From earliest times, debate has raged over whether God’s word can be taken literally. Since the serpent asked, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”[1] people have debated if the world was created in 6 days. If Moses really parted the Red Sea. If Jonah really spent 3 days inside a great fish. And so on. Talk about whether the Bible means what it says often focuses on the miraculous events within.
But what about verses like Ephesians 4:29? “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” When Paul wrote that, did he literally mean “no corrupting talk,” or just to aim for less crude language than the average person? Did Paul mean each word needs to “fit the occasion,” or to repeat whatever catchphrase seems to work in most situations? Did Paul mean everything we say should “give grace” to others, or is it ok if sometimes we want to look good or appear gracious? Do we need to always build up those who hear us? Did Paul “actually say” what he wrote in Ephesians 4:29?
Failure to meet our ideals does not mean that we should change them.
We might reply that this is an impossible standard, but Jesus in Luke 18:19 said “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” In that one statement, Jesus testifies that no one is good (everyone misses the mark), and also that He is God in the flesh, come to save us from failing to meet the standard.
So yes, Ephesians 4:29 should be taken literally, but we should also take literally that only Jesus can meet the standard, and that He did meet the standard. Failure to meet our ideals does not mean they are the wrong ideals and that we should change them. Holiness is holiness.
G.K. Chesterton wrote in his book Orthodoxy that “it does not matter (comparatively speaking) how often humanity fails to imitate its ideal; for then all its old failures are fruitful. But it does frightfully matter how often humanity changes its ideal; for then all its old failures are fruitless.”[2]
In film editing, “the cutting room floor” refers to pieces of physical film that (in pre-digital times) were cut out of the movie and left lying on the floor. When writing this blog, one of the hardest things to do is to cut out parts or phrases I care deeply about, but sometimes it’s necessary, because my words aren’t always Ephesians 4:29 words. Finding these failures can be fruitful if I learn from them and move closer to the ideal. In real-time, daily conversation it’s even harder, but to take Ephesians 4:29 literally, we all have to figuratively ask:
What are we willing to leave on the cutting room floor today?
[1] Genesis 3:1 [2] Chesterton, G.K. Orthodoxy (1908). P. 163.
Saint Augustine wrote in his Confessions “for it is one thing to see the land of peace from a wooded ridge….and another to tread the road that leads to it.” Often along that road we get stuck in a rut, but what is a rut?
According to Dictionary.com, “rut” is a noun meaning: “a furrow or track in the ground, especially one made by the passage of a vehicle or vehicles” or “a fixed or established mode of procedure or course of life, usually dull or unpromising: to fall into a rut.”
The second meaning comes from the first, earlier meaning. On dirt roads, vehicles create a rut along a repeated path, and the vehicles that come after find it easier to follow the path of least resistance. Therefore, without someone intervening and repairing the road, the rut gets deeper and its harder for any vehicle to avoid the rut. The second meaning is a metaphor of people doing the same thing. It’s easier to do what others have done before, or to continue what you’ve already done before, especially if repeated for a long period of time.
However, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” (Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25)
The Diversity of Ruts Over time, I have found many ruts to get stuck in. In my earliest memories I was already in a rut of passive Christianity, going through rituals that didn’t mean much to me. As a young adult, I was in a different rut as a visibly vibrant church member, doing things like leading Bible studies and worship services. Later, I was in a rut of private faith, studying the Bible and praying nearly every day but rarely talking to anyone else about it. At other times I’ve been ruts of tribalism, comfortable practicing religion as acceptable to “my tribe,” whether a political tribe, a denominational one, or many others.
There were times in my life where I looked like a Christian but wasn’t, and also times where I was a Christian but didn’t look like one. There were times where some people approved, and there were times when other people approved.
Much of what I’ve done has been potentially “good,” at least in appearance, but in all cases there was always something not quite right with it. J.R.R. Tolkien wrote that “There was an Eden on this very unhappy Earth. We all long for it, and we are constantly glimpsing it: our whole nature at its best and least corrupted, its gentlest and most humane, is still soaked with the sense of ‘exile.’” We’re stuck somewhere we’re not meant to stay. Each of our experiences is different, and the wrong paths I’ve been on are not always the same wrong paths you’ve been on, and what was wrong for me might be right for you. But for many of us, ruts are comfortable.
When people, like vehicles following a rut in the road, follow others, it doesn’t “feel” risky. But when in a rut, new ground is never uncovered, and new paths are never found. There is no fruit of the Spirit from staying in a rut, doing something because someone else did it or because it feels “normal.” God’s people grow in “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”[1] as they find and follow His path for them, not by accident, by routine, or by doing nothing.
