In the military I
learned: “Loose lips sink ships”. I
wasn’t in the Navy, but all the branches of the military service used this
saying. We do live in a world full of
evil and trickery. Deception is the rule
and every man for himself is the motto by which we do business. Our business affairs are not necessarily what
we want the world to know. People and
corporations depend on someone, anyone, to be a conduit of information that
will expose the soft spot or vulnerable place we have and where they can best
attack. Trickery is all around us. It’s in our relationships (we expect it from
our enemies), our work, and our business if we own one. There are always going to be those whose goal
in life is to take or destroy that which they cannot possess. This goes for everything from shoelaces to
children for sale. We tend to close one
eye or turn the head when we really, really, really, need that contract. We use trickery and call it good business. Outside the church the trickery is even
worse! Unfortunately, most of the
problems can and do begin with people who are living surrendered lives.
The word “trickery” implies deception,
cheating, lying, and false reports among individuals up to and including every
leader business or otherwise. Through
the process of rationalization and justification we proclaim ourselves immune
to that which governs the world. But are
we? I don’t think we are. In fact, we become the catalysts for this
ungodly practice. In the past couple of decades,
we have seen many religious leaders taken down by their ungodly living and
boasting that they were godly. We have
also seen the rise and fall of our political leaders for much the same
reason. There are even some who are
brazen enough to propose that trickery is from God. It is from the god of this world, Satan. However, the Lord God of heaven and earth has
no trickery about him. It is in us. People just like you and I who are wanting to
be we like to be seen rather than the reality our lives represent. I’ve mentioned it before that this started in
the Garden with Adam and Eve. They
succumbed to the trickery of the father of lies, Satan. We have been fighting that sin in our lives
ever since. Satan used 3 different means
of trickery to wedge Adam and Eve away from God’s care. Those are: manipulation, control and
secrecy. In this “buyer beware” world we
live in we need to assess when we find ourselves entertaining these three. Let’s look at them a bit closer.
Manipulation is a formidable foe for the
Christian. We have manipulation in our
lives from conception to physical death.
Satan began with, “Surely you won’t die.” and is still using that line
to deceive the “very elect.” He took a
third of heaven to hell when he tried that line on God. We need to understand that this part of the
battle is way bigger than we realized and way more dangerous than anyone can
possibly conceive of. For different
circumstances in my life before I gave my life to Jesus and after, I have
manipulated. I’ve even gone so far as to
rationalize and justify the manipulation of words, thoughts and deeds to obtain
the end I wanted. Manipulation can be
simple words to complex orchestration over time. Sometimes it’s out in the open and we can see
it for what it is. Most often it’s
concealed (secrecy) to bring the manipulation to fruition. In any case, manipulation is not a
characteristic of God. It’s a lie from
the pit of hell brought to and through the unsuspecting people around us. Do we ask ourselves about this behavior? Not usually.
Okay, only when we get caught and are held accountable. Are you not “buying” the argument?
In this first example I will show how
many reading this are conniving to manipulate right this very moment. We have the stamp of approval from the world
making this manipulation okay to do.
Many pastors and other church leaders utilize this manipulation as
well. What is it? Go out in your church parking lot on Sunday
or whenever you worship and count the cars with radar detectors on their dashes
or visors. The radar detection is a
device used to manipulate our justification and rationalization to speed. In other words, sin. While employed as a police officer I have
been pulled over a few times for speeding.
When the officer came up to get my license and registration (along with
proof of insurance) I opened my “badge” wallet where my “badge” was clearly
displayed. Except in extreme
circumstances no police officer will give a ticket to another police officer. Let’s not take ourselves off track. What I did when I put my “badge” out there
was manipulate the circumstances so that I would not get a ticket. It wasn’t right then and isn’t right now for
anyone who claims to belong to Jesus.
How about the person who avoids the stop light or stop sign by crossing
through the business on the corners drive and parking area? Manipulating having to stop for the stop sign
or the stop signal. So, we use
manipulation to take advantage of the situation. It’s not right. It’s sin.
Manipulation is everywhere. There is no part of life where manipulation
has not had serious long term affects.
Look at us. Look at me. Look at you.
Which one of us can say we have not manipulated. “If you eat your peas, you will get ice cream
for dessert.” “If you let me go officer,
I won’t do it again.” The list goes on
and on. You have your manipulative lines
and thoughts just like the rest of us.
