Tag: selfishness

Be Careful about Your Decisions (2 Samuel 11:14-21)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
David and Uriah, by Rembrandt, c.1665

In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”

So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.

Joab sent David a full account of the battle. He instructed the messenger: “When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, the king’s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? Who killed Abimelek son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then say to him, ‘Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’” (New International Version)

Today we have a lesson in the middle of a story about King David’s greatest error in judgment and cover up of that decision. Indeed, bad decisions can often beget even more bad decisions.

It would be an understatement to say that David blew it. Our Old Testament books of 1 and 2 Samuel are arranged by the original editor in such a way that the chapter of 2 Samuel 11 is a hinge upon which the life of David moves.

All of the material before 2 Samuel 11 is generally positive, describing a man devoted to God in every way. But everything after this chapter is mostly tragic. The editor wanted readers and listeners to understand that God cares about morality and ethics by showing the consequences of both a life well-lived, as well as a life that is self-centered.

Before our verses for today, the story begins with David choosing adultery and taking another man’s wife. King David should have been doing the work of a king – protecting and serving Israel. But instead, he hung out in Jerusalem and avoided all the needed military stuff. (2 Samuel 11:1)

The editor wants us to see that King David was shirking his responsibility, which then brought a set up for moral failure. It appears David was resting on his laurels, content with his victories and successes. For the most part, at the time, the nation was happy and prosperous.

The king was walking around on the roof of his palace, instead of being in the trenches with his men, leading them in the defense of Israel.

Rather than giving proper orders as a king ought to do, David was sending people to do his personal bidding in satisfying his earthly wants. This is a significant reversal of what we see from earlier chapters in the story of David.

Up to this point we have observed David as a merciful king, seeking to use power for benevolent purposes in the common good of the nation. But in today’s chapter, David turns into the typical earthly king, ordering others around and using his authority to get what he wants.

The editor wants us to learn some lessons from David’s life. One of those lessons is that if the right and just King David can fall, then none of us are immune from falling into bad decisions which alter people’s lives forever.

The moment we think we are above falling, look out, because an arrogant nose dive into depravity is probably not far behind.

The stories of people who fall into immorality are mostly the same. Having some power or authority to wield, they use it to assert control over another person or group in order to get what they want – without being concerned for the needs and wants of others, and usually unconcerned for the negative consequences it brings upon other people.

It’s important that we call such behavior what it is: Evil. Awful. Selfish. Ungodly. A violation of ethics and morality. An offense against God.

David committed adultery, then lied, manipulated others, and covered up his actions. He murdered an innocent man, and was okay with an entire regiment of soldiers getting killed to ensure that an innocent man would be dead.

None of that icky nasty stuff was a mistake, or a lapse in judgment. It was pre-meditated sin.

And the way to deal with such sin is not to say something like “I did it, but it wasn’t really me; I’m not really like that!” Well, apparently, you are. Maybe David thought he was above it all, and believed it wasn’t really something he could ever do. But he did.

David gives Uriah a letter for Joab, by Pieter Lastman, 1619

Once we make an immoral and ungodly decision, it often causes us to start selling-out our principles and convictions. Sin only begets more sin, until we deal with it squarely.

Truth is a celebration of openness and honesty. Shame keeps to the shadows and prizes secrecy and remaining quiet. If one chooses not to go down the path of truth, then they will be continually encrusting their lives with lies so that no one ever knows.

In fact, much of religious legalism is nothing more than a person piling on the rules in order for others to not see the guilt and shame that hides deep within. Only through confession, repentance, and faith, will forgiveness, wholeness, and happiness ever occur.

Yet another lesson we can learn from this story of David is that the results which may satisfy our wants may not necessarily satisfy our needs, or God.

David accomplished what he wanted. He was successful in covering up his sin, and he got the woman he wanted. But God saw the whole thing, and was not okay with any of it. 

We must not assume that because we do something, and there was no immediate lightning strike, that it was okay. 

To only selfishly satisfy ourselves is to be a spiritual cannibal who eats other people alive.

So, how might we avoid falling into the same sorts of bad decisions which befell David?

  • Make prayers of confession a regular staple of your daily spiritual regimen. Had David engaged in prayer on the roof instead of being bored, we would likely have a very different story.
  • Maintain an active and engaged mind. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. David was wandering around the palace instead of actively engaged in the government of his kingdom.
  • Keep the Sabbath. A day of rest helps the body to be in healthy rhythms of care, as well as enabling the spirit to connect meaningfully with God. Without adequate rest, we are like the little kid in a grocery store at 9pm throwing a fit and having a meltdown. David got out of a healthy rhythm as king, and it led to a fall.
  • Strengthen your family relationships. If you are married, live from the place of your marriage. Marriage is more than living with someone and having occasional fun; it is a one-flesh relationship that is meant to be a priority. Only from this relational place can a spouse effectively take on the world with all its needs and brokenness. 
  • Submit to accountable relationships. There are far too many lonely people with few friends in this world, even among people who are constantly around others. Everyone needs a small coterie of confidants with whom to share anything and everything with.  David’s close friends were all out with the army, and he was alone. Not a good thing.
  • Avoid stuffing all desire down as selfish and bad. Jettisoning desire only sets us up for a fall. But identifying godly desire enables us to make better decisions which engage the whole person.