What may be less obvious is that the right path I should be on is not the same path you should be on. As I’ve written, “Each of us is an intricate matrix of beliefs, at different levels of truth and of conviction on every possible topic.” We all try to follow the same Shepherd, but we’re all in different places and He has different paths for all of us. A person can be a passionate, sincere believer with characteristics from any or all of what were my ruts, while I may by grace have avoided the ruts of others.
Compelling, Clear, and Charitable Why am I writing this? I picked up a few new followers this week, thanks to a post of mine being shared by Mitch Teemley (please visit his amazing blog!) and wanted to publicly thank him and to welcome any new readers!
Here, inspired by Ephesians 4:15, I try to write posts that are “Compelling, Clear, and Charitable” as explained in this earlier post. I try to write posts that “stir up my readers to love and good works.” (Hebrews 10:24).
It’s easy to use doctrine to criticize. Luke 13:26 and elsewhere criticize public faith if done incorrectly, while Matthew 6:4, 6:6, 6:18 and elsewhere describe sincere religion as private, done in secret. Politically, God’s people were exiled from the Promised Land because they used God’s institutions for their own purposes, but in exile were told to honor God in ways that benefit the nations they lived among.
Likewise, the people in the many ruts I’ve been in are often in conflict with each other. For example, “visible” Christians can get frustrated with “private” Christians, and in fact make it more difficult for them to get out of it. Strangely, I find myself often in conflict with past and current versions of myself.
If I write about a situation that feels like one you’re currently in, you might get offended because to you it’s not a rut. It might be your true path. Or you might be offended because the rut is comfortable and too deep to see out of. It’s sometimes easier to see someone else’s rut than your own, especially if you’re in the same ditch together. The ditch may be comfortable to both of the people in it.
Because of this diversity of ruts, being charitable is harder than being clear or compelling, but it is infinitely more important. On the other hand, on a blog where I don’t know many of my readers, charity at a personal level can be impossible.
Now, Not Yet We must try. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands God’s people to “make disciples of all nations.” We all experience failure on this mission, but the only way to guarantee failure is to not try at all. If I an Compelling and Clear here, I might have succeeded, but at something other than discipleship, for myself and for you. If we have not love, we are nothing. In addition, Proverbs 27:17 describes discipleship as “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” This verse is sometimes quoted with a smile as if it’s always rainbows and sunshine, but the verse is describing the violence of one piece of metal scraping bits off another piece of metal. In the metaphor of this post, it might be describing the work needed to dig out of a deep rut. Here, I make a humble attempt to make a better disciple of myself, but also to (hopefully charitably) share what I’ve learned in a way that helps others find their own path that is not a rut.
Even blogging may become a rut for me – it might have already – but it helps me move out of past ruts. The path of comfort and of least resistance is appealing. The temptation to create a new path defined by resistance to my past ruts is also appealing. I may steer clear of Scylla and crash headlong into Charybdis.[2] For now, I take comfort that God has used my past ruts to teach me what I didn’t know at the time and wouldn’t have learned otherwise, and that Paul encourages us all to use whatever diverse gifts we have: “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” – Romans 12:6-8
When we arrive finally in the eternity we have been craving, Jesus will completely and finally pull all His people out of their ruts, and each will blaze their own perfect trail as an untainted bearer of His image. Future me (and future you) will all be vibrant members of God’s family, constantly worshiping God in private prayer and public work, while perfectly manifesting the political Kingdom of God in a new heaven and new earth. While the road between here and there is full of ruts, God is faithful and will get us there. He promises that every rut we currently are stuck in is temporary, and also that in eternity the path of righteousness we should be on will be as easy and comfortable as our current ruts promise to be but fail to deliver on. The good we did imperfectly in this world will be done perfectly there.
“And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” – Revelation 21:21
When we want to hear our Master’s voice, we all have to overcome competing influences, like the lyrics of “Breathing” by Lifehouse say, “I’m trying to identify the voices in my head; God, which one’s you?” We all need a filter to pick the right voices, or influences, that we base our lives on, and filter out anything that competes for our Master’s attention. The Bible recommends it, as 1 John 4:1 says “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Proverbs tells us to make our ear attentive toward wisdom and to incline our heart to understanding, and to treat wisdom and understanding as more valuable than silver and treasures.[1] But how do we do it?
Gideon from the book of Judges might also have related to Lifehouse’s lyrics. Gideon needed to filter out the voices, and probably the best-known part of his story is his use of a fleece to do that. During Gideon’s life, as recorded in the book of Judges, Israel was being oppressed by the Midianites, Amalekites, and others, who would wait until harvest then rob all the produce and livestock. The angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, saying he would use Gideon to “save Israel from the hand of Midian”[2], but Gideon doubted that it was God speaking, and said “show me a sign that it is you who speak with me.”[3] Gideon may or may not have doubted that God was able to save Israel, but he certainly doubted whether this was really God talking. Therefore, Gideon needed to “test the spirits,” but how?
