A Cup of Grace – with a shot of espresso

It’s flu season and Covid is still around, but physical viruses aren’t really at the forefront of my thoughts right now. I’m not even thinking about the viruses our computers can pick up, though that is closer in subject. Rather, I am thinking about a term I heard this weekend: “thought virus.” The reference is to unhealthy ways of thinking that infect our world view and our thinking process. These “viruses” are every bit as contagious and deadly as the physical viruses we vaccinate against. 

There are several thought viruses that are being preached in our culture. Here’s what they seem to have in common: they take a value that is right and good, like empathy, and mix it with lies. Any who speak out against the lies are accused of not being empathetic and worse, of hate. It’s a frightening outlook for us if we can’t discern truth from lies and those who can are “corrected” by society.

However, this post isn’t about going after any of those particular thought viruses. Instead, I want to look at a couple of thought viruses that have infected the Church, you and me. Again, these are lies that twist truths. They are misconceptions of who God is and thus affect our view of self.

The first is the growing message that our walk with God is all about us. We get focused on what God can do for us rather than on how we can join God and direct all glory to Him. This turns truth on its head putting us as the center of God’s universe rather than God at the center of ours.

One place we see this is in our approach to prayer. We share prayer requests focused on making us more comfortable. We treat God more like a vending machine for what we think will make us happy. We are told to “Cast our cares on Him, for He cares for you.” I Peter 5:7. So I’m not saying that it’s wrong. Instead I’m challenging our motive. Are we seeking our comfort or God’s glory? Do we approach God desiring His glory above all else?

Unfortunately, we also take scripture and interpret it as if we are the center. For example, we turn Philippians 4:13 to selfish uses. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength…” It’s a comforting verse, but do you know the context of this verse? The verses that precede this offer thanks to the Philippians for their support, but Paul goes on to say that he has learned to to be content with little or with much. And this ability is not because he is a great stoic. Rather he gives Christ the glory. In fact, all Paul does is focused on obedience to Christ. 

Paul has carried the gospel all over the the Roman world. His whole purpose was not to promote his agenda, his name or his goals. Always, he preached to spread the word of Jesus Christ. That verse is talking about Christ giving Paul strength to endure hard things that would ultimately give God glory. 

This verse isn’t about winning a game, doing well on a test, getting over an injury, or even dealing with an insufferable boss or roommate. It’s about living life for God’s glory. Do we see life (the good the bad and the ugly) as an opportunity to live for His purposes? That is the golden thread of consistency that should run throughout our lives. As I reminded you in an earlier post, Jesus tells us to “Seek first the kingdom of God…” (Matt 6:33a)

Let me put it this way: If God gives me strength, it is to live and act for His glory, not so that I can have success in whatever area of life. David didn’t slay Goliath in order to save the Israelites. He went onto the battle field and faced Goliath so that the Philistines would know whose God was in charge. God honored that.

Another similar thought virus is “God wants what’s best for me.” This is a bit more subtle because it’s true. The infection is with the belief that what we think is best for us and what God thinks is best are the same. Let’s take a look at another often misunderstood and very popular verse.

Jeremiah 21: 11 “For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

So many love this verse…and with good reason, but I think many people who choose it as their “life verse” fail to understand its context. So let’s look at that.

Jeremiah 29 begins “Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders who were carried away captive…whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon.” (Italics are mine.)

He goes on to tell them to make lives for themselves in Babylon, “build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens…and seek the peace of the city where I have cause you to be carried away captive…” He then says that they will be there seventy years. 

This is not what they wanted to hear. They are captives, slaves. God has just told them that HE caused them to be enslaved. He is now telling them to sit tight for a bit.  Jeremiah 29:11 IS a beautiful promise, in part, because the nation is under God’s judgment. Their enslavement is because they had failed to walk in obedience with God.

But even as He is disciplining them, God wants them to understand that His thoughts toward them are loving. He wants their good, their peace and hope. He goes on to promise that when they call upon Him, when they seek Him with all their heart, they will find Him. He will answer. 

We quote this verse focused on the fact that God wants good things for us. He does. But we fall short in our understanding when we envision “good things.” We see things that we would consider a successful and peaceful life. This is not what the Jews that this is first spoken to experience.

It is important to visualize this accurately. The Jewish nation was not merely transplanted and happy in their new soil. They were scrabbling for existence much closer to the refugees that we see on the news. I suspect they didn’t think this was best for them. In fact, many may have been tempted to believe that God had deserted them. Again, God’s version of best is often very different from our own. 

He had to take the Jewish nation into war and captivity before their hearts would be ready for “the good life.”  We misread this verse when we leave off verses 12 and 13. God’s vision for His people is one where they seek Him with ALL their heart. That is His best.

We read verse 11 and say “God wants good things for us.” Then we go chase things. We seek peace and hope in stuff or success. When read it in its context, this verse actually has a much richer meaning.

First, we are reminded that God sees us. He is not unaware of the Jews’ suffering. In fact, He’s been warning them for years that this was coming. Second, we see that God pursues His people. Here, He assures them that suffering has a greater purpose – to draw them back to Himself. 

Third, God does not simply have MY best in mind. A jarring realization to our comfortable interpretation of this verse comes when we understand that the future and hope for most of the Jews is not going to happen in their lifetime. This promise is to the nation. 

What is best for me – from God’s perspective – takes the whole of His plan into account. So here’s another uncomfortable thought to mull over: thousands of Christians have suffered for Christ and many of them died. Does that mean God didn’t want what was best for them? Or, is it possible that my suffering is indeed what is best – whether I understand the big picture or not?

The real question is do we trust God? If we read our Bible, we will see that God does see and hear the cry of the oppressed.  That He has a heart of compassion for them. God sees and loves us each individually. No one is simply part of a mass to Him. David’s psalms assure us of this. However, our desires do not dictate God’s actions. He hears our cries, but are we willing to align our will with His answers? 

I just think that, as American believers in particular, we have come to believe that if we are uncomfortable or sad, that this is not God’s will for us. What if it is? Will we trust Him? Are you willing to echo Christ “Not my will but Yours be done”? Ultimately, death on the cross was what was best though none of us would have seen it that way.