Henderson Hills Baptist Church

The Currency of Christmas

Part 4

So, what should we do when genuine wrong has occurred?  I often find it easier to say what not to do than what to do.  There are certain reactions that are obviously wrong.  Striking out in anger and retaliation are obviously inappropriate. 

Someone in our church decided that I needed a member of the law enforcement community to hang around with me on the weekends when I’m leading the public meetings.  I guess they are afraid that I’m going to hurt somebody.  Actually, it started after a pastor in Tulsa received a substantial blow to the face by an unstable man who came up to him during an altar call.  One of the police officers who walks around with me is a deacon in our church and a former college football lineman.  One weekend, he was back by my office with his youngest son who is still in a stroller.  This kid is probably in the 120% for his height and weight but he is still a very young little guy.  My wife, Marcia, who absolutely love babies and takes time to talk with every little person that she runs across, saw the little man in the stroller, bent down, got close to his face and was loving on him.  Well, the little guy didn’t like the stranger in his face so he doubled up his fist and hauled off and smacked Marcia in the nose, knocking her back on her heels and ultimately square on her bottom.  It was awesome!  This big baby did what came naturally when a person got into his face.  The problem is that so many of us “mature” Christians are still doing the same thing.  Our creed is, “Hurt me, I’m going to hurt you.”  We can understand and excuse babies but there is no excuse for big boys and girls. 

Ro 12:19 (ESV) 
¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

In fact, there are many times in the New Testament that Christians are commanded to break away from the world’s ways of dealing with insults, hurts, and undeserved pain.  Here is a brief list.  Read the words and think about your own way of dealing with those who hurt you.  Take down your self-defense mechanism and be honest with yourself.

Eph 4:31 (ESV) 
³¹Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Col 3:13 (ESV) 
¹³bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Tit 3:2 (ESV) 
²to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

Jas 4:11 (ESV) 
¹¹Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

So, what should you do when someone offends you?  Take a deep breath and honestly ask yourself the question “Is this something that offends my little kingdom of self or is this something that will genuinely damage the big kingdom of God?”  No one wants to be a doormat.  Gwen Stefani has penned the lyrics of a song that has not yet made it to the Dennis Newkirk Top 1,000,000 List yet.  But you’ve got to admit, while this song is probably not destined to reach the immortal heights of say, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by Lennon and McCartney, she is making a statement that expresses the sentiments of most people.  Just hum along as you read the lyrics to “Doormat.”

I'm not your doormat, your floormat 
So don't wipe your feet on me 
I'm not the only Garibaldi 
There's more fish in the sea 
I'm not your puppy, nor goldfish 
So don't treat me like your pet 
I'm not your butterfly, so don't try 
To chase me with your net I'm 
not your kneaded eraser 
So don't you wear me down 
I'm not your sledge, sledge hammer 
I'm no tool, that you pound 
I'm not your blacktop, for hopscotch 
So don't jump all over me 
I'm not the place where the dogs roam 
At the bottom of the tree Don't you 
treat me like I have no feelings 
Don't you treat me like that, I have feelings 
Don't treat me like that 
Don't you treat me like that 
Don't treat me like that 
Don't you treat me like that! I'm not 
your carefree, nor sugarless 
Like the gum on your shoe, 
I'm not the ring 'round your finger 
Nor am I wrapped around you 
I'm not your shoe string, your rope thing 
So don't tie me in a knot 
I'm not your asphalt, with oil spots 
So don't use me as a parking lot 

Ok, it is probably a generational thing but those words don’t exactly speak to me.  The sentiment does, but I’ll bet the song is hard to dance to!  That’s the problem; it speaks so clearly to us because we so often say “Don’t treat me like that.”  We might not say those exact words out loud but we say them clearly to ourselves.  There comes a time to leave childish things behind (see 1 Cor 13) and concern ourselves with the good of God’s kingdom.  When that is the case, you’ll act very differently than you do when the little kingdom of self is violated.  Remember, you are not here to protect yourself, justify yourself, promote yourself, or glorify yourself.  You are here to protect, promote, and glorify God’s kingdom.  And when you do that, you’ll find that it is far easier to forgive and even take that amazing step of actually asking for forgiveness. 

Is there a time when sins against the big kingdom must be dealt with in a decisive way?  Yes there are times.  However, remember not to mix little kingdom junk up in what you do in those extraordinary situations. 

Let me wrap this up.  When you live for the kingdom of God, you will live humbly.  Humility requires that we sincerely seek God’s forgiveness and the forgiveness of others.  It also calls us to the amazing grace of truly granting this most precious of gifts.  Anyone can arrogantly protect themselves by refusing to acknowledge mistakes and ask forgiveness.  That is the stuff the little kingdom thrives on; it is the atmosphere of the self.  Likewise, withholding forgiveness requires no classes.  We’ve all already in graduate school in that department.  Christ calls you to something very different.  The big kingdom operates on humility, transparency, and faith that God will ultimately settle things.  Grace overflows from the big kingdom like laughter bubbles out of children on the playground.  That grace will radically transform the way you treat other people.  It will heighten your desire to be at peace with family members, friends, and even strangers.  Grace releases you to admit failure and ask for forgiveness.  Grace will free you to utter those golden words, “I forgive you.”  And finally, grace will provide the tranquility to accept it when those words are never given to you. 

The currency of Christmas was paid when God came here to freely pour out His generous forgiveness and reconciliation to those who could do nothing to earn it.  What does that prove?  Among other things, it proves that only the strongest will give forgiveness and work toward reconciliation.

2 Peter 3:18

Dennis

Attributions and Recommended Reading

Paul David Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands

Gene Edwards, Exquisite Agony