Who's in Charge?

For a while now I’ve been thinking about that controversial word “submission.” It is often considered a dirty word by anyone who has ever felt downtrodden. I’ve wrestled with it myself at times, but I can’t avoid what Scripture commands:

• “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality” (Colossians 3:23-25 ESV).
• “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Hebrew 13:17).
• “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands” (Ephesians 5:24).
• “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1).

Wives submitting to husbands is only one example out of many. In a recent sermon on James 4, Alistair Begg stated that failure to submit to one another is failure to submit to God. Sam Andreades wrote in enGendered (a book I would recommend):

 “Obeying or submitting ‘as to the Lord’ is really about trusting the One who tells you to do this… [Y]ou are doing it because you are trusting God, trusting that God is in this picture, that He will take care of you and your own…” (117).

Sometimes it is hard enough just to trust that God is in control, much less to trust those He has placed in authority in any particular situation. But it seems apparent from Scripture that submission is expected. As an employee, a citizen, a church member, [and spouse if I were married] my responsibility is to submit to my leaders, knowing that they will be held accountable for their use or abuse of authority. That’s not to say that there are never occasions for civil disobedience or removal of authority, but that should be the exception to the rule.

As I’ve thought through the conflicting emotions related to submission, it seems that most of the power struggle is rooted in fear. How am I going to be hurt or what am I going to miss out on if I’m not the one in control of this decision? Andreades wrote: “People submitting in relationship are vulnerable, dependent upon the careful and righteous stewardship of the one in authority” (102). 

I’ll be the first to admit that the vulnerability that comes with submission can lead to painful interactions. Trust is built slowly as a relationship deepens, but it can be lost in an instant. None of us really want to be vulnerable and dependent, and yet that is a big part of God’s will for us. We are inherently dependent on Him for life, breath, daily provision, and salvation (among other things). Our relationships on earth are a mirror of that fundamental relationship, to remind us that we are designed to live in community and dependence on one another. It is also a reflection of the mutual dependence and fellowship within the Godhead.

I could raise all sorts of questions as to what submission should look like in various contexts, but I think we each need to wrestle through Scripture for ourselves. The conclusion that I have come to is that I need to trust God more fully and to ask Him for clear guidance for all the relationships in my life.

“Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is… Be filled with the Spirit… giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:17-21).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.

Missional Meanderings

The thought process started when I read this article on the missional church: http://www.vergenetwork.org/2011/09/14/mike-breen-why-the-missional-movement-will-fail/ I confess that although I’ve heard the term before, I had no idea what it meant. According to Wikipedia:

“The movement seeks to rethink and redefine the nature of the church and create a new paradigm in which churches are seen as missional in nature, instead of attractional in nature. Leaders in the movement argue that instead of churches attempting to attract people to churches through church programs, churches should instead take the gospel outside of the church and engage society with the gospel, often by being involved not only in missions and evangelism but also in social justice movements.”

Coincidentally, I then picked up Jen Hatmaker’s book Interrupted: When Jesus Wrecks Your Comfortable Christianity, which shares her journey into the missional movement. I fully support Christians getting motivated to look beyond the walls of their church and living out their faith in every part of life. However, I think there are some problems with the way missional living is often communicated. (I had similar concerns when reading books by Hugh Halter.) Here is one example from Hatmaker.

In talking about the parables in Matthew 25 and Jesus’ judgment “Depart from me, you cursed… for I was hungry and you gave Me no food…” (ESV) she states:

“Be like the wise, watchful servant, not the wicked, abusive one. Emulate the five wise virgins, not the foolish, sleepy ones… Act like the servant with five invested talents, not the scaredy servant with one buried talent. And as Jesus built His case and the disciples began to gauge what counted and what wouldn’t, He hit them with the grand finale: It will matter only if you’re a sheep or a goat. The blessed and the lost will be separated based on one principle: the care of the oppressed. The end” (103).

Wait a minute—that’s the one principle?! Before jumping to that conclusion, it would be good to go back a few chapters to Jesus’ terrifying words in Matthew 7:22-23: “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not… do many mighty works in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’” He said in verse 20, “Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” Outward actions are not the factor that determines our salvation, but they are evidence of it. Paul makes this clear in Ephesians 2:8-10:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Not by works, but for good works… Yes, we should feed and clothe those in need and share the Gospel with them, but not so we can feel assured that we are sheep and not goats. I have no doubt there will be many good, socially active people who find out their works did not put their names in the Book of Life.