Almighty God, you are the fountain of all wisdom and grace. You know our needs before we even ask, and our ignorance in not asking for the things we really need. Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things that in our blindness we don’t know to ask for. 

Gracious Lord, we acknowledge and confess our sinful nature, prone to evil and slow to good.  You know our secret sins, and how often we have offended you and damaged others through wandering from your ways, wasting your gifts, and forgetting your love. Cleanse us from our hidden sins and forgive our faults for the sake of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ who loved us and gave himself for us. Amen.

Be Helpful, Not Harmful (Psalm 119:113-128)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment

I hate two-faced people,
but I love your teachings.
You are my hiding place and my shield.
My hope is based on your word.
Get away from me, you evildoers,
so that I can obey the commandments of my God.
Help me God, as you promised, so that I may live.
Do not turn my hope into disappointment.
Hold me, and I will be safe,
and I will always respect your laws.
You reject all who wander away from your laws,
because their lies mislead them.
You get rid of all wicked people on earth as if they were rubbish.
That is why I love your written instructions.
My body shudders in fear of you,
and I am afraid of your regulations.

I have done what is fair and right.
Do not leave me at the mercy of those who oppress me.
Guarantee my well-being.
Do not let arrogant people oppress me.
My eyes are strained from looking for you to save me
and from looking for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
Treat me with kindness,
and teach me your laws.
I am your servant.
Help me understand
so that I may come to know your written instructions.
It is time for you to act, O Lord.
Even though people have abolished your teachings,
I love your commandments more than gold, more than pure gold.
I follow the straight paths of your guiding principles.
I hate every pathway that leads to lying. (God’s Word Translation)

I don’t know about you, but disingenuous people drive me nuts. This is the type of person who is nice as pie to your face, but then walks away and talks smack about you to another. They seem to always have an agenda in order to get ahead, gain power, and be in the know, so that they can have leverage against you.

There are other people who try to avoid doing wrong and always try to do right. There are yet others who either bulldoze or sleepwalk through life, doing what they will, with impunity, unaware of how they’re damaging people’s lives. And then there are those who try to steer clear of what they consider the biggie sins, while having no problem indulging in so-called little sins. 

Selfishness, self-centeredness, and unawareness of the self’s impact on this world will create all sorts of problems for others. Indeed, sin is messy business. 

No matter the form or the attempt at dealing with one’s selfish proclivities, the bottom line is that we all engage in such behavior because it benefits us, that is, we like doing it. We might not always like the consequences and the fallout of self-centered living, but it sure feels good while it lasts.

Humanity needs a complete reorientation of the heart. Rather than hating every way that doesn’t benefit me, we must learn to hate every way which is contrary to God’s good commands.

The psalmist proclaims and affirms that all God’s precepts are right. It’s important to hate every false path which deviates from the true self and the common good of all persons. 

If we indulge in self-centered ways because we like them, the road to thinking of others and their needs is learning to hate my false self and false belief systems – to loathe them so much that it’s like a nasty stench in our nostrils. 

Hating sin comes from the acquired taste of loving God’s commandments. When we come around to cherish and desire God’s Word, then selfish sinful desires gradually become so odious to us that we want nothing to do with them.

The reason the psalmist could proclaim such an extended love song to the commands of God, is that he tried them, ate them, and imbibed them. And how good they were! It caused him to forsake every selfish way in trying to achieve human enjoyment. 

I encourage people to have a solid plan for reading (or listening to) Scripture every day – because it really has the power to reorient us from being selfish jerks who harm others to becoming unselfish thinkers who help others.

Scripture changes our taste buds. Sustained, consistent, daily eating of the psalms will teach us to want God and God’s ways – while forsaking the dark path of insolence and oppression in order to satiate our own selfish wants.

The psalmist committed himself to avoiding worthless selfish situations, as well as steering clear of harmful people with the propensity to doing wrong. They are fickle, double-minded, two-faced people, divided in their loyalties.

On one side of their mouth, they talk a good line about faith; and then talk out the other side of their mouth, spewing a bunch of worthless gobbledygook which, at the least, adds no value to anything, and, at worst, wrecks good plans and harms others.

