I’ve been told that I think differently. Okay, actually what they said was that I was weird. People have different definitions of how they see things and I have mine. It would be nice if everyone around us would have mutual views and understandings. But, that’s not going to happen until pigs fly. See what I mean? The only flying pigs I’ve seen is bacon to my plate! We have talked earlier about "imaginings" and what effect they have on our lives. Sometimes what we think seems clear to us but not to those around us. There are so many factors in our understanding our language much less the language of others. It’s no wonder we are unable to be on the same page. Sometimes the unanswered questions are the culprit our misunderstanding not only our world but the world of those we love and care about. Regardless, today is going to unfold with or without my cooperation. I can either enjoy the journey or put on the brakes all day frustrating myself. In fact, as I have talked with people I’ve found that I’m not the only one with the frustration of not knowing. Why is it important to God that we engage his world regardless our understanding of what’s taking place? For starters, we are not in charge of the world much less our world. Secondly, peace comes to those who have that Holy Spirit balance where they can be at peace with whatever comes their way. About the only thing we are in charge of is when and to what degree we will surrender ourselves and trust on the Lord to do what is right. Perhaps then we will be at peace with that which we do not know or understand. Perhaps then we will understand what it means to be "full" of mercy.
Mercy is all around us actively interacting in our lives twenty four seven. Mercy doesn’t just happen to take place. Mercy is the venue where God meets with us and allows us to live one more day. Mercy is the venue where we maintain high standards of how we live without laying it upon others. Like all things in life, mercy costs. It cost God his son. However, remember that it is God who is ordering and unfolding this world around us. It is he who numbers the stars and knows my fear of spiders. In his mercy he created (through man) little devices that I can plug into the wall and the bugs stay outside the house. No spiders, no fear for me. The mercy I use with spiders is to let whoever is nearby capture them and take them outside. Spiders aren’t merciful to me. Some people are like that. They exist within a group of people and receive but fail to give mercy to others. This definitely is not wise and shows little understanding of anyone’s world but their own. If you have someone who hasn’t forgiven you; then mercy isn’t in their lives. Pity the person who receives but fails to give grace (another word associated with mercy). Where is the wisdom in that kind of living?
In order for us to show forth the wisdom of God in the form of Mercy there must be clarity of understanding and application. Have you known someone to receive something for free only to pass it on to another with a price attached? Jesus talked about this very issue. He told of the man who had a great debt of mercy/grace. When the man received that which he asked for, he quickly turned around and exacted payment in full from one who owed him little. When the man couldn’t pay, he had him thrown in debtor’s jail. In turn the grace/mercy that he received in the beginning was removed and he too ended up in the debtor’s jail. Mercy and grace were taken away from him. When we separate ourselves from God, we are exposing ourselves to great danger. God would love to intervene and keep us from those dangers. However, he is unable to violate our free will. So, instead he waits for his prodigal children to return day after day. When we come to our senses (obtain clarity) and engage wisdom we return to God and once again enjoy the grace and mercy until the next time we go off the plan. Please understand that it is NOT God who derails us in life. It is me, you, they and again I who derail our lives.
What do we do instead of "getting it" and being in good standing with God? I don’t want to make this too easy. Hmmm…okay, maybe that’s the only way to present this wisdom so that you can see clearly. Are you ready for the biggest moment of your life? The end of selfishness is the only way we can remain in the will of God. Despite the "good" we do here and there, we are selfish people in so many different and interesting ways. For instance, we change the meaning of anything in life that promotes the "self" us. Remember our friend’s rationalization and justification? Yes, they are at the heart of the self. Looking for understanding from God or others with our own selfish bend on life creates frustration.
