DURBANVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH

HATERS AND LOVERS – How did we get here?

I feel hopelessly incompetent to address many of the issues facing our country today.  There are also times I have not felt welcome to speak out as what I would say would be heard through the filter of my whiteness.  But mainly because it is tough, perhaps impossible, for me to address issues of poverty as I have never been poor.  I cannot walk in a black man’s shoes or experience what he has.  I simply can’t nor will I ever be able to.  And I certainly do not understand what it means to be oppressed.   I am also deeply aware of my privilege.  Many of the children I grew up with did not have the advantages and privileges I did.  It would be dumb and insensitive to deny that. 

But I do have something in my heart that must come out.  I am a follower and disciple of Jesus Christ.  Everything I do must be viewed through that lens. 

Farm murders have taken the spotlight this week. I grieve with every family who has lost loved ones.   I grew up on a farm and there have been times that my family have felt quite vulnerable, especially when over 70 farmers are been murdered in one year.  But even when I look at what I have written I know that this vulnerability exists across cultural, racial and language divides.  Two examples may help.  Recently a colleague told me they have cancelled all evening programmes because, where he lives, it is not safe to go onto the streets at night.  They may get caught in the crossfire of gang violence.  What about the grannies who gather children every morning to walk them to school in a human bus, simply trying to get their children to school safely?  No, vulnerability is prevalent.  Children are vulnerable and being hurt and abused, many women don’t feel safe with their men, often times workers are afraid of their employers.  We live in desperate times! 

How did we get here? How is it that in our beautiful country our nation has become defined by hate and anger and prejudice? I am sure you have your own answer. Whatever it is know this: The kind of hatred and anger and prejudice we are seeing around us cannot be the response of Christ-followers. The cross and the old South African flag cannot stand alongside each other. The one is an offence to the other. Remember that as a Christ-follower I only have one gift to give our nation: Jesus himself. And I have followed him long enough to realise that he came for the broken and the bruised and the oppressed. It is time to stand for truth and if we are going to hate, let us hate the evil perpetrated against all our beautiful people. If we are going to be angry then let our anger be at those that hurt our people, all our people. But rather, let us do good. Let us keep on doing good and when doing good gets tough, let’s do it some more. Let us hold up the candle of hope. Let us share the stories of love, the stories of true South African hero’s.  

 So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.” (Galatians 6: 6-10)

DON’T GIVE UP – KEEP ON PRAYING.

It’s simple. It’s short. Yet it’s incredibly powerful. Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of the most familiar passages in the Bible–with good reason. It sets forth a life-changing truth that is worthy of our attention. Spend three minutes reading this article, and see if you agree.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Let’s break down this life-changing truth to make sure we understand it.

Trust in the Lord.

It starts with trust. Any real relationship has to start with some level of trust. It’s the only way a friendship will endure. It’s the only way a marriage will work out. It’s the simple reason why an employer hires workers, or why the workers stay employed. It’s all about trust. Trust in the Lord, however, takes on an entirely new dimension. This is our trust in an eternal, all-powerful, all-wise, all-loving God. He is worthy of our trust. The trust is important, not just because of who God is, but because of the way in which we must trust him: with all your heart. It involves every fiber of your being. That’s the kind of trust we can have in God–a complete, unshakable, deep, abiding trust.

If you are a Christian, you trusted God for salvation. You can trust Him with the rest of your life, too–every detail.

Read part 2, Don’t Lean On Your Understanding

Read part 1 first, Trust In The Lord.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Don’t Lean on Your Understanding

The verse involves a positive–something you must do. But it also involves a negative–something you must not do. Don’t lean on your own understanding. Basically, the verse is telling us that we ought not to be self-reliant. We cannot pursue a course of action, a financial decision, a business move, a relationship, or an educational choice, simply based on our own understanding. It must be founded in our trust in God.

Self-reliance is such a deceptive trap. We begin to pride ourselves in something–our savvy, our looks, our intellect, our spirituality, our family, whatever. And when we do, it takes away our trust in the Lord. It has become trust in self. The result is a dangerous compromise that will lead to destruction.

Instead, Acknowledge God. In Everything.

The antidote to this self-reliance is found in the first command of the verse. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Which is developed in the next verse: “In all your ways acknowledge him.” The word “acknowledge” isn’t merely a polite tip of the hat to the Man Upstairs, or a few words of grace over your meal, or even perfunctory attendance at church to let Him know we’re still cool with what He’s doing. It’s way more. It’s allowing Him access, control, command, and involvement in all your ways.

What’s the result of this? Will God ruin your life? Will he be a Sovereign Killjoy? Will He rob you of fun? The verse ends on a promise. What is it?

He will make your paths straight.

The promise is put in the form of a metaphor. What does it mean to have straight paths? Several things. First, paths lead toward an end–a destination, a goal. Thus, trusting God wholeheartedly in every area of life gives your life a sense of purpose and priority. Second, it indicates that there will be a clear understanding of where you are going and what you are doing. It makes daily decision-making an easier and less painful task. You realize you are trusting Him. He, in turn, is making your paths straight. Thus, the way ahead is more apparent. Third, “straight paths” suggests moral purity. It suggests a life that has less of sinful compromise and more of wholesome attitudes, actions, and behavior.

That’s the kind of life that God promises. It’s the kind of life that you can have. It begins with trust. It involves acknowledging God in every way.