Of Lip Biting and Bazookas

I have an assignment for you (if you choose to accept it, that is!). I want you to read the following verses out loud twice and then read on in this post........ got it? Cool.

"But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion." (1 Timothy 1:5-6)

"Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness." (2 Timothy 2:14-16)

"But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless." (Titus 3:9)

Have you ever wondered why we sometimes fight over unimportant things? Why we like to get our britches in a bundle, our tempers in a tangle, over matters that never threaten our peace and well being? I often wonder why. Because we do it all the time. Goodness knows, I'm guilty. Even those who know better than to squabble -- who are far more mature than I -- tend to guard their soapboxes with bazookas instead of rubber band guns. Even maturing believers can get caught up in worthless arguments and divisive attitudes.

But a godly person....

There should be but one soapbox in the believer's life that warrants a bazooka: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Every other soapbox must be guarded with rubber bands, pebbles, or maybe just a few choice glares. I've been working on a few of those glares... But a bazooka? Not worth it.

Many people I know have created the equivalent of "soapbox citadels" that they guard with the biggest guns they can get their hands on. After all, the First Amendment guarantees us the right to buy big guns, right? So why not use them to defend our soapbox citadels? But what troubles me most about the state of the Church in America (not to point at any specific group, mind you!) is that the soapbox we defend the least is the only one we should be concerned about defending -- the Gospel of Jesus Christ! The Gospel -- pure, unfiltered, tested, true, simple -- has been attacked and nibbled away by satan, society, and other forces while we are busy defending our soapbox citadels. In fact, I fear the Gospel soapbox resembles a minimum security prison more than a citadel! In this postmodern age, we have let the Gospel be redefined by our culture to be only a series of good teachings on how to better our lives instead of a radical departure from our lives to follow one man.

Why have we done this to the Gospel? Why have we gotten caught in disputes over politics and theology, personality and polity? Why do we leave churches because the preacher doesn't teach us a Greek word every Sunday? Why do we complain about the sound or song selection every service instead of thinking of the worship of others first?

Come to think of it, why don't we think of others first? Wouldn't Jesus? Shouldn't we?

Bottom line is that there is too much soapbox fighting and not enough lip biting going on in the Church these days. And I think the Church as a whole is suffering. We are willing to take a stand for the unimportant while the most important often gets neglected. We even deny fellowship to those who encroach upon our soapboxes. And we can often be verbally violent towards one another over maters that should be considered trivial, fruitless or divisive.

One major mark of maturity is the ability to control the tongue (see James 3). And those who are truly Growing Young, who are learning to have faith like a child and to walk in the ways of their Father, will learn that there is greater blessing in lip biting than in self expression. This is a lesson that I think I'm finally learning after years of loose tongue disease. Some people demand their right to self expression. I'm desperately trying to use my right to refrain. Most of the time, anyway.

Be God's... and guard the Gospel!

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