren’t familiar with it we’d have probably never noticed it. We knew that as kids in sixth grade. We’d say, “It takes one to know one.”

As it concerns our critics, there’s usually some validity to what they’re saying. Don’t you agree? That's what puts the burr in their words…the “pepper in the gumbo”-as it were. How productive would it be if you and I could learn to accept the grain of truth in what our critics say? Praise is a wonderful 'pick-me-up,' but it’s only through criticism that we’re enabled to know what we have been doing wrong and thereby correct our failures and shortcomings.

Someone has bluntly but correctly said: "Criticism is the manure in which the Lord's servants grow best."

CRITICISM HELPS TO KEEP US HUMBLE.

Over the years, as all of us must do, I’ve daily laid my life on the altar before the Lord and continually asked Him to take me and use me and make my will subject to His. You and I must endeavor to stay painfully aware that the monster of pride at any moment can be loosed from its spiritual chains to crush us and destroy our effectiveness.

It was the criticism of others that first alerted me to the potential seriousness of this inclination. As criticism continues to come our way, we should pray to have the courage to face it objectively. Therein, with God's help, we can ascertain the extent to which criticisms are correct.

You and I should be willing to accept criticism when it’s valid. Learn from it. You may want to find someone besides your marriage partner with whom you can confide your puzzlement with certain types of criticism. Find someone who’s objective, who loves you, who can help interpret the criticism that comes your way, enabling you to disregard that which is incorrect.

God told Moses: get up and get going. He would provide. Moses did his best in a difficult situation.

You can only be as good as God helps you to be. We can be too sensitive to criticism. You and I have to remember our theology. We’re not perfect. Any claim to perfection comes through Christ's work at the cross on our behalf.

Our human efforts will always fall short of that high goal. God wants something more than our best. He wants us to yield ourselves to Him. He wants us to be obedient. From a human perspective we may not be doing that great a job. Some criticism will be valid. We should adjust to it. If we are flexible, doing our very best, God will be pleased with our efforts even when our friends, family and associates find fault.

There's not just one right way to do everything. Two committed Christians may have differing lifestyles. Both are completely dedicated to Christ. One might enjoy a Sunday afternoon ball game, where another will consider this a Sabbath violation. One may drink a glass of wine with his meal, while another would find this to be a violation of personal conscience. The key is obedience to the Bible where its instruction is clear. It declares we are to set aside a day for worship and rest. We’re to avoid drunkenness. It’s a serious sin. As we wrote in the last blog, “Principles God Loves,” where the Bible is unclear, we’re to follow our own personal conscience as it’s directed by God's Holy Spirit.

Unfortunately, many criticisms involve petty concerns. We need to distinguish between what is right and the various methodologies of doing what is right.

BILLY GRAHAM

From early childhood I’ve always very much loved and admired Billy Graham. Over the decades Graham has been subject to the most intense criticism a man can face. Some claim he has violated the gospel of Jesus Christ by associating [on his Crusade platform] with ministers and laymen who deny the authority of the Bible and the deity of Christ. And there are those who attack him from the other side and say that he has neglected social concerns as he's put the stress on personal salvation. Some attack him for using the mass media and question his right to use Madison Avenue techniques. Some criticized him for going to Russia decades ago, feeling that he was used by the Soviet authorities.

Billy Graham could spend many a sleepless night if he took all these criticisms too seriously. God has used him. His methods are not the only methods which God has used. You and I aren’t called to duplicate Graham’s style. God works through a variety of persons, talents, temperaments, and methods. Thank God for a Billy Graham who has endeavored to do the very best he can with the life God has given him.

Are you as faithful? Or are you afraid to accomplish anything for God for fear of criticism? Listen to the critics, examine each one and learn from those that have validity. Then plow ahead with enthusiasm, knowing that you are doing your very best given the assets and liabilities which are yours.

Again, anyone who is going to accomplish anything in life will be criticized. If you are unwilling to face critical evaluation, I suggest you put aside your plans to do anything in this world. The person who is unwilling to face criticism is the person who will be completely immobilized. He’ll find objections from all sides. He will become neutralized by these, never able to make a move.

FOOTBALL’S TERRY BRADSHAW

Over the years I’ve followed the life of quarterback Terry Bradshaw, and discovered just how fickle people can be. It seems that people’s proclivity for idle criticism is the same yesterday today and forever. Terry has been booed by thousands. Seemingly there was nothing good about the way he played the game of football. As time went by I heard him cheered as though he could do no wrong. It just so happened that he was the most visible player on the field. When things go bad, the most visible player is the one who gets the most guff. When things go well, he is stroked.

Harry Truman, who received intense criticism during his term of office, put it this way: "If you can't stand the heat, you'd better get out of the kitchen!"
If you and I are ever going to accomplish anything in this world, we’re going to be criticized. I think sports heroes, politicians, and religious leaders are most vulnerable. You and I, in our own little worlds, are just as susceptible. Being in the public eye assures criticism. Do something and you will get it. Do nothing and you'll face no criticism, except that some will say, "You know, good old Joe just never does anything."

CONSIDER JESUS

Jesus Himself was despised and rejected of men. He was a Man of sorrows. The Bible says that He was acquainted with grief. Those who followed Him were fickle. One moment they expressed their affection. The next they turned it off. He was plotted against, and maligned. One day He was praised as a hero, the next day He was nailed to a cross. Spiritual leadership is costly.

STEPHEN

Stephen found this out. He could not deny his Lord. He was willing to walk into the face of his culture, declare that the Messiah had come, and plead for his Jewish brethren to repent and trust Jesus Christ. Then, as they stoned him to death, in love he cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

He paid the price of his convictions. I doubt that any of us will be stoned to death in a literal way for our faith in the Savior. But I will guarantee some of you are right now in the process of being stoned to spiritual death by the criticisms of those who mock your love of Christ.

Only a few yards away from where Stephen was being stoned was a man named Saul of Tarsus. He held the coat of one who threw the stones. Saul could have continued to play it safe. He was a persecutor of Christians. He saw something in the steadfast resolve of one man willing to go to his death for the faith that planted a seed. That same Saul of Tarsus became Saint Paul. He went to his death considering it a joy to suffer for Jesus.

When you’re hurt, it’s easy to lash out and hurt others. We can do it almost unconsciously. It’s a defense mechanism to It protect us.

There’s a place to speak the truth, but it needs to be cushioned with love, or we’ll destroy others with the very criticism that hurts us so much. Moses mellowed with the years. Over a period of time he learned to put his criticisms where they counted in a demonstration of loving, firm leadership.

And so why don’t you and I pick ourselves up, square our shoulders and keep plowing.

Winston Churchill had the following words of Abe Lincoln framed on the wall of his office:

"I do the very best I can, I mean to keep going. If the end brings me out all right, then what is said against me won’t matter. If I’m wrong, ten angels swearing I was right won’t make a difference."

After you’ve done the inner wince, take a deep breath and get back in the ring. Just because you may need to “Tune up your act” a bit, it doesn’t mean that you’re a full scale loser. So literally, take a deep expansive breath, with your fists unclenched. You sustain less injury when you do NOT brace for impact. I guess that’s why they call it “rolling with the punches.”

Don't let criticism get the best of you. God will provide grace as we need it. Face whatever criticisms that come with the resolve to move ahead in spite of it.

 Being raised in Florida, I’ve loved fish most of my life. I’ve learned to eat the good part and spit out the bones. So it is with criticism. As we seek the Lord, he’ll give us the discernment to tell one from the other.

Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:57

Blessings,

John