Let’s use an action that is present in most people’s lives. Lying comes to mind. "I don’t lie!" you say. Did you tell your aunt that you loved her dress? Did you answer honestly when someone says "I hope you understand." and you don’t? Have you convinced yourself that little white (why white?) lies are okay? Do you gossip and call it exaggeration? Lying is deceitful. Selfishness is the gateway to deceit. Once we convince ourselves that something is that is not; we are well on our way to living a deceit driven life of lying to ourselves and to others. We are not going to invite God to our party either. Since selfishness isn’t compatible with a God who is merciful and wise; we stand without God or his input. Please understand that we have just looked at one word: lying. Lying can be verbal or non-verbal. Do you live one life the way your Christian friends and family expect while living another way with your worldly and unbelieving friends? Are you the king hypocrite? Do you have a standard for others and a different standard for yourself? Where is any of this based on the grace and mercy of God? It’s based on our own selfishness.
How and why did we become a world of liars? First we need to understand that Satan is the god of this world. Secondly, we need to understand that he is aptly named the "father of lies". There are so many examples of how lying infiltrates our lives. Why don’t we call people on their lies? Because we want the lie more than we want the truth. There is no wisdom in this and definitely does not clarify a thing. What these actions do is to continue the deception and set a pattern for future behavior. Perhaps you are thinking I’m paying too much attention to this one small error in our lives. About 2 months ago I was listening to my 16 year old son talk about cars (what else!). He remarked that Subaru vehicles are a product of an Asian country. I didn’t say anything at the time. All my life from when I started talking cars the Subaru was made in Sweden in my mind. Fortunately at 60 I looked it up on the internet and confirmed the fact with my wife that Subaru’s are not made in Sweden. Wow! I know there will be a bunch of you who will rib me for believing as I did. Understand the complexity of the matter. All those years I had talked about the Swedish car Subaru NOT ONE person corrected me! Wow! I am not able to go back in time and fix that error. If I were to maintain my belief selfishness would have been the needed ingredient to the equation. Regardless of my own understanding the facts are still the facts. Making an error in where a car is manufactured is a far cry from what we do to our kids from their earliest of years.
Here is what we give to our kids: Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. Fast forward a few to many years when they learn the truth that none exist except in the lies of adults to kids and you have a contagious problem visited upon so many generations of children. Gasping for breath yet? How about telling our kids that their dearly departed animal does not go to heaven. Maybe telling ourselves the truth that to our knowledge our favorite uncle did not know Jesus and is most likely in hell for eternity. Maybe you are one of those parents or friend who tells others that "it’s okay if you don’t get caught." Tell me, where is wisdom in any of this? Where is mercy and grace? How does this present a clear understanding of life to those we love? We are full of something and it’s not mercy.
We may have the best of intentions. We may even argue that we need to do this because "everyone else is doing" this. I remember the first time I found out that the big four were not real. Soundly smacked into reality, I took a while to recover. The truth could not be given back. The truth may have set me free but it felt terrible! Why was the lie perpetuated? What else were they (whoever it was) lying about? Was I adopted? For about a year of my life I actually told others that I was adopted. It was a lie but then a lot of my life had been based on lies. Selfishness was the rule and not the exception. We adamantly tell our children that they are to NOT lie. Should they lie we make sure they are punished; sometimes severely. Now the double standard is exposed and we don’t seem to have any consequences. At least none that the children can see. What would happen if we were to always tell the truth about everything? Kind of like what our young children do out of innocence. We laugh at their "truths" and repeat the stories from relative to friend. What’s the funny part? We tolerate their renditions and then give worldly grace which supports and encourages the selfishness we are teaching them. Is this funny? Is God laughing? What would he say if we were to tell the truth? Always. The repercussions would be huge!
So, when your child has a Christmas party at school and Santa Claus visits to give gifts to good "little boys and girls"; remember that it is "we" who are perpetuating the sin. It is "we" who are deceiving so many for all the wrong reasons.
If we are to think, speak and act clearly, wisdom would prevail and mercy and grace would follow. Wouldn’t that be nicer than what we currently think is a great world? When my oldest son was in 6th grade we lived in a flat in Chicago’s north side. I asked him to take out the trash and he did so. Later I looked out the window and saw sitting there on the ground beside the dumpster the bag of garbage. I called my son to me and asked him why the garbage wasn’t in the dumpster. His reply was; "You didn’t tell me to put it in the dumpster. You only told me to take it out." Yes, he was telling me the truth. He had done exactly what his truth had understood needed to be done. I don’t know if all 6th grade boys think like this. I know there are some adults who do. While there was thinking, speaking and acting clearly, the complete job was not done. We have areas in our lives where in addition to the definition there is an implied set of actions that form a complete thought and action. This "understanding" is called common sense. This common sense is present in all areas of life. You don’t go swimming without a bathing suit. Yet, when asked to go swimming, no one tells you that you would need a swim suit. It’s common sense. When asked to take the car and fill it with gas no one tells you to bring along money to pay for it. It’s common sense. Without common sense we would really have a mixed up world.
