I Am Persuaded

When I first became a Christian by asking Jesus to forgive my sins, I was 13 years old. I hadn't even started high school yet. My commitment to Christ was heartfelt. But that was roughly 37 years ago. When I say "roughly", I don't use that word lightly. I've been through some rough times. Even now, I am going through some rough times, particularly in relation to my finances.

When examining the claims of Christianity over and over again throughout the years, I've sometimes had questions for which I was not able to immediately find satisfactory answers. But that has been equally true with regard to virtually all of the belief systems I've ever known about, including atheism and agnosticism. If there is a belief system which perfectly and completely answers every conceivable question, I haven't found that system yet.

From what I've seen, choosing which belief system to commit one's self to isn't necessarily a matter of finding the system which immediately answers all of one's questions, but rather, it's a matter of finding the system which makes the most sense overall. From a purely theoretical and intellectual point of view, I've never found any belief system which does a better job of explaining the realities I've observed in this world than Christianity. As for the fact that I still have unanswered questions, I think that that fact is attributable to my own imperfections, not to any inherent flaws in Christianity itself.

In any event, I think that the intellect plays a less prominent role in the decision making process than many people will admit, when it comes to matters pertaining to faith in God or the lack thereof. Intellectual persuasion is important, but those who rely solely on the intellect will never personally encounter the living God. In the final analysis, the only way to experience God is to surrender one's heart to God.

When things are going well, it's relatively easy to believe the Bible's claims to the effect that God loves us, and to the effect that God will take care of all our needs.

When one is going through trial after trial, it's a different story. During times of trial, one's negative emotions sometimes try to control one's life and to undermine one's faith. Some people succumb to those negative emotions. Others choose to fight back. Many who still struggle with their faith do a little of both. I'm probably in that last category, but I'm trying to move more and more into the category of those who choose to fight back.

I freely admit that there have been times when I've looked back and wondered if I made the right decision when I committed myself to Christ. After being confronted with evidence of abundant sin within the ranks of professing Christians, I have sometimes been tempted to question the credibility of the Christian message. I have sometimes been tempted to blame God for my problems, when things were going badly for me. I've been tempted to accuse God of failing to deliver on God's promises. During my worst moments, I've even yielded to that temptation.

But then I stop to consider the possibility that God might not have actually promised all of the things I would have liked for him to promise.

In fact, based on my reading of the scriptures, I can't help but notice that God promised some things which most people, including myself, would consider to be very undesirable. For example, Jesus promised that his followers would be persecuted, just as he was persecuted.

John 15:19-21 says, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me."

Jesus was very upfront with his disciples about the persecution they could expect to receive if they followed Him. That may very well explain why many of the earliest Christians willingly died as martyrs rather than betray their newfound beliefs. They could not claim that Jesus had promised them perpetually happy, painless lives on this earth. They knew better. In fact, the persecution they received may very well have served as confirmation that Jesus knew what he was talking about, and that they were on the right track.

Part of the problem I have sometimes had with the aforementioned verse is that it isn't always clear that one's problems do in fact constitute persecution related to one's faith. Often, it is difficult or even impossible to see any direct connection between one's Christian commitment and the unkind ways in which one has been treated by others. This is especially true when one is abused (or neglected) by people claiming to be good Christians.

However, I think perhaps that there are "surface reasons" why people act as they do, and then there are the real underlying reasons which they may not even be aware of themselves.

Ultimately, our real enemy is not any human being or group of human beings. Ephesians 6:12 says, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." In other words, Paul was talking about spiritual warfare.

How do demonic forces attack us? Sometimes they do so directly, in very obvious ways. Just as often, however, I think that their strategy is to persuade others to attack us. The people who are used by the Devil in order to attack us and undermine our faith are not always aware that they are being used for that purpose. If asked, it's doubtful that they would admit that they are motivated by any opposition to the Christian faith. In some cases, they might even claim that they are Christians themselves. And for all I know, they might be Christians.

I don't believe that Christians can be demon possessed, but I do believe that Christians can sometimes unintentionally act as instruments of Satan's will. If you don't believe me, consider that Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan!" to Peter when Peter objected to the idea that Jesus would be crucified in Jerusalem.

What I find particularly interesting about that episode is that Jesus had just finished praising Peter, moments before, for Peter's insight regarding Jesus' identity. And of course, Peter was the "rock" upon whom Christ later built the church. So the fact that one is a believing Christian does not necessarily mean that one is immune to Satan's influence. There is only one who can claim such immunity, and that's Christ.