The other difficulty I have with many in the missional church movement is the implication that it is an either/or choice—either missional or attractional. I see no reason why both cannot exist within the universal Church and within local churches. The Christian mission and calling is not a one-size-fits-all outfit. God’s Kingdom has room for big churches, small churches, house churches, parachurch organizations, high church, low church, cross cultural missionaries, indigenous missionaries, street evangelists, homeless shelters, AIDS orphanages, and a myriad of other shapes and sizes. God uses all kinds of people, methods, and activities to reach the lost.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7).

(By the way, although “missional” is a new word it is not a new idea. The Salvation Army is just one example from history. http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/about)

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.  

Choose Today

This video from Francis Chan has been circulating on Facebook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86dsfBbZfWs

It presents some good food for thought as we compare the brevity of this life with what awaits us in eternity. Probably the first thing that comes to mind is how we should set our priorities for the way we live and what we hope to achieve. The American dream of saving all we can for retirement so we can enjoy those latter few years is one that we all need to wrestle with. Is that the wisest use of our time and energy in this short life? But I think there is something even more basic for daily living—how do my choices this day, or this moment, line up with an eternity with God? Does this activity contribute to the Kingdom of God or take away from it? Probably most of us don’t consider ourselves very earthly minded, but it can be a challenge to prioritize eternity over the temporal. We may not be concerned with amassing riches or planning for retirement, but we can be easily distracted by the pursuit of pleasure here and now.

It shouldn’t matter whether our work is satisfying, our house is paid for, or even if our relationships are fulfilling, but whether we are living lives that reflect God’s righteousness and strength. This life is but a hairbreadth of eternity, where there will be joy unceasing (Isaiah 35:10) and pleasures forevermore at His right hand (Psalm 16:11). The attractions of sin and superficial entertainment should pale in comparison. We need God’s constant mercy, grace, and guidance to put things back in perspective.

“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of life and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:16-17 ESV). The priorities of this world will always lead us astray because they take our focus off of God and put it on ourselves and how we compare to everyone around us. However, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17). If He is our focus, then we can enjoy the blessings He gives while looking ahead to a blessed eternity with Him.

This is a truth that needs to be brought to our attention frequently. When work is frustrating, when family and friends disappoint us, when trials and temptations assail us, when death separates us—then we need to look and see that this life is quickly passing, but it is just a prelude to eternity. There we will be able to enjoy perfect relationships, perfect peace, and perfect lives with the One who made us for Himself.

I think most of us want to make wise choices and use our time well, but it’s easy to lose focus and start letting things slide. Although I’m not a big fan of the “What Would Jesus Do” fad, I think it does help to remind us where our focus should be. There are other equally profitable questions we can ask: Why am I doing this? Why am I dwelling on this problem? What is the ultimate benefit to this activity? Whose goals does this fulfill? Will this matter tomorrow, next year, ten years from now? Is there something else I should be doing? While such questions have guided some of my choices in how I use my time, I find that I need to be even more intentional in seeking God’s will for today that will lead me on the right path for eternity. Nearly every day my prayers include some variation of “Lead me in paths of righteousness,” “teach me,” “guide me,” “help me.”

I came across this quote from Warren Wiersbe this week, “We must want Him alone, for when we have Him, we also have all that He owns. It’s not the gifts that we seek, but the Giver” (Be Committed). My ongoing prayer is that I would want Him more than anything else, and that I would make choices that would reflect that reality in my life.

“We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

Right Praying?

Lately I’ve been reading The Necessity of Prayer, by E.M. Bounds. He has some good things to say, but a couple chapters on obedience raised questions for me. He states:

“Prayer is obedience. It is founded on the adamantine rock of obedience to God. Only those who obey have the right to pray. Behind the praying must be the doing; and it is the constant doing of God’s will in daily life which gives prayer its potency” (ch. 10).

He makes other comments that give the impression that complete victory over sin is not only possible in this life but is required for anyone who wants to pray.

“He who would pray, must obey. He who would get anything out of his prayers, must be in perfect harmony with God… [A]n obedient life is a necessity to prayer, to the sort which accomplishes things. The absence of an obedient life makes prayer an empty performance, a mere misnomer… (ch. 9).

I don’t want to discount the importance of obedience and making every effort to overcome sin in our lives—Samuel did say “to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22 ESV)—but I think Bounds overstates the case. Even the Apostle Paul said, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out” (Romans 7:18), and I don’t think that anyone would say Paul was ineffective in prayer.

Certainly, outright rebellion and excusing sin are hindrances to prayer and to any kind of spiritual growth, but for those who endeavoring to pursue obedience grace abounds. A stumble into sin or a sin that has not yet come to our awareness is not reason for despair. If we always had to be “confessed up” before we could pray, we could spend all our time scouring our conscience for any possible offenses and never get around to any other prayers. (And if we did get that far, there would be pride to deal with!)