Common sense plays an important role in our movement from clearly thinking and exercising of wisdom resulting in mercy. "Whether or not it is clear to you," is loaded with common sense. The same goes for "Wisdom is full of mercy." In all the things of the Christian life, there is an understanding that common sense rule our lives. There is no confusion in what God wants us to know and what he wants us to do. He wants us to have clear minds ruled by his righteousness. If we are caught in the "lie trap" we are unable to do this. Should we base our life on lies our house will fall. Common sense tells us to not accept a lie from Satan or others. Common sense tells us to tell our kids the truth. Common sense tells us to not steal from our employer (it’s only a few sheets of paper and a pen). Common sense tells us that the love we exercise toward ourselves should be exercised with our neighbor. Common sense tells me to use common sense supported by Scripture. When Jesus walked this earth there was common sense walking with him. Common sense is always the truth. The Scripture tells us in the book of John that the "truth will set you free." Do you believe that? The truth setting anyone and everyone free to know the love of God is paramount in our lives. Common sense says we should live as a reflection of Jesus.
In order to have clarity we must have Jesus. When you woke this morning or evening, did the world start up where it left off? No, of course not. There are many moments when we want the world to back up. We want to be able to do over this or that event in order that we can better give or receive. The moment is gone forever. The only reminder is our memory. Our selfishness has created these regrets. Rather than learn from the lost moment, we go about our lives and repeat the cycle over and over. There is no wisdom in that! Selfishness is taught. That means that someone taught you, me and others to be selfish. If we have children who are selfish we know who taught them to be selfish. Likewise, when we think and act unselfishly we teach unselfishness. When we teach our children to be unselfish they will in turn teach others. As we hold up the standard of unselfishness in our lives we change the world around us. Our witness can become more of what God wants as a result.
Some of the folks in my life are frustrated with me. I have a hearing loss and don’t have any hearing aids to help me hear well. My intention is to listen and hear everything that is said to me or in conversation to others. My intention is to be able to live as if I do not have a hearing loss. When I am in conversation with others and there is background noise I only hear the background noise. I attempt to read lips and have had some success with doing so. Often I ask people to repeat themselves. Sometimes when I ask to many times the conversation is ended prematurely out of frustration. Whenever there is a background noise my hearing will take a hit. So, as often as I am able I try to choose the place where conversation is understood clearly. Sometimes I just need to understand that my world needs common sense too in the form of mercy. Being able to exercise mercy and to give mercy to others necessitates a two way give and take. Without this give and take, the selfishness of one would most likely sabotage common sense and mercy.
Clarity combined with common sense can be communicated but only when we are communicating with (not at) others. This is a two way street. Both include the other in all aspects of communication. Helping others understand your thinking on an item may take some time. However, the result is being understood and engaged rather than confused and discarded. You cannot make anyone use wisdom, common sense or mercy. This is something learned and chosen by you. The true believer has had clarity and chosen to use their wisdom to accept the grace of Christ through salvation. Because of this decision, the Bible tells us, that we have the Holy Spirit as a comforter. The Holy Spirit is able to speak wisdom into the open Christian’s mind and heart; delivering grace to us in the process.
What do you want for your life? What do you want for the lives of those who are relatives and friends? What I want to see in their lives is salvation. I want to see grace being passed on. The truth being lived in my own life and the life of others would also be a gift. Mobilizing ourselves as an army of believers with clear understanding and vision provided by wisdom by the Holy Spirit will result in many accepting the grace and mercy of Jesus. Insuring their salvation would result. Who do you want to see in heaven? What do you need to do?
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