Actually, I'm not even sure that it would be accurate to say that Christ was always immune to Satan's influence. After all, the Devil tempted Jesus in the desert. If there had been no real possibility that Jesus might have succumbed to temptation, then the fact that Jesus did successfully resist temptation would have been meaningless. Victory is meaningless if there is no real struggle. So rather than saying that Christ was immune, it would be more accurate to say that Christ was vulnerable to the Devil at one time, but Jesus was victorious in spite of his vulnerability. As a result of Christ's victory, our own victory is likewise assured, provided that we ally ourselves with Christ.

Just as Christ's struggle made his victory meaningful, so also it is our struggle that will make our ultimate triumph meaningful. And maybe that is a partial answer to the question of why God sometimes allows us to suffer. It's been said that nothing worth having comes easily. I think that's a bit simplistic, but certainly, some of the best things in life are unavailable to those who are unwilling to fight and struggle to have those things. If ever anything was worth struggling for, it would be an eternity in Heaven with Jesus. That's a goal worthy of pursuit.

Not that we are saved by works. We aren't. Ultimately, salvation is a gift, freely given, not earned. But it will only be given to those who endure to the end.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1)

Anyone can start running in a race. But only those who persevere will win the prize.

If we have received Christ as Lord and Savior, we are headed in the right direction, but none of us can honestly claim to have "arrived" yet. That's one reason why it's so important to practice spiritual discernment moment by moment, even when dealing with one's Christian brothers and sisters, regardless of whether or not they occupy positions of leadership within the Church.

(That includes the things I write in this blog. I do my best to listen to the voice of God, but I'm just an imperfect human being, struggling to understand my own faith. If I inadvertently say something which contradicts God's word, feel free to ignore or discard what I say.)

How do we know the voice of Satan when we hear it? One of the most obvious clues is that what is said to us tempts us to doubt the legitimacy of the Christian message or portions thereof.

For example, God's word declares that even though we are sinners, we are of great value to God. God loves us so much that he died to set us free. Therefore, anything which causes us to suffer a significant loss of self esteem is a lie from hell, designed either to cause us to abandon our faith in Christ, or (if that is not possible) to immobilize us so that we are incapable of helping to advance the kingdom of God.

That's not to say that we are free to ignore legitimate criticisms or to dismiss such criticisms as "lies from hell". That's irresponsible, and it may very well constitute rejection of the voice of God in some cases. But even when criticisms themselves are valid, they can be used by Satan in order to alienate us from God. We cannot allow them to do that.

Romans 8:1 says, "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus".

Legitimate guilt is one thing. Condemnation is something else altogether. The former motivates people to strive for improvement. The latter motivates people to give up on faith or on life. That's the difference. The Holy Spirit often convicts people of sin, but the objective of doing so is never to hurt people. The objective of doing so is to set their feet on the right path.

If there is a voice in your head telling you that you are worthless, you can be sure that that voice is not from God. If you hear such a voice, get ready to do battle with the enemy of your soul. How? By speaking the truth from the word of God! "I am valuable. Jesus says so. He valued me so much that he died for me. So shut your mouth, Satan. I'm not listening to your lies."

We may wish that we were not involved in spiritual warfare, but the fact is that we are, whether we like it or not. Satan seeks to destroy every one of us, believer and nonbeliever alike. He doesn't really care how he does it. He has no scruples whatsoever.

It's a bit frightening to know that we have all been targeted by demonic forces who seek to destroy us. But there is positive news as well. The positive news is that God has not left us defenseless. Ephesians 6:13-18 talks about putting on the whole armor of God: The "belt of truth", the "breastplate of righteousness", the "shield of faith", the "helmet of salvation", the "sword of the Spirit", the "gospel of peace", and prayer.

Regarding our battle with the evil spirits of the world, I John 4:4 says: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." So it isn't just a matter of putting on external spiritual armor. Those who are filled with the Holy Spirit actually have the power within themselves to be overcomers!

Galations 2:19-21 repeats that same theme: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

John 16:32-33 says: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Not "I will overcome the world". "I have overcome the world."

God's promise is not that our lives here on earth will be free of pain and suffering. The promise is that in spite of our pain and suffering, we will prevail, if we use the resources God has given to us and if we rely upon the Lord, who has already triumphed over sin and death.