The author of Hebrews wrote, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (4:15-16). I see nothing there that indicates God is waiting for us to clean ourselves up before we can come into His presence. He knows our weaknesses, sin, and blind spots, and He loves us anyway. He wants to hear from His children at any and all times. His grace and mercy far exceed our ability to obey perfectly.

One might bring up James 5:16, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” It is true that confession will always be a recurring part of our prayer times, but it does not need to be so meticulous and detailed that we have time for nothing else. However, it is also true that the believer is clothed in Jesus’ righteousness and therefore does not need to fear the condemnation due to sinners. “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness…” (Isaiah 61:10). It is because of Christ’s righteousness that we can draw near with confidence, not because of any righteousness we have in ourselves. In Him, “we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him” (Ephesians 3:13). I have difficulty singing a certain familiar hymn that downplays faith in God’s redeeming work and stresses obedience as the source of blessing.

Prayer should be something that brings joy and encouragement, not a sense of dread and obligation to do it just right. We should delight in spending time with our Heavenly Father, communing with Him, learning from Him, and receiving correction and strength from Him.

“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.

New and Improved

In some recent reading I encountered the idea of “sins of identity,” where we justify or even celebrate sin by saying “That’s just the way I am.” In our scientific-oriented society, we tend to point to biological factors to explain and excuse the way we think, feel, and behave. But a genetic proclivity towards alcoholism (for example) does not mean drunkenness is okay. Genes are only part of the story.

I think sometimes the difficulty comes in discerning what things are truly sin and what are just normal variances in personality types and interests. To take this a step further, what elements of personality and socialization are part of the flesh and therefore eliminated in the new creation, and what ones are not? I don’t think heaven will come with a complete personality overhaul. However, if anything is related to fear/anxiety or pride/shame, obviously that will have to be removed. The question is, what should that look like now as we are being conformed to the image of Christ and transformed by the renewing of the mind?

I started researching Scriptures that speak to the difference between the old man and the new creation. Probably Galatians 5:19-23 is the clearest list of what needs to go and what needs to grow:

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (ESV, see also Colossians 3).

I’m sure we can all find some things in those verses that we need to work on. My prayer at this point is that God would give me specific direction and reproof where needed, and would remove any false guilt the enemy seeks to lay on me. I don’t want to become overly introspective, but nor do I want to become calloused to God’s work in my life. Finding that balance is not easy. It is clear that we all have blind spots, and the things I see in myself may not be my biggest problems. It would be easy to tune out what others may have to say.

As I was thinking about the contrast between old and new, I coincidentally read a couple different chapters and took note of these verses:

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ...” (Philippians 3:8).

“I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced” (2 Corinthians 12:21). “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” (Philippians 3:19).

What stood out to me was that in Christ even the good seems bad, but in the flesh even the bad seems good. For those who know the surpassing worth of Christ, even the best achievements and successes of life pale in comparison. But for those who do not value Christ, all the evils of this world start to look desirable and laudable. I think of some who claim to be Christian but have embraced a sinful identity, and I wonder if they will be among those who hear “Depart from Me, I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23). I pray that those I love will not fall into that trap of self-deception.

My hope is that I would never desire anything above the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ” and I would “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). And as we heard in last Sunday’s sermon on Wisdom & Discipline, we who are in the Body of Christ have an obligation to remind and correct one another in love. May we never shirk that duty out of fear or ignorance.

“The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 15:31-33).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan.

Just Rest

I want to share a couple more quotes and thoughts from When God Doesn’t Fix It, by Laura Story. In the long journey of her husband’s health issues she wrote, “It took me several years to realize that it wasn’t a detour; it was the road.” As she reflected on that, she heard God asking, “If I called you to stay how you are right now, will you be content, or will there always be something else you want?” (127-128).

Those are both good points worth considering. I often find myself thinking, “Once that happens, I’ll have a clear path ahead and I’ll know where I’m going,” but the detour keeps curving further away from what I think must be the “real” road. I can’t count the number of times I thought I knew what the future held, only to find my path going somewhere entirely different. (Career planning in high school and college is somewhat of a fruitless endeavor.) Even in smaller decisions I think, “This is just a temporary thing and pretty soon life will get back to normal.” But normal never comes.

