Believe it or not, this is the actual title of a televised sermon I watched last night.
It was a little after 9, the kids had just gone to bed, and I was idly flipping through the channels looking for something to watch so I wouldn't die of boredom while folding laundry. What I ended up viewing was fascinating, in an I-can't-believe-I'm-actually-hearing-this kind of way.
It started out OK. The preacher hammered home the need to guard against enabling people who continually take advantage of others' kindness; to be discerning when it comes to the negative, controlling people in our lives. It sounded more like a therapy session than a sermon, I thought, but maybe he was just trying to offer a very practical, specific application of a Scripture passage. I kept listening.
About halfway through, I stopped folding laundry, grabbed a pen and paper, and began writing down quotes I found particularly astonishing coming from someone who calls himself a follower of Christ:
"I had to do what I felt good about."
"Follow your own heart." (This said repeatedly)
I gotta do what's best for me - that's my 1st priority."
"We live to please everyone else, but we need to take time to please ourselves."
Not a word about living for CHRIST & His glory, about following the Savior, about actually praying for and loving negative people in my life, about making GOD's agenda first priority. As if my own heart is an accurate gage of truth!!
The Scripture he threw out was Song of Solomon 1:6. "They made me a caretaker of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not tended." And the point he made from that one verse (actually only half a verse) was that the most important thing we can do is to take care of our own vineyard. And how is this accomplished? Get away from people who make you feel bad about yourself and only associate with people who don't pressure you or demand anything from you. Because it's all about YOU and YOUR vineyard.
About a dozen Scriptures are parading through my head right now, but I'm not writing to make an argument; this entire line of reasoning is pretty obviously anti-biblical. I guess what saddened me the most was seeing the thousands of people in the audience, nodding along and applauding. Yes, I'm a victim of mean people - I need to start putting myself first. And then there's the viewing audience, probably thousands more. I pray that their eyes will be opened to the hope and the joy that are found only through complete surrender to Christ. And I pray that God will continue to open my eyes to selfishness and pride in my own life. But for the grace of God . . .
4 comments:
i love that you would post something like this! thank you for taking your faith seriously enough to run it through the grid of Scripture.
Paul considered the bereans noble for doing the same thing.
Maybe i'll start calling you "noble qt"
even when I'm negative and critical? :-)
Isn't it sad when those who already have so much still want it to be all about themselves? We just spent this morning at an old folk's home that is run by a pastor (who also oversees 5 small churches) These people are generally 65-90 years old, and they still look out for one another and "prefer one another in love." Of all the places we go and do med clnics, by far this is my favorite place to minister. Always receive a blessing from these dear old saints!
Anna - THE most encouraging thing for me while in hs/college was a group of older ladies in my church, who would send me cards and and consistently offer up prayers on my behalf. Even when I did a terrible job on a song, they'd always come to me with tears in their eyes saying how great it was. They were truly rich in love; not just looking for ways to protect themselves or their interests. I pray that I can follow their example as I grow older . . .
I wonder what Jesus could have meant by "Love your enemies" ?
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