How will we prevail over evil? "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts." (Zechariah 4:6)

2 Timothy 1:8-12 says the following: "Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

I admit it. I sometimes fear that the trials of life will overwhelm me. I fear sometimes that I will abandon my faith because I just can't deal with those problems any longer. But when I meditate on God's word, I realize that it isn't about me at all. It's about God. It's not about my strength, it's about God's strength. I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded.

If left to my own devices and my own puny strength, it's true, I wouldn't be able to handle the trials of life on this earth. I suspect that if you were really honest, you would have to admit the same thing.

Fortunately, God's message to me and to you is that he doesn't expect us to handle such things on our own! God knows we are weak. He's made provision for that.

Ironically, admission that we are weak is not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of strength: Strength of character. When we humbly admit that we are weak, that's when we open the door to the Holy Spirit in our lives. Through Christ, we can do all things. (Philipians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.")

2 Corinthians 12: 8-10 says: "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

There's a new movie coming out, entitled "Amazing Grace".

God's grace is truly amazing! It empowers us to do things we could never do in our own strength. God's amazing grace is sufficient for you and for me.

As I write the above words, I have to tell you that I'm writing to myself as much as anyone else. I'm no giant of the faith. I wish I were, but I'm just not. But God's strength is made perfect in my weakness.

I need your prayers, if you're the praying kind. If you're not the praying kind, I just have one question to ask you:

Why not?

Trusting God Is Sometimes Easier Said Than Done

Every once in a while, I like to search the web to get additional information about the Pettigrew family. Today, I found the Pettigrew Family Genealogy Site, containing detailed information which was apparently compiled by one Pat Fincher Pettigrew before she went on to be with the Lord.

The site features a Bible verse of the day. As it so happens, the verse for today was:

"Don't concern yourself about what you will eat or drink, and quit worrying about these things.... Rather, be concerned about his [the Father's] kingdom. Then these things will be provided for you." ... Luke 12:29

I was undoubtedly meant to see that verse. I'm hardly unfamiliar with the verse, of course. I've known the verse for most of my life. (Matthew has a verse which says pretty much the same thing.) But I have to confess, it touches on a personal weakness of mine.

Some folks have major trouble with sexual sin or addiction to drugs or alcohol. But personally, I find that trusting God to provide for my needs on a daily basis is something I still struggle with. It's my own personal version of "Fear Factor". When the money starts to run low (and it frequently does), I start seeing terrifying visions in which I am tossed out on my ear with no place to live but the mean streets of the city of Chicago.

Why does this frighten me? For numerous reasons, but probably the most powerful reason is that I am not content to merely survive. I have a vision of what God wants to do in my life, and I firmly believe that it is achievable, provided that I can manage to avoid events, such as eviction, which would set me back many years!

The scriptures affirm that a man's life does not consist of that man's possessions. Very true. But there are cases in which possessions are crucial if one is to achieve certain things.

For example, if I were to lose my computer and my access to the Internet, it would be significantly more difficult for me to set up the online ministry I'm trying to start at ArtisticChristians.com.

When it comes to my fears of living on the street, there is a basis for those fears. I have come very close to losing it all, in terms of my material possessions.

I've never actually lived on the street, per se, but I've been in several situations where I would have had to do so if it had not been for the charitable acts of my fellow Christians.

It also helped that I wasn't too proud to beg for help.

Now, a man has to do what a man has to do, and if begging for assistance is what one has to do in order to survive, then one begs for assistance. But begging is no fun, and that's a mild understatement. Begging is humiliating. The reason it's humiliating is, in part, because the people from whom one is forced to ask for help sometimes do their best to make sure that it's a humiliating experience.

Frequently, one finds that the generosity of others comes with strings attached. Usually, those strings are emotional. It seems that some people think that offering charitable assistance entitles them to denigrate the person they are helping in ways which bear little or no relation to the actual facts of the situation. The mere fact that one has been forced to beg for help is taken as de facto evidence that one's character is severely deficient.

One pastor who helped me out in the early nineties accused me of being "lazy". This, despite the fact that he knew that I had only recently lost my job, and despite his knowledge of the fact that I was devoting approximately 16 hours a day to that job at that time.

It was a job in a retail music store. It took me 2 hours to get there on the bus every morning, and another 2 hours to get home on the bus that night. I worked from 10:00 a.m. when the store opened to 10:00 p.m., which was an hour past the time when the store closed.

