Christian Questions Bible Podcast

MERCY or JUSTICE? We often see them as opposites. When someone does something particularly bad we want justice in its harshest and most direct form to be there waiting for them. We tend to see justice as hard but righteous punishment reserved for those who we feel deserve it. Mercy is perceived differently. Often when we think of being merciful, there is a sense of pity or compassion, because we want it applied to those who we feel deserve “a break.” The problem? Too often our thinking and actions regarding justice and mercy are based on our emotional reaction to the situation at hand. Too often we misrepresent what justice really means and how mercy really works. The good news is that God has given us all of the necessary guidelines to not only define but to live by just thinking and merciful response.

It is so easy to talk about following Jesus.  After all, he came as our savior, voluntarily sacrificed his life and opened up the way to heaven for us.  Why wouldn’t you want to align yourself with someone who wipes away your sins and can give you eternity in the process?  It’s a no brainer, right?  Um, not exactly!  Turns out, being a disciple of Jesus is hard work that requires thought, action and results.  It is a conscious decision to be different, to driven by a higher calling than you would naturally follow.  Following Jesus in a selfie world is akin to being a nerdy kid on a football team.  You have plenty to offer but those around you just don’t see your value.  Can a Christian thrive in a world that rewards evil? How do we know what to think, do and become to be sure we are truly following Jesus?  Now that’s easy!  Jesus himself told us…

Christian support.  One of the hallmark characteristics of being a Christian is compassion.  Jesus was the epitome of acting in a way that helped and cared for others, and we are called to walk in his footsteps.  Simple enough – or is it? In our world there are a myriad of causes we can be kindhearted towards – the poor, the under-educated, the abused, the oppressed, the homeless, the disabled, the unborn.  Then there is the wider scope of life – endangered species, abused and homeless animals and the environment.  What about the social and political issues that rage across our media 24 hours a day, seven days a week? All of these and more can easily demand our attention, money and time!  What do we do?  What causes are support-worthy for a Christian?  Where do we invest our time, effort and resources to be truly God-honoring followers of Jesus?

We all want to be successful at whatever it is we are focusing on. Our Christian life is no exception, though the words we use to describe "success" are entirely different than with other endeavors. We want to be faithful – we want to live lives of sacrifice – we want to walk in Jesus’ footsteps. All of these things equate to the Christian version of experiencing victory in life. So, regardless of the words or the effort, how do we attain such an end? How do we “arrive”? One short phrase will get us started – Be single-minded. Have your vision clear and your energy directed. This is no easy task for most of us struggle with these very disciplines. It is far too easy to end up distracted and double-minded. It is far too easy to start and not finish. It is far too easy rationalize our way out of triumph. How do we do it? How do we put habitual double-minded thinking behind us and instead reach forward towards true achievement?

Love your enemies. Once you dig down to the deepest meaning of this phrase it is perhaps one of the most daunting tasks ever put upon anyone. Jesus not only taught us in detail how to love our enemies, he showed us in living color how to profoundly care for them. He literally "walked the walk" – all the way to Calvary. As we look back upon the death and resurrection of Jesus, we will pause and consider his applying the principle of selfless, sacrificial love and then transforming it into a timeless reality. How did Jesus show devotion to those who were devious and hostile, attachment to those who antagonized him and affection for those who became his adversaries? Why should we love our enemies?

“When I grow up I want to get married and be a mom or be a dad!” For many of us there are simple dreams in life that germinate in childhood. As we grow they blossom into clear and exciting expectations. This expectation of growing up and getting married is so basic and so obvious that we rarely entertain the thought of it NOT happening. What if as you grow through life and come to the time when this simple and expected event is supposed to happen...and it doesn’t? What if you spend your life being single? There are those who say that remaining unmarried can be amazing and awesome, and that’s great. It can also be a turbulent, discouraging and derailing experience that overshadows and overwhelms adulthood. How do single Christians find their way to not only coping with this “single” challenge but living their lives with contentment, clarity and conviction?

Think about your life for a moment. Think about those things, people, places, experiences and memories that are most precious to you. The few thoughts that top this list are in all likelihood some of your greatest treasures. Now, think again about your life for another moment. Think about the things, people, places, experiences and memories that you obsess about – the images that you replay again and again in your mind that go ‘round and ‘round on that insatiable loop of conditioned and driven brain activity. The obsessions that top this list are in all likelihood your treasures as well. Kinda disturbing, isn’t it. So, what do we do about it? How do we learn to isolate and diminish those things which we cherish but hurt us? How do we instead focus on and appreciate those items that bring true honor, blessing and joy?

For most of us it’s simple. God is good, Satan is evil. They fight and God wins. God destroys Satan and all evil with him. It is simple and reassuring until we think a little more deeply about it. Where did evil actually come from? If God created all things then He must have created evil – why would he do that? If God wins the battle between good and evil and then destroys evil, would He be destroying one of His creations? If God truly is stronger than evil then we need to ask if God is even paying attention because one look around our world and it is obvious that evil is handily winning. So, are God and evil really a compatible pair – opposites that need each other to exist? Could God ever truly destroy evil or is the destiny of our world and our universe to be subject to both?

Loss brings grief. Everyone hurts when they suffer loss and many losses are met with grief. The recent Florida school shooting brings the trauma of grief out in the open for all to see. Yet, before and after that singular tragedy there have been and will continue to be countless experiences of deep grief that are not so public. For many of us grief acts like a disease. Its symptoms can be deep and debilitating and its cycle is repetitive and exhausting. Grief stinks, and yet grief is an important and even healthy part of our coping with our traumatic personal losses. So, how do we go about finding the healing part of grief? How do we know what to hang on to, what to let go of and when any of this should happen? Finally, what can those of us who are not presently experiencing the grief of a personal loss do to help those who are in such pain and anguish?

We are losing our grip.  Really.  There is a battle for our children raging before us and we are losing it miserably.  Raising children does not at all look like it once did a few generations ago.  Back then, parents were expected to control their households and children were expected to grow up within that control.  You might argue that such an arrangement was a little rigid.  Perhaps.  Now children and their feelings have become the idols of their parents' lives and those parents dutifully bow before and serve the desires, hormones and natural immaturity their children display. You might say that such an arrangement is a little - a lot - permissive.  Absolutely!  So, what do we do about it?  How do we think, act and respond to our present parenting crisis?  How do we swim upstream against the current of pitiful parenting and grab hold of and apply principles of powerful parenting?