So her question is a good one—will I be content with where I am today, or always looking for something to change? The New Testament authors speak of contentment fairly often:

• Hebrews 13:5 - “…Be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
• 1 Timothy 6:6 - “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”
• Philippians 4:11 - “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”
• 2 Corinthians 12:10 - “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Contentment is portrayed as peaceful; restful; enjoying the journey because Christ is present. Discontentment robs today of the abundant life and fullness of joy that Jesus promised (John 10:10, 15:11). I would like to say I’m striving for contentment, but I’m pretty sure that’s not how you get it. It’s kind of like seeking sleep—you don’t get it by working really hard, but by relaxing and letting go. (I’m not too good at that either.)

I find there is also a fine line between acceptance and apathy, and one can sometimes lead to the other. It’s okay to say, “God, I don’t much like this, but I trust that You are in control and I’m good with that.” However, it becomes a problem when you say, “This is never going to change and I give up!” That is not an indicator of trusting God but of bitterness and unbelief. In a sermon on Hebrews 4:1-11 John Piper stated,

“Fear the unbelief that will keep you from your promised rest (4:1). Do you see the great lesson here? The Christian life is a life of day by day, hour by hour trust in the promises of God to help us and guide us and take care of us and forgive us and bring us into a future of holiness and joy that will satisfy our hearts infinitely more than if we forsake him and put our trust in ourselves or in the promises of this world.”

My desire as I start the New Year is to find peace in the present moment. I’m not going to turn that into a resolution because that sounds too much like an exercise in futility. At this point, I’m not even sure what this will look like. It may require stopping some things—criticism, cynicism, and daydreaming—and replacing them with worship, prayer, and seeking God’s direction and wisdom. Perhaps a good question to ask is: What road am I looking for—mine or God’s?

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

© 2016 Dawn Rutan. 

Tell Me Again

I’ve been reading Laura Story’s book When God Doesn’t Fix It. She makes some good points and asks some challenging questions. In talking about the man who was born blind, whose story is in John 9, she gives evidence that verses 3-5 are often misunderstood because of the way they are translated:

Scholars believe this sentence… should be read as: “‘Neither this many nor his parents sinner,’ said Jesus. ‘But so that the work of God might be displayed in his life, we must do the work of him who sent me while it is still day.’” As The NIV Application Commentary explains, “The purpose clause now explains that Jesus must work so that God’s work may be displayed in this man’s life. God had not made the man blind in order to show his glory; rather, God has sent Jesus to do works on healing in order to show his glory. The theological nuance of the two translations cannot be more different.” (137-138)

She goes on to say that when we encounter suffering and difficulties, rather than asking why it happened, we would be better served to ask “How might my Father’s glory be displayed through this situation?” That’s not always easy to do, and we may not immediately find an answer to that question either. But it does help to get our focus back where it belongs.

In looking back over the year, I know there have been a lot of times I’ve been looking answers and not finding them. Then this morning as I was getting ready for work I heard the song Save My Life by Sidewalk Prophets. You can read the lyrics here. 

If I’m honest with myself, I’m not sure I really care why things happen or what God might do through them. What I really want to know is that I’m not alone or forgotten. I think that is true for most people. We usually don’t need someone to tell us the Bible answers (or secular answers!). What we need is a bunch of people to remind us that God loves us and they love us and aren’t going to leave us. Laura Story comments about the weeks she spent at her husband’s side in the hospital:

More than flowers or cartons of greasy Chinese food, the greatest thing people brought me was their presence. During the wait, which eventually stretched over two days and nights, my favorite visitors were the ones who said the three magic words: not “I love you,” or even, “I am praying,” but, “Here’s your latte.” Those words made me smile each time I heard them because the people who brought me lattes weren’t trying to give me answers. They were just trying to give me coffee. They say with me and wept with me and never said a word. They were the ones who refilled my empty cup. (53-54)

I might disagree about the words “I love you,” but her sentiment is right on. True community and fellowship in the Body of Christ is so much more than just studying Scripture and finding answers. It is about being present in one another’s lives especially when we don’t have any answers to give. I think the local church tends to struggle with this because it is something that can’t be programmed. We can schedule potluck dinners and Bible studies and build greeting time into our Sunday morning service, but we can’t schedule loving one another. Some people are better at this than others (and they tend to get appointed as deacons and deaconesses), but none of us are off the hook. Love God and love others are the two things we’re all supposed to be doing.

Getting ready for a new year, I needed this reminder both in terms of what I expect from other people and how I can serve others. It gives me some guidelines by which I can evaluate what activities I need to be involved in and what ones I can let go. It challenges me to look beyond myself, but also to look beyond the Bible answers to see the people in need.

“These things I command you, so that you will love one another” (John 15:17 ESV).

© 2015 Dawn Rutan. Picture by Dawn Rutan.