Walk as Children of the Light

The startling crack of a branch in the deep darkness of the woods stopped me in my tracks. I was halfway down the trail toward the lodge without a flashlight. Darkness had long engulfed me after leaving my cabin. I was trusting the feel of path beneath my feet and the presence of the tree trunks to guide me where I needed to go.

I could hear my heart pounding. It was trying to keep up with my racing mind. Funny how the mind creates all sorts of scenarios when partial information needs the cracks to be filled up! I had only heard the day before that a prisoner had escaped incarceration from a nearby prison. Of course, not knowing whether or not that person had been apprehended, my mind just knew that the escapee was nearby in the pitch-black, mysterious darkness just out of my reach.

Vulnerability and fear reached up and grabbed me by the neck. I was momentarily immobilized, not know which was to go…either forward or backward! A decision had to be made quickly. Was the trip forward worth it, or was it wise and prudent to retreat?

Originally, my main reason for going to the  main lodge was just to check in and interact with the other counselors after a long hard day. It had been a Friday, after a long week with 5^th and 6^th grade boys, where we capped everything off with some pretty fun stuff. Like water balloon fights. Like pie eating contests. And then, late evening swinging of newly cut grapevines over the ravine behind our cabin.

Was my reason for going to the lodge strong enough to make me push through my fear? No! I sheepishly retreated back to my cabin. I noticed that with my first glimpse of the porch light at my cabin, my fears began to subside proportionately to the steps I had left in order to make it there! Fortunately, the boys in my cabin were asleep and I did not have to answer any inquiries about where I had been and why my trip had been so short.

After this episode I really appreciated the picture or illustration used by the apostle Paul when he encourages disciples of Jesus “to walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). Simply put, to walk this way means to imitate God and Christ in one’s life.

How does one imitate God? How does one imitate Christ? Pretty tall order, don’t you think?!

This life of imitation (walking in the light) means that I learn to love as God loves. It also means I am careful how I talk to others and about others. It means I do not walk with others and follow others into the darkness.

I remember one time as a young person hearing my grandmother say, “Nothing good happens after dark!” It was a way of making sure we would be in the house before dark. Under cover of darkness things happen that should not.

Why should I strive to walk in light? Here is Paul’s rationale: “for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true” (Ephesians 5:9).

Good. Right. True. What a wonderful trilogy! But this three-fold fruit of virtues is not easily won. Paul is clear here: it comes from spiritual discernment. Am I able to make a clear and decisive choice in my life about what is good? What about what is right? And, what about those things that are true?

Good. Goodness. Light is good! It certainly was good for me at during that late-night scamper back to the cabin. Such “goodness” is also identified by Paul as a fruit of the Spirit. There is a tendency by those who are short-sighted to make fun of anything good. But goodness is at the heart of a daily way of life that keeps God at the center!

Right. Righteousness. This is the work of God on our behalf and through us. We become the flashlight of God’s presence in a world of darkness where people are lost and cannot find their way back to their cabins. If I am living “right,” then I am a living, tangible moral GPS for others who need directions. The way the apostle Paul talks about righteousness is to make sure we know it is a process and direction.

True. Truthfulness. Authenticity. We find out that grace and truth come through Jesus Christ. The astounding thing about Jesus as risen Lord is that he embodied what was true. Philosophers for centuries have debated about truth and its nature. Jesus was and is truth in his very nature. I want to be true in my relationship commitments, and I want to be truthful in what I say. This kind of faithful and authentic life of commitment is what our society is starving for!

I especially think of how our society is starving for transformational Christian leaders who take this stuff seriously. Leaders who are good. Leaders who are right. Leaders who are true. Where have they all gone?

Leaders who are good. Actually the word “goodness” (ἀγαθωσύνῃ) is  used which is a noun. We are not talking about a description of leaders (“good” in this case would be an adjective describing some characteristic of a leader). We are talking about a state of being, the essence of leaders. That “goodness” comes from God. Leaders who are God-centered, God-focused, God-caring and who understand the sovereign activity of God as a “Heart-knower.” Transformational leaders above all things are concerned with matters of the heart!

Leaders who are right. Actually the word “righteousness” (δικαιοσύνῃ) is used which is a noun. We are not talking about a description of leaders (“right” in this case would be an adjective describing an essential characteristic of leader who makes right choices). We are talking here about a state of being, the essence of leaders. This “righteousness” has to do with our right standing before God. It is not based on our performance nor is it based on our behavior. It is based on the gift of Christ as the cross who paid it all for us. “In all righteousness” means God’s work in the leader’s life.  Transformational leaders above all things are concerned with their and others’ standing before God and how Christ has made it right!