If there are people in authority over us who don’t give a wit about our most cherished values, we will likely find ourselves tasked with doing things which rub against our understanding of Holy Scripture. In this state of moral distress, we are pushed, pulled, and tested in our single-minded devotion by the double-minded selfish person to do what we are uncomfortable with.

In the stress and crucible of trouble, we need the courage to speak up, despite the fear of repercussions. And that strength is only possible if we have a resilient spirit with the capacity to sustain our personal integrity in the face of distress. That is, we need God and God’s Holy Word.

Scripture and fellow believers provide support; we need to care for one another as a community of redeemed persons who seek to live into the words of ways of almighty God.

It can be tricky business, wisely trying to discern between what we to accept and what to pushback against. Yet, with God, God’s Word, and God’s people, we possess all the resources required in living the spiritual life and navigating the selfish world we inhabit.

Almighty God, I pray that you will deal with me according to your steadfast love and teach me your statutes. I am your servant; give me understanding so that I might know and live by your commands and forsake the evil of the world. Amen.

A Time of Woe (Isaiah 5:15-24)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
The Prophet Isaiah, by Raphael, 1512

So people will be brought low
    and everyone humbled,
    the eyes of the arrogant humbled.
But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice,
    and the holy God will be proved holy by his righteous acts.
Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture;
    lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich.

Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit,
    and wickedness as with cart ropes,
to those who say, “Let God hurry;
    let him hasten his work
    so we may see it.
The plan of the Holy One of Israel—
    let it approach, let it come into view,
    so we may know it.”

Woe to those who call evil good
    and good evil,
who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
    and clever in their own sight.

Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine
    and champions at mixing drinks,
who acquit the guilty for a bribe,
    but deny justice to the innocent.
Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw
    and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,
so their roots will decay
    and their flowers blow away like dust;
for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty
    and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel. (New International Version)

I’m willing to bet that you, like me, have had to contend with some rather annoying and obnoxious people from time to time in your life.

It’s the person whose head is so big, they can barely walk in and out of a room. And when they talk, it’s usually about themselves, the great things they’ve done, and what they think – not framed as opinions but as the truth.

Since this sort of person rarely listens to anyone, they have no clue about the real needs of people in front of them. Their self-inflated importance is to the degree that they don’t ask and are not curious; yet they demand of others. They see no problem with double-standards. It’s okay for them to bribe, even steal from another. But if you cross the self-important person, look out, because they’ll hunt you down like an animal.

Yes, such people exist. And there are typically some deep psychological reasons why they are so arrogant and difficult to be around. Yet the best thing to know about them is that the true Sovereign of the universe, God, is the rightful judge who will handle them.

If you see a path of destruction on the ground, you know a tornado has touched down and done its damage. And if you observe a bunch of people devastated and demoralized, you know that the haughty and self-important person has been through and laid waste to people’s lives.

The Lord almighty is not okay with such people moving about and hurting others with impunity; the wicked will have to contend with the One who knows what’s going on.

God looks and sees – and pronounces appropriate woes (curses) upon those who feign righteousness and holiness, yet in reality do anything but.

You can easily tell what God abhors by what sorts of behavior receives a disapproving woe upon it. God condemns self-indulgence and self-absorption. This shows itself in how one drinks and does business. The sheer accumulation of land, resources, and strong drink – without any sort of regard to one’s neighbor – is a foolish use of wealth.

The self-absorbed and self-important person becomes desensitized to the needs of others. They also become insensitive to God’s concerns and workings in the world. To disregard the poor and needy is to disregard God. Such injustice, resulting from only caring about oneself, is why the Lord levels divine woes upon them.

Actions and inactions both have consequences. Acting selfishly through wanton accumulation is an equal inaction against the community. As a result of so much economic disparity and carelessness in society, God displaces and deports the ones who arrogantly and smugly believed they are secure.

There is accountability in this world, even though it may not sometimes seem like it. There are ethical requirements and moral imperatives. The social laws contained in the covenant code between God and Israel were expected to be honored. So, when they were continually and habitually ignored, the Lord held the people accountable.

The selfishly proud and arrogant, who acquire all they can and become masters of small worlds, will eventually face ruin by means of divine judgment. It’s as if persons had so loaded their backpacks with sin, that it became heavy to the point of self-crushing.

Divine intervention is either a very good thing, or a very bad thing, depending upon who you are. People are expected to be self-aware enough to know the difference between right and wrong, bad and good, just and unjust. To not know this is to be self-addicted and unable to make proper discernments and decisions.

