In "Forgiven, Part 6", we
looked at the story of the prodigal son and discovered how excited his father
was when he who was lost returned home. The father welcomed the wayward boy with
open arms.
But not everyone was so hospitable. His older brother
was fuming with anger that the prodigal had received such royal treatment.
Why is it that so many believers have "older brother"
attitudes? They see nothing but fault in those who are just starting to learn
about God, to discover Him, to experience His love and forgiveness. They aren't
happy with anyone around them, except perhaps, those who conform to their
thinking, and they breed poison in our congregations, poison so toxic that it
discourages people from coming to church!
While visiting a memorial to the WWI trenches in
Diksmijde, Belgium, last summer, I realized where such poison comes from.
You see, life in those trenches was far from pleasant.
Being bored and lonely, some of the soldiers discovered the birds. Birds are
always cheerful and resilient. They would ignore the war going on around them,
continuing to sing despite the enemy lines, and only flying away when a shell
was on its way. Also, unlike the foxes and dogs (which interestingly, are
considered man's faithful companions) none of these birds, including crows and
ravens, ever gnawed on corpses. The birds became a real source of encouragement
to the discouraged soldiers.
Some of the soldiers succeeded in domesticating a few
of the birds. Then one day, they found their fluffy companions dead. Before
long, several of the soldiers were suffocating as well. It was that day they
realized that birds are even more susceptible to odorless, poisonous gasses than
human beings.
It wasn't long before every platoon began keeping
caged birds in the trenches. If one of these birds succumbed, they knew that
poisonous gas was in the air, and soldiers would immediately know to put on
protective gear.
Just where did these toxic, poisonous gasses come
from?
From one place only: the enemy!
The criticism and discouragement we so often see in
our churches are like those toxic gasses. They are a tool of the enemy, designed
to discourage believers. These do not come from God! Far from it! In fact, God
orders us to stop this behaviour! "Let us stop passing judgment on one another.
Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your
brother's way." (Rom 14:13 NIV)
No, if there is criticism in our midst, it is a result
of a toxic, poisonous gas that comes directly from the enemy camp!
"This is how we know who the children of God are and
who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a
child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother." (1 John 3:10 NIV)
It's really a clever move on the part of the enemy.
What better way to undermine God Himself than infiltrating His people with enemy
weapons?
But now we face another dilemma. God also asks us to
correct His wayward children. How are we to decide who is being motivated by the
evil one, and who is sincerely delivering a message from God?
But perhaps the question should be, is this really our
place to decide? Isn't this also a type of judgment, and doesn't it put us at
the same level as our enemy? This will be the question we will explore in
Forgiven, Part 8.
In the meantime let us stand firm against the enemy of
our soul and rejoice like the birds of the fields that our God truly loves us
enough to accept us unconditionally, with wide open arms!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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