Leaders who are true. Actually the word “true”( ἀληθείᾳ) is used as a noun. We are not talking about whether a leader is true or a fake (“true in this case would be an adjective describing, once again, an essential characteristic of a leader who is trying to be authentic). Rather, we are talking about Christian transformational leaders who embody the truth of Jesus. Jesus’ early claim in the gospel of John that “I am the way, the truth, and the life” was a claim that astounded everyone around him. Philosophers, religious leaders, etc. had all been on a search for the way, the truth, and what life was all about. However, Jesus embodied all three. Any and all searches end with him. He is the truth. Christian leaders in a deep and authentic way are indeed the embodiment of truth as much as is humanly possible.

When my oldest daughter was very young (probably around 4 or 5), one evening she wanted to accompany me to my woodshop where I desperately needed to finish a project on time. As we walked out the back porch to head in that direction, I noticed that the back porch light was out. We were going to have to make the trip to the shed in the dark. My daughter instantly grabbed my hand, and looked up at me and said, “I am not afraid, Daddy, I am holding your hand!” The wood project in the shop was overshadowed by a powerful lesson to my heart that was “out of the mouth of babes!”

May we walk as children of the light, Christian transformational leaders,  trying to discern what is pleasing to the Lord! In this kind of walk, we offer light to those in darkness.  We are, through Christ, walking in the light wherein is all goodness, righteousness and truth!

In Christian love, Curtis

APPLYING CHRISTIAN FREEDOM

I have been reflecting lately on the practice of Christian freedom. It is both highly prized by Paul and misunderstood by millions since Paul. On both ends of a spectrum of understanding, it cannot mean the freedom to do whatever I want on one end and demanding that others see things the way I do on the other end. The understanding and practice of Christian freedom is between these two polarities. This is precisely because it brings into tension my free will and the free will of others. It brings together my singular will and my communal responsibilities. This is why it is so hard to conceptualize, discuss in a civil way, and even to put into practice. Allow me to offer a few suggestions on this vital topic.

          First, Christian freedom allows me to say “no” to something, not because of a legalistic requirement, but because of brotherly love and agape. Paul indicates that if I “grieve” someone because I choose to exercise my freedom and flaunt it in that person’s face, then I am “no longer walking in love” (Romans 14:15). I see this as a universal Pauline principle for fellowship: whatever my Christian freedom allows me to do, it must do so in the posture of “walking in love.”

          Second, believe it or not, there are some priorities and values in the kingdom higher than Christian freedom.  Conscience issues and making someone stumble have to be uppermost in my mind. Guess what some of those priorities are? According to Paul, they are our pursuit of “what makes for peace and for mutual up-building”(Romans 14:19).

Third, whatever position we take on an issue because of our Christian freedom to do so, whether we engage in something or refrain from it, we do so to honor the Lord, and we give thanks to God at the same time (Romans 14:6). Each one of us has to give an account of ourselves to God in the end (Romans 14:12), so we must allow each person to work their own personal freedom out with the Lord.

Fourth, in exercising our Christian freedom,  we need to remember that  the apostle Paul admonishes us  not to despise the one who cannot share our freedom of choice (Romans 14:3). It is so tempting to look down upon and despise someone who is not at our place of understanding. Neither despising nor passing judgment on others is our Christian duty toward one another.  We have to learn how to be responsibly free with our Christian freedom.

Application for Transformational Leadership…many times leaders have had more experiences and greater insights to Christian freedom. Consequently, they may feel more “liberated” and not as bound to many of the traditions among which they lead and serve. However, the four things mentioned above have tremendous implications for Christian leaders who intentionally want to function as transformational leaders.

Some things we say “no” to regarding our own practices and personal preferences precisely because we know we are leading others who not as mature and would be offended or hurt by our practice of freedom. The principle of “walking in love” applies to everything we do in our servant-leadership capacity. We are sensitive to others’ consciences. We must allow those we serve the space to work out their own issues. And, we must not look down upon or reject others because they are not where we are in their understanding and practice.

May God grant us wisdom as we seek to individually live out our Christian freedom in the collective body of Christ that is filled with others also trying to understand and work out their own Christian freedom. May we always “walk in love” and pursue “what makes for peace and mutual up-building.”