If you are reading or listening to this, you are likely a person who is concerned enough to care for others and is not lost in yourself. Yet, you likely have to contend with a few persons who are only in this life for themselves. So, watch out and do your best to avoid people who do the following:

  • Manipulate through deceptive language. There are some people in positions of authority or power who intentionally obscure, cover up, and confuse things. If you never know how things stand and are doing, then beware.
  • Independent without accountability. There is no interdependent relationships, and only obedience when it suits them. The constant caginess, and lack of vulnerability, is a warning. If you feel like you’re being micro-managed without much ability to ask specific questions and get straight answers, then look out.
  • Distort how things really are. I’m talking about gaslighting. Gaslighting is the attempt by another to accept the gaslighter’s view of reality as your own. And in the gaslighter’s quest, it seems to you as if there is continually chaos and you are off kilter. If you question it to them, then you will most likely be accused of having a problem. It’s not you. So, skedaddle the first chance you get.

The bottom line of it all is that God is rejected and there are people reneging on their commitments to the Lord. You need not be such a person, and you don’t need to live in such a way that another is in complete control of your life – other than God.

Take note of what the Lord dislikes and despises, and keep away from persons who set up themselves as being akin to God.

Grant us, Lord God, a vision of your world as your love would have it:
a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor;
a world where the riches of creation are shared, and everyone can enjoy them;
a world where different races and cultures live in harmony and mutual respect;
a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love.
Give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Magic vs. Miracle (Acts 8:9-25)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Peter’s Conflict with Simon the Sorcerer, by Avanzino Nucci, 1620. Simon is on the right, wearing black.

Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 

But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages. (New International Version)

Simon the Sorcerer was quite a character. For that matter, so was Simon Peter. The contrast between them, however, shows that there were really no similarities between the two – even though the Sorcerer tried to make it so.

The Sorcerer reminds me of the church elder who is a continual suck-up to the pastor. Those sorts of parishioners always drive me nuts in the ministry. I have known plenty of them over the years, who put on a façade of politeness and speak with flattery; but their real agenda is to have power, by any means possible.

People like Simon the Sorcerer have always existed, ever since the fall of humanity into sin. They aren’t committed to anything but themselves. Their actions are motivated by the accumulation of information so that they can use that knowledge to leverage for more power and control.

What is so sad about the Simon the Sorcerer sort of people is that they actually believe that everyone else is motivated by the very same things they are; and that the world operates on acquiring more and more control and power over it.

They need money because they believe everyone has a price. They compulsively follow influential individuals because they believe anyone can be manipulated. They continually boast (and even lie) about their importance and all the great things they have done in the past.

Perhaps most of all, the Simon the Sorcerer type person obsessively seeks attention because they believe their sense of security and self-worth are determined by how many other people like them.

The Apostles of Christ, Philip and John and Peter, saw right through the false discipleship of the Sorcerer. They didn’t need to know all the events of Simon’s past to clearly see that he was a bitter man who was a prisoner to the guilt and shame he carried around in his heart.

simony: The buying or selling of advantages for positions in the Church, or for religious pardons

The difference between Simon the Sorcerer and Simon Peter the Apostle is the difference between manipulative magic and divine miracles. Like the Egyptian magicians of Pharaoh, and the divinely inspired Moses, the ability to perform a great wonder of power, or spiritual sign of power, seem rather similar – that is, at first.

But the similarities of the supernatural powers are merely superficial. There are always limits to what the Sorcerer can do versus the unlimited abilities of the true believer possessing spiritual power – or even between supposed Christian faith healers and the godly believer who is gifted with being a healer.

The bottom line of it all is that the deeds of Simon the Sorcerer pointed to himself in selfish acts of self-glorification. The signs and wonders of Simon Peter – and all the other Christian Apostles – consistently pointed to the kingdom of God and validated the message of repentance and new life, faith and forgiveness, in Jesus Christ.

In other words, the Apostles did not really do any of the miracles of bringing a changed life to people; Christ himself did that, through the ministry and power of the Holy Spirit. It was a message about release and freedom from the dark forces of Satan, and the ability to live a good, just, and right life without having to pay for it in any way.

Today, although few people practice an overt form of magic as the ancients once did, we still must be wary of those who promise magical results for whatever we need or what ails us.

One could argue that much of contemporary marketing and consumerism are a modern form of buying into the magical thinking that my life can be mystically and unexplainedly improved through using a particular product (or a certain church consultant!).

The easy way is most typically the approach of the Sorcerer and charlatan; it doesn’t really change anything, or require anything of us, especially when it comes to the human heart. It never truly brings about a better world.

The way of the cross, however, is a hard road – the narrow way – and few end up finding it. The old life must go in order to make way for the new life. There must be a crucifixion before there can ever be a resurrection.

God, you sent your Son into the world that we might live through him. May we abide in his risen life so that we may bear the fruit of love for one another and know the fullness of joy. Amen.