“I’ll get a beer and sit back now that I have finished the lawn.” The reward for right living for the Christian
is a white robe and entry into heaven upon our earthly demise. We are not to seek any favor except from God
in the forgiveness of our sins. Yet,
parent manipulates child and likewise children manipulate their parents. Employers manipulate their workers and
workers manipulate their employers. Politicians
manipulate the people and special interest groups manipulate the
politicians. And all the while Satan is
watching from the corner of the room with a big grin on his face. Don’t worry, he will remind you of the evil
within you for the rest of your life.
Your failings will never be far from you. Unless you engage the best lawyer and allow
him to plead your case. Who is that? It is the Lord Jesus who has paid for ALL our
sins. It’s been done. Throw off the shackles and burdens created by
your manipulation. Remember, if you
don’t feel close to God, guess who moved.
Move back.
Control is the second element. We are a world of control freaks. Some to a minor degree and others to a major
degree. The bulk of the people fall in
between those two extremes. Okay, all of
us fall between the two extremes. No one
is innocent. No one escapes being
subjected to control. No can say they
have not ever acted without being controlling.
Things get a little bit mixed up when we talk about control. Perhaps a bit of the gray zone that we hear
so much about. Maybe we have even used
the gray zone to create our own control.
Regardless, control belongs to God and him alone. When we say we are surrendered to Jesus we
are saying that we give up our controlling ways. So, then, the saying is true that “it is no
longer I who live but Christ who lives within me.” There is not room for two. If we take control it means that we have
taken control back from God. After all,
our judgments are so much better than his.
Control is very different from responsibility. Control is self-centered (sin) and the Bible
instructs to stay away from sin. While
in the Christian’s life responsible is what God wants us to be and to practice
responsibility in all areas of our life.
When we practice responsibility to God in our lives there is no need for
control.
Often, we exercise control that we feel
we need to accomplice something. For instance,
if we want to lose weight we need to control the amount and kinds of food we
have. We also must control our
inactivity with exercise. I have a hard
time with both! Sometimes we need to
exercise control over things our children “want” but really don’t “need”. My son wants a Corvette. He needs a 78 Chevrolet Caprice. Our wants often translate to need when we enter
the rationalizing and justifying behavior.
The ability of parents to transfer good self-control to their children
should be visible to those around them.
As I look around me, I don’t see very much of that going on. Parents have taken themselves out of the role
of teacher and leader in a lot of families.
Working two parent households often leave the kids as their own parents
for long periods of the day. They then
control their world and often much of their parents’ world as well. Add insult to injury, the liberals tell our
children they can have sex, take drugs safely, get abortions, and report their
parents if they intervene. Control has
destroyed the family as God intended it to be.
I admit that my actions and inactions have contributed to where my kids
are in life. Take that last statement
and enter in the thought of whether I meant positively or negatively. What is the legacy I am leaving for my
children? If anything is of value that I
can pass on to them it’s the knowledge of a loving God who will take care of
all our needs and wants, you to be free of the control they hold onto. Your life will not crumble if you let go.
There are going to be control issues that
you have, your spouse has, your kids have, and your friends have. Add to that the control that your work has
over you, the IRS, and a host of other dictating entities and it’s easy to be
overwhelmed. The Bible is clear that
God’s plan is good and at best our plan is bad.
Purely from a motive standpoint we can see this as we say that we love
God but doubt he will meet our needs. So,
we take the control. The motive is that
we make sure that the need is taken care of.
There is a story of a man who was climbing up a mountain in the
thickening fog when he slid off the trail and over a cliff. He grasped onto the trunk of a small tree
jutting out of the rock wall and held on.
He began yelling for someone to help him. After a few moments a voice said to him,
“I’ll help you.” The man was grateful
and asked how he was going to be rescued.
The voice told him to “just let go and I’ll catch you.” There was a pause for a couple of moments
before the man began yelling: “Is there anyone else out there?” We want God to come to our rescue and to meet
our needs all on our terms. If our terms
are part of the equation we have not let, go of control. As we begin to examine our lives we find
there is no one we really could trust to let go and be caught. As the fog cleared for the man on the
mountain side he was able to look down.
There a foot below him was a large rock ledge where he would have landed
safely if he had just obeyed the voice and let go. We don’t always see the hand of God because
our hands are in front of our eyes. God
has infinite ways to take care of our needs should we surrender control. Subsequently, the control we exercise in our
lives (already mentioned) is really the controlling hand of God taking care of
us and those we love when we are surrendered to him.