Gideon asked God for a sign, which God provided, giving Gideon confidence to break down an altar to Baal and destroy an Asherah.[4] But Gideon asked God for more proof that it was truly Him speaking, and that He was calling Gideon to save Israel. This extra step was the sign of the fleece, which is worth quoting in full, from Judges 6:36-40.
“Then Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.’ And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. Then Gideon said to God, ‘Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.’ And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.”
A quick survey of study Bibles on this passage brings these comments on Gideon’s “test” of God:
“Even though the Spirit has come upon him, Gideon still struggles to trust the Lord.”
“The gathering of the tribes should have been sufficient evidence of God’s presence with Gideon, but he wanted a sign that God would do what He had promised.”
“Gideon’s desire for a second fleece sign evidenced his less than complete trust in God…He wanted to make certain that the first fleece sign was not merely a coincidence or the result of the natural absorption properties of a fleece.”
“Unlike Gideon, we have God’s complete, revealed Word. If you want to have more of God’s guidance, don’t ask for signs; study the Bible”
It’s easy, even encouraged, to criticize Gideon for testing God but if we put ourselves in his place can we do any better, even with the whole Bible? Sometimes the Bible is clear, as in “you shall not murder,” but what about questions like, “what should I write next?” Or “how can I encourage a friend?”
Consider that if Gideon had not put out the fleece maybe his story would’ve stopped right there, with him wallowing in doubt. After all, Israel was being persecuted by a powerful enemy – why take any risks? However, not knowing with 100% certainty what God’s will is does not mean that doing nothing is the right answer. If we have a decision to make where the Bible doesn’t seem to provide explicit direction, do we just follow Yogi Berra’s sarcastic advice: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it”?
I can relate to Gideon because I needed a filter, a reason to take the time to “test the spirits,” because I rarely know for sure what God wants. Much of the time, I “go with the flow,” and think if I avoid the wrong “flow” I’ll be ok. I write often not because I’m disciplined, but because I’m not. Writing is a tangible way to build the spirit-testing filter into my routine, even if it sometimes looks no wiser than Gideon’s fleece. So, why publish publicly to anyone with an internet browser? Because I take it more seriously, working on filtering out voices that aren’t useful to me, and wouldn’t be useful to anyone else. A published blog takes more effort than not writing at all, which is the point, and it helps me move forward.
The Benefit of the Doubt As I’ve written about Jeremiah and others, the Bible records openly the doubts of God’s people, because we all have a lot in common. Finding and trusting God’s voice is hard. If we criticize Gideon for demanding tests from God, are we really just criticizing ourselves and making it even harder? Our filters are also imperfect – does that mean we do nothing and get nowhere? Do we give up the call to “test the spirits,” leaving ourselves to “go with the flow” until we find a perfect method? Like Gideon, we are also prone to take the safe route, when offered what looks like a riskier alternative. To do something involves risk of not only doing the wrong thing, but also of being criticized for our methods. Doing nothing is sometimes the right answer, but it is also a choice, and we can’t always be clear why we choose it.
David sometimes encourages us to “wait for the Lord,” and he also wrote “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!”[5] when he was feigning madness before Abimelech, a questionable decision. We learn about God by experiencing Him, by taking action or by waiting, taking a chance either way, but over time learning that obedience is always the best decision, and also that He catches us when we fall. We can’t be perfect in this world, but He wants us to try and He will help us grow.
Centuries ago, Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 11:4: “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” He may well have written to me: “He who observes the trolls will not blog, and he who fears the comment section will not write.” Or to Gideon: “He who observes the Midianites will not save Israel.” We all begin our trip to eternity wherever God finds us, where we are not only sinners, but also have a lot to learn about focusing on God’s voice. What might we all be observing that’s keeping us from sowing the seed of the gospel God has given us? Sometimes it’s doubt in our filters, in our ability to know for sure.
When we’re afraid of being compared to Gideon and his fleece, know that he is listed in Hebrews 11:32 as a faithful hero, and was received in heaven as a good and faithful servant by the grace earned on the cross by Jesus. So, let’s take it easier on Gideon and give him the benefit of the doubt. We are all in this together, including the heroes of the Bible. It’s God’s faithfulness that matters and He will overcome all of our doubts.
In the meantime, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13a
This post is second in a series that started with this post on His Master’s Voice, and continues here.
Have you ever wondered why posts here often start with that greeting? But before that, why start with a greeting at all? It started with an observation.
