My Ways Are Not Your Ways

There’s a sadness in me today.

At one point in history, a single man and 12 or so followers radically changed the face of the earth.

Today, millions of people who claim to be followers of this man, to believe what he believed, to have the same mission he had, and to possess the same power he had, are hard pressed to make a dent in any of the significant problems in the world.

How can that be?

Are we not really followers?  Do we not truly believe what he believed?  Have we misunderstood what his mission really was?  Do we really possess the same power that he possessed?

People were attracted to Jesus.  And yes, some people were offended by Jesus. 

In Matthew 5, Jesus is teaching and says…

                “blessed are the poor in spirit…”

                “blessed are those who mourn…”

                “blessed are the meek…”

                “blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness..”

                “blessed are the merciful…”

                “blessed are the pure in heart…”

                “blessed are the peacemakers…”

                “blessed are you when people insult you because of me…”

Can you picture those kinds of people?  They were the people who flocked to Jesus when he entered a town and began teaching and ministering.  Yes, even some of them would eventually turn their backs on him, but they were the ones to whom Jesus’ words were a healing balm, a hope.

But the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, the scribes and Pharisees, they didn’t care so much for Jesus.  And I’m reminded that these were the people who were in the lofty positions in terms of faith.  They were the ones with the training and knowledge.  They were the ones who knew the law of God inside and out.

But they were also the ones to whom Jesus said (in Matthew 23)…

                “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites!”

                “Woe to you blind guides…”

                “For you are like whitewashed tombs…full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanliness.”

And I think of these things not to point fingers at anyone in particular.  I think of these things to remind myself how easily we as human beings can begin getting it wrong.  I think of these things to remind myself that when we apply too much human “common sense” and “logic” to the ways of God, we can easily create something that is not at all what God intended, and that can ultimately lead people away from God, rather than towards God.

I think about the Israelites after the exodus from Egypt.  After centuries in slavery to the Egyptians, God had miraculously set them free.  But He didn’t just set them free from slavery to the Egyptians.  God promised them a land, a good land, flowing with milk and honey.  All they had to do was go and possess the land that He had promised to deliver into their hands.

Scouts were sent out to explore the land and to bring back some of its fruit.  When they returned, they reported that indeed the land was prosperous, but…

To their human eyes, and by their human reasoning, the current occupants of the land were too strong, too powerful, too well fortified.  In their mind, these weak, unarmed former slaves could never overtake such formidable opponents.

The people, hearing these reports, broke into a panic.  They weeped, they wailed, they grumbled against Moses.  They insisted on returning to Egypt, to slavery, rather than die trying to take this promised land.

Their human eyes, their human reasoning, their human logic saw only destruction.  And truly, there was no way that these Israelite slaves, in their own power, could have ever defeated the trained armies of these lands. 

But it was never THEIR strength that was going to claim these lands.

It was never THEIR battle strategy that was going to lay waste to trained, experienced armies.

It was never anything that THEY were going to do, or any power or skill THEY possessed that was going to put these lands in their hands.

Sometimes, as believers, we get caught in the trap of evaluating God’s call in our lives based upon what we see, what we know, what we can reason.  How many times have I dismissed a burden for ministry that God laid on my heart because I saw no way that it could ever happen?

Not enough money!

Not enough people!

Not enough interest!

Not enough time!

Too much opposition!

I should be face down on the ground thanking God that he hasn’t caused me to shrivel up and die like the 10 Israelite scouts who used their eyes and their minds to decide that what God said was going to happen, couldn’t happen.

What is impossible with man, is possible with God.

The fact is, scripture is replete with evidence that God’s ways run almost completely counter to the general wisdom of man.   We even plaster scripture over coffee mugs, tshirts, and bumper stickers that says

                “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.”  (Isaiah 55:8)

Jesus’ teaching during him ministry on earth was filled with specific examples of how God’s ways are not our ways.

“Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.”  (Luke 6:30)

“…whoever wishes to become great among you shall become your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.”  (Mark 10:43,44)

“You have heard that it was said ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’  But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”  (Matt 5:39)

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.”  (Luke 6:35)  

Over all these specific teachings of Jesus, we cannot forget that when asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied with…love.  Love for our God first, and love for our neighbor next.  And it is by this love that he said “all men will know you are my disciples.”

So what are we doing?

Where is this Jesus-like lifestyle that flies in the face of conventional wisdom, and that will show to all the world that we really do follow him, that we really do believe what he believed, that we really have taken on his mission and really do walk in his same power?

Is our hope and trust truly in God?  Or are we trusting instead in the ways of man, the ways of government, the ways of the court system?  Do we believe God is truly in control, or are we doing everything we can instead to use the ways of man to accomplish the work that God has already promised to do…through us?

In Judges 6 begins the story of Gideon.  As the chapter unfolds, the Israelites have once again abandoned God and as a result have been handed over to the Midianites.  But God, in His mercy, once again plans to restore his people, and he chooses Gideon to be the instrument of His redemption.

Now Gideon is no fool.  When God tells him to go and save Israel out of Midian’s hands, Gideon questions God’s choice, reminding Him that Gideon is from the weakest tribe and that he, Gideon, is the least of that tribe.  Gideon is seeing with his eyes and thinking with his mind.

God’s response is, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

Eventually, after several confirmations from God, Gideon amasses his troops to attack the Midianites.  But when God sees the 32,000 men Gideon has gathered, He tells Gideon to let those among the soldiers who are afraid to leave, and ten thousand do so.  Gideon is down to 22,000 men.

But this is still too many for God.  So God sends Gideon and his men to the water and tells them to drink.  Gideon is to separate his men by how they drink the water – lapping at it like a dog, or kneeling to drink.  Three hundred of his men quench their thirst in the canine way, the rest by kneeling to drink.  You just know that Gideon figures the 300 dog lappers are the ones heading home.

But God says, keep the 300, send the others home.

Can you imagine what’s running through Gideon’s mind at this point?  The least member of the least tribe of Israel is called by God to attack a formidable opponent who has had their way with the Israelite people for seven years.  And now God expects him to accomplish this task with only 300 men?

But it was never God’s intent that this battle would be won through Gideon’s strength or wisdom, or by the abilities of the Israelite soldiers.

God was going to win this battle.  God was going to provide the victory.  God was going to accomplish His plan.

And He did.  To His glory.  Which is always the point anyway.

God is glorified when things happen that cannot or should not happen.

God is glorified when people realize that what just happened couldn’t have been done by you or me.

Jesus and the disciples did not use the courts or the government accomplish the mission of spreading the gospel to the world.  They did not rely on their own strengths, talents, or abilities to successfully teach people about the gospel.

They trusted God.  They submitted themselves to God.  They sought out His perfect will and allowed the Holy Spirit to guide them and empower them. 

They obeyed the call, even when it made no sense, even when there seemed to be no way it could happen.

This is the burden on my heart.  This is the conviction God seems to be instilling in me.  And I can’t help but wonder how different our impact on the world for God and Jesus Christ would be if we all would stop trying to figure out the best lawsuit, the best piece of legislation, the best way to force people to accept what we know is true.

How easy and sad it is to win a battle, but in the process lose the war.