This
world is full of trickery which permeates all of our life. However, we don’t need to succumb to
trickery. Simply asking God for
direction, following that direction and not doubting will aid us in staying
true. When manipulation and control are
properly under the hand of God we have nothing to boast of except Christ in
us. Love is not boastful. Love in humility in the loving hand of
God. Love is passing that love onto our
fellow man. Let’s look at the last item
involved in our Christian walk.
Secrets
are so powerful! They should be
outlawed. Okay, that will never
work. What are secrets? Secrets are any part of something that is
hidden. Secreted away where no one can
see them. Hidden in the recesses of our
minds (and the minds of others). Some
secrets are hidden in that they are never spoken about. But everyone knows. Secrets are necessary and not necessary. For instance, knowing the secret password can
unlock your computer and special folders and programs. The secret password keeps the rest
secret. To prove my point, look at those
who are in the business of hacking. They
are looking for secrets of others. While
our best efforts to keep secrets safe, it isn’t enough to keep from being hacked. Then there are secrets that are known to
another or two and is meant to be “our” little secret. Sounds like a clique, walks like a clique,
hmmm must be a clique. So, mom and dad
keep the secret that Santa and the Easter Bunny aren’t real. Politicians keep the secret of what really
goes on at Area 51. Your wife/husband
keep secrets from each other. Might be
their gambling, an affair, double standard in parenting, or even parts of your
faith.
What
do the secrets produce? When made aware
of a secret kept from them, people feel betrayed, duped, used, belittled, and
many other things. When was the last
time you kept a secret from someone? We
are cautioned to exercise care in our business affairs. Why?
Because the world if full of trickery.
Trickery requires a “trick” to be set up. Someone needs to know about it. There needs to be a plan that when executed
furthers the movement of the one making the trick. As a Christian in your business; do you live
out your Christian faith or do you join the pagan world in taking advantage of
anyone or anything that will line their pockets? Do you rationalize or justify the “trick” you
use to do business? When you do this all
you are saying is that God is unable to take care of your needs, your family
needs, your business needs and your employee’s needs. You don’t need a “trick”. You don’t need the secret. There should be no second set of books for
different eyes. Does God play any part
in your business life? How about your
personal life? If a secret is in there;
God isn’t. He won’t intervene in your
sin. He won’t be a part of your sin, my
sin, or the sin of the church.
Secrets are from the pit of hell and are
intended to disrupt the life and lives of those who call upon God to be
saved. Let’s not kid ourselves. He is there in every moment of our
lives. He knows everything that takes
place in our lives even before it happens.
I’ve had my secrets over the years.
I think I’ve finally told them all first to God and then to someone I
trust. All secrets need to be dealt with
but not all secrets need to be made public.
I’ve known that too. It was my
fault and my selfishness. No one to
blame but me. I did it. No one made me do it. I have confessed my sin and it no longer has
any power over me. I’m relieved that the
secret keeping is done. It was a
terrible burden to me and likewise to those around me even if they didn’t know
anything about it. Yet, from where I had
fallen, God reached down and picked me up and trusted me again. I’ve fallen more times than I remember and
ALWAYS God has been there holding the end of my rope when I reached it. The saving thing to do was to let go and fall
onto the ledge God provided.
If you are prone to keeping secrets
please know that one day, one way, you will have to face that sin. It may not happen today or even tomorrow, but
it will happen. Until that time when you
do acknowledge the secret you will have to live a stressed life trying to keep
the sin from being known. Many a man and
woman have ended their lives because they couldn’t deal with the truth and what
might happen if only people knew.
Secrets lead to controlling behavior meant to keep the focus off of that
area of our life. Multiple secrets lead
to control in multiple of ways. To keep
the secret and maintain the control; we exercise manipulation. The greater the number of secrets; the
greater the need for control and finally the greater need to manipulate.
Exercise caution in your business
affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
Love is not boastful. Whatever we
have, do or become our only boast should be that “it is no longer I who live
but Christ who lives within me.” Make
that a daily goal for yourself. Let
others know that this is a goal for yourself.
They may just decide to join your journey and you can be a support for
and with each other. What would happen
if the church would surrender the trickery, the secrets, the control and the
manipulation? What would happen if
pastors preached what was right instead of preaching to not offend? What would happen….?
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