In Christian love, Curtis

You did not so learn Christ!

In Ephesians 4:17-24 Paul points out to his readers that he knows where they have come from, and how hard it is to change one’s life. He utilizes “put on” and “put off” imperative language to challenge his readers to take this conversion process seriously.

          To describe their lifestyle, the apostle Paul uses the literal word “to walk around.” He admonishes them to no longer walk around (live) as the Gentiles walk around (live). “Gentiles” was a pejorative term, and almost a slur, against people who were not Jewish and were an example of just letting their passions rule their life.

          This describes many of Paul’s Christian friends and their past life in Ephesus. What was the “Gentile” past life like? Paul uses four participles (verbs with “-ing” endings) to describe it in the fullest of pictures.

·       Having been darkened in their understanding

·       Having been alienated from the life of God

·       Having (being) ignorance in them

·       Having given themselves up to a life of sensuality

These four descriptions indicate why it was so hard for many of his readers to “walk worthy of the calling with which they had been called”(4:1).

All of this was being done “in the futility of their minds”(4:17). This refers to their thought-world being so empty of anything with real purpose that they were drifting through life aimlessly. There was no thought of consequences related to their daily choices. This way of living was labeled by Paul as the “old man.”

When Paul indicated that they had no so learned Christ, he is actually pinpointing the process of “unlearning.” Part of conversion is the initial unlearning replaced with learning. The former way of life is being exchanged for a new way of life. This is the miraculous power of the Good News of Jesus!

In this Pauline pericope what catches the ear of the transformational Christian leader is the process of putting off the old man and putting on the new man. It is both a divine and  human process whereby the mystery of transformation occurs.

Christian leaders who care about others and their Christian growth are reminded of the following realities of life that Paul addresses here:

1.     It takes a long time for people to change their thought world.

2.     A former way of life, being alienated from God, is being exchanged for a new of life where a new relationship with God is being established.

3.     We can never under-estimate the ignorance of individuals coming to the faith.

4.     A life of sensuality can make a person calloused and unfeeling toward others. Re-awakening the conscience in this area will take time and patience.

5.     Our role as leaders is to continually keep before others the model of Jesus, teaching and embodying life-changing truths that others need to see.

All of this make a huge difference—the difference between a life of emptiness or a life of holiness! May God give every Christian servant-leader a “renewal in the spirit of our minds” (4:23) such that others may see the truth of Jesus living in us!   

In Christian love, Curtis

The Winsome Way of Seeing Others

Pastoral leadership is inherently endearing. This means that Christian leaders are servants who hold their fellow Christians in highest esteem. This is demonstrated by the language one uses to identify the body of Christ. I am fascinated by John the Apostle’s use of two terms in 1 John chapter 2. He designates his readers as “My little children,” and “Beloved.”

          “My little children”—what a winsome way to refer to his fellow Christians. The assumption is that he is referring to fellow believers who are  young in the faith. Either John himself or another apostle or strong Christian leader has most likely led these believers to their lifetime commitment to Jesus. I wonder what difference it would make if all of us who are Christian servant-leaders viewed others in the body of Christ for whom we have a spiritual stewardship as our “little children?”

          This implies a tender feeling and response to their tenuous, early attempts at taking their early steps in the Christian walk. “My little children” falter and wobble in that step, and yet we rejoice because they are taking one step after another trying to follow Jesus.

          “Beloved” is the other winsome way that John refers to his fellow Christians. This is a fascinating word because it basically means being in the constant state of being loved by someone. And that state of being loved never changes. The one who is beloved can never become un-beloved! Interestingly, in Ephesians Jesus is identified with the same term as “Beloved.” Being a recipient of God’s gracious love and mercy stamps one as being “Beloved.”

          This implies an acceptance our part of one another, even in spite of our sinful selves. Cracked pots and warts-and-all define us in our humanity. Though we feel such insignificance and unworthy to be loved, Christian servant-leaders demonstrate love and acceptance toward others as always being “Beloved.” No mistake, no sin, no injustice, can erase the fact that we all stand beloved in Christ.

          What a way for Christian servant leaders to live! This winsome way of seeing fellow Christians as “our little children” and “beloved” radically changes the fundamental vision and practice of fellowship in the body of Christ.  These are spiritual terms of endearment. May we see others this way to the glory of God!

In Christian love, Curtis