If anyone was taking bets during the Gulf War of 1990, it was that America would win. The United States Air Force was armed with the best technology. Its aircraft carried 'smart bombs' with accurate cameras, and were sent out on 'Scud hunts'. The purpose of these missions was to destroy trucks that Saddam Hussein's army had been using as launching pads for their missiles. With powerful and accurate missiles, the air force began bombing. Hundreds of targets were reported as being destroyed. Soon, the White House was cheering.
Well, perhaps too soon. After a thorough investigation, it was found that many of the targets hit were decoys. After all, old trucks and containers can look something like missiles from 25,000 feet above sea level. True, every target was destroyed, but most 'targets' were chunks of scrap metal. The total number of confirmed missiles destroyed was zero. It cost America over 80 million dollars, and cost Saddam Hussein nothing more than a few old trucks and some imagination. Without proper intelligence, power was wasted.
We as Christians are similarly engaged in warfare with the Enemy. We have access to God through prayer, strength in unity, and numerous talents and passions to call up for service. Yet, taking the Gulf War example, it would be a good idea to check whether the battles we are fighting are truly critical in the war against Satan.
For instance, here are some things most Christians and Christian Fellowships spend a great deal of time fighting against:
-Inappropriate attire, eg sleeveless shirts and miniskirts
-Lady Gaga
-Too much contact with non-Christian friends
-Having seemingly non-Christian objects around, eg the Taijitu symbol on a keychain
-Having 'anti-Christian' literature, eg. Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion
-Not enough Christian books
-Lady Gaga
-Refusing to follow popular 'Christian' opinions on current issues
-Lady Gaga
-Being involved in activities like street dances or attending concerts
-Listening to secular music
-Not having enough 'Christian songs' on your laptop or car radio CD
-Lady Gaga
Here, though, are things that we seem happy enough to let slip through the cracks:
-Gossip in Christian Fellowship (often masked as 'prayer requests')
-Compromise on integrity
-Anger, especially maintained over months between two Christians (each one continuously brings it up, either through 'prayer requests' or sharings at Campus Revo)
-Lack of support for friends (regardless of faith) having emotional crises
-Lack of compassion for friends outside of Christian Fellowship
-Lack of community spirit and willingness to engage in community service
-Hypocrisy
-Lack of concern or sympathy for those with questions about Christianity
-Substitution of divine love and behaviour with man-made practices
If the Bible is anything to go by (and I believe it is), God is mostly silent on issues in the first category when it comes down to specifics. (Jesus, the last time I checked, did not yet make a statement on Lady Gaga.) Let me say that those battles are good and important. Before anyone starts to throw stones or defend them by saying that we must live by 'glorifying God' and 'bearing good witness', let's look at the second category and see which parts of the Bible speak on the issues in the second category.
Proverbs 11:13; Luke 6:31; James 3:5-7; Proverbs 14:29; James 1:19-20; Matthew 5:21-24; Proverbs 10:9; Matthew 25:34-40; Luke 10:30-37; Philippians 2:4; Matthew 6:1-34; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Matthew 15:9
This is a small sample.
Personally, I am not a fan of Lady Gaga. I don't think tank tops in church look too good among all the floor-length dresses and buttoned shirts. I do agree that we should live our lives to glorify God. But what's the point of attacking all these other issues, when God has spoken in His Word, and we have not obeyed? Before we throw around phrases like 'glorifying God' and 'living for Him', it's a good idea to see what His idea of the whole thing is.
I speak not as a pastor or religious leader, but as a normal guy following Christ who is now taking a good look at the Bible again. When we have limited time and energy, is it truly worth it to expend so much energy on superfluous differences of opinion? If we lack the unconditional love of Christ for everyone, then we begin to fight battles for the sake of having battles to fight. We create new enemies to wage war against while the real enemy wreaks havoc in the ranks. We become spiritual Pharisees.What's the point of being against homosexuality when we exclude and ostracise homosexuals, especially those struggling with HIV or depression, even though Christ commanded us to serve 'the least of these?' What's the point of protesting vehemently against abortion, when we do not devote the same time and support to those who have already been born and are now struggling through life? What's the point of talking about Christ, and behaving like the people who crucified Him?
It's time to take a good long look at the battles we are fighting. We can post 'Christian' posts on Facebook, send each other screenshots of Lady Gaga's 'Satanic' Alejandro video, shout out against the world's culture and portray ourselves as helpless victims of modern culture, but the truth is, the rest of the world will just yawn and tune out. The world pays attention to us when we show ourselves to be true models of Christ. Rome listened and believed in Christ, not just because the saints were sharing Christ in the streets, but because of the way they lived. When disasters hit Rome, the Christian church was at the forefront, beggaring itself to aid Roman citizens and the abject poor. Even the Roman emperor commented that 'These Christians aid not only their own poor, but ours as well!' The saints gave to the disaster relief funds, ministered to the suffering masses in the street, and honoured Roman law, even as that same law condemned their own friends to painful deaths. The Romans might have shut their ears to the Gospel, but the love of Christ leaked into their minds through their eyes: eyes that saw the love and intense compassion the Church had for all mankind.
Let us now pray for guidance, and keep on fighting the battles that matter. We have God's infinite power at our disposal. But without His discernment, and His love, our missiles will continue to hit the sand.
Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.
(1 Corinthians 9:26)
Images taken from here,here, and here.