There are 27 New Testament books, and 17 start with the words “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” or something very similar.[1] It wasn’t an accident, which made me wonder: Do I greet others with grace and peace? Do I intentionally bring grace and peace to relationships with others? In real-time interactions, certainly not as often as I’d like, but in a blog, where I have the time to be very intentional, why shouldn’t I be able to? So, what would be an appropriate greeting for this blog?
“Dear fellow travelers” first came to mind because it communicates motion and relates to the name of the blog. In Taxi Cab by twenty øne piløts, God tells Tyler, the song’s author, that “We’re driving toward the morning sun; Where all your blood is washed away; And all you did will be undone.” Where we are is not where we will be and becoming Christian changes our destination forever. We’re going to a different place, but if we focus too much on the circumstances of our time and not enough on the implications of eternity, we lose sight of the Lord who is our Savior, and of the grace and peace He provides.
“Dear fellow travelers” also reminds us of this grace and peace. The apostles started their letters acknowledging up front that everyone needs grace, even the author. We are all travelers in this community of faith, and we should be dear to each other. In addition, when Paul, Peter, or John wrote of peace, they didn’t mean just a sentiment or feeling. The word translated as peace is rooted in a Greek verb meaning “to join”. God’s grace enables us to overcome what divides us and to join together in Him. Through grace, we all fellowship as one and experience peace. We’re all in the boat together, and with Jesus as the captain we can be confident in the destination.
Since blogs can reach people in any place and theoretically at any future time through the internet, the blog’s greeting needed to be inclusive. Nations and cultures don’t each have their own gospel of Christ. There is one gospel, and it applies within, and above, all nations and cultures. Christians in all places and times are traveling through a place that is not their home, to a place where we will all be together in perfect grace and peace.
So, dear fellow travelers, let’s keep driving! Let’s strive to bring grace and peace to every encounter we have as we travel through this world.
[1] Refer to Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians 1:2, Colossians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:2, 1 Timothy 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:2, Titus 1:4, Philemon 3, 1 Peter 1:2, 2 Peter 1:2, 2 John 3, and Revelation 1:4.
Although the blog was registered earlier, May 20, 2021, is the date of the first post and so today I wish Driving Toward Morning a happy 1st anniversary! Thank you to everyone who has read, liked, and commented on the blog. A special thank you to anyone who has shared it with their friends, or used what they found here to encourage others.
I am thrilled to still be writing and encouraged by the impact it’s had on my life, from challenging me when I am complacent, from encouraging me to be more public with my faith, from growing deeper connections with friends and family, to creating some new connections with other bloggers. As the “About” page here says: “Purpose #1 of this blog is to force me to think about, ponder and organize my thoughts around Christianity’s relevance to my life and to others. Purpose #2 is to proclaim the truths of the Gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ into our present world.”
Although I thought for years about starting this blog, where I thought I had a plan, I found that things ended up differently:
Aiming for more than a post every two weeks seemed like too much, and it would take over a year to write the main ideas I had. I’ve posted 115 times so far, but oddly most of those early ideas remain unfinished and unposted.
I intended Facebook as a way to advertise the blog to others. Instead, I started a Facebook group in October, which became a driver for me to post more frequent, shorter, and often devotional-like content.
I initially struggled to keep posts under 2500 words, sometimes breaking things up into 2 parts. Now the average post is less than 700 words, with some less than 100.
Keeping a thread going through multiple posts was harder than expected. I’ve started and (so far) dropped several threads and series.
So, a lesson of year 1 is that planning is often futile! On the “About” page of the blog I wrote very early that “If the Lord wills, I will continue to write and do this or that. (James 4:15)”. I don’t know how long this will last and what it will evolve into, but I’m grateful for the outlet and for any encouragement it has brought to its readers.
What to expect in year #2 (other than to expect the unexpected):
Re-blogging. I plan to re-post existing content in an effort to post more consistently, to bring back some posts I liked or that got good responses, or to bring back topics I intended to continue, but didn’t. Hopefully I can tie up some loose ends. “Rewind Wednesday” is probably where these will end up.
An attempt to be more predictable about the size/length of posts. On Facebook, I’m going to add a reading time estimate above each link to the blog. Also, I’m going to try and keep the longer posts to a regular cadence. Maybe reserve long reads for the weekend?
More posts on history, more holiday posts, more groups of (hopefully) thought-provoking quotes, but also perhaps posts on books I’m reading.
Lastly, the “About” page also says that “As a layman, I have only my own experience in life, study and prayer to offer. This is not a ‘proof’ blog, but an encouragement blog. As a writer, I consider how to stir up my readers to love and good works. (Hebrews 10:24)” Don’t be shy about letting me know how I’m doing.
Working on this blog has encouraged me, and I hope it has encouraged you as well. Every one of us has something important to offer for God’s glory and for the benefit of the world around us.
Driving Toward the Morning Sun 