If that was "lazy", I couldn't help wondering just what I would have had to do in order to prove to this pastor that I was a hard and diligent worker. Devote all 24 hours of every day to my job? Funny, I didn't see him doing that with his own job!

Yes, I lost the music store job, but it had nothing to do with being "lazy". I just wasn't making enough sales, despite my best efforts. Anyone who has ever worked in sales knows that that is always a possibility. If folks are clueless regarding such matters (as this pastor apparently was), I would suggest that they read "Death of A Salesman", by Arthur Miller.

I was and am genuinely grateful for the temporary help that the aforementioned pastor extended to me for a period of time when I needed that help, but that was no excuse for the abusive things that he said to me in order to force me to leave and find housing elsewhere at a time when I still did not have adequate money with which to do so (thanks to the fact that I had recently been robbed while visiting the Oak Park YMCA in order to try to get a room).

That was hardly the only time that sort of thing had happened to me. Memories of incidents like that one still burn in my mind even to this day. Such memories make it hard for me to trust God to provide for me. Yes, I've survived, but I've had to go through some things no human being should ever have to go through in order to do so.

When it comes to the role Christians have played in dealing with my difficulties, it's kind of a "glass half full, glass half empty" kind of situation. On the one hand, I have always received the help I needed, more or less. And as I say, I am grateful for that fact. Christians certainly could have responded with total indifference to my needs. To their credit, they did not.

But helping a person means more than just providing for that person's material needs. It also means being sensitive to the fact that being forced to beg for help or forbearance is inherently stressful for most normal people. It means showing kindness and love to the people you help, knowing that that is how you would want to be treated if you ever found yourself in a similar situation. (It's called the Golden Rule. Look it up in the Bible. Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you.) I'm sorry to say that most of the Christians I've dealt with have fallen way short in that department.

Not that any of that excuses my failure to trust God for provision. I know, intellectually, that God can be trusted to provide for my needs. It's just that when the sheriff is banging on one's door at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, with the intent of serving one an eviction notice because one has fallen behind on one's rent, it's still difficult to incorporate that intellectual knowledge into the way one views the world. During such moments, the world seems like a cruel and hostile place, and God seems like he is pretty indifferent to the sufferings of those who have to experience that cruelty and hostility.

That visit from the sheriff that happened to me several years ago. I was already starting to sink into depression in response to my situation, and that visit from the sheriff made things even worse. Not long after that, I spent a miserable weekend at a local mental health hospital after trying to kill myself by swallowing more than an entire bottle of over-the-counter sleeping pills.

At the time when I took the pills, I was just sick and tired of dealing with the stress of life on this earth. I was sick and tired of being told that God loved me by people who demonstrated, through their indifference to the truth regarding my own situation, that they really didn't care whether I lived or died.

Yet, I attribute the fact that I am still alive today to God's miraculous intervention.

That night, I knelt beside my bed, in fear and trembling, not knowing what was coming next. I poured my heart out to God. I told God that I just couldn't deal with living in this world of pain any longer. I longed for genuine relief. I longed with all my heart to be joined with God in heaven.

I told God that I wanted to die, but I added that if God wanted me to live, if God had a higher purpose for me here which I couldn't yet see, I was willing to accept his will and to do my best to do his will.

The next morning, to my great surprise, I awoke to a new day. The effects of the pills could be clearly felt. I could barely move my limbs. For about a day or so, my legs would not even support the weight of my body. But I was alive.

I now realize that that was a test of my faith. I almost completely failed the test. If I had not prayed that prayer of submission, I think I might have failed that test, and I might not be typing these words today. But I had not abandoned my faith. I have not abandoned my faith. I will not abandon my faith!

I know in whom I have believed. When I committed my life to Jesus Christ at age 13, in 1969, I was putting my faith in Jesus Christ, not in that imperfect institution known as the Church. Yes, it's true, the Church is in some respects the Body of Christ. But the Church is comprised of weak and fallible sinners. They have been saved, but in terms of personal virtue, they have not yet arrived at their final destination. And when I say "they", perhaps I should include myself and change the pronoun to "we".

My faith in Christ is real, but it is not what it ought to be.

If my faith was what it ought to be, I would live a fearless life. I would remind myself that Jesus himself suffered greatly while he was here on this earth. The scriptures tell us that "foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to rest his head." For at least 3 years of his life, Jesus was a homeless man. I don't know how many of those nights he had to literally sleep under the stars, but it seems to be clear that when he was not doing so, he was staying with other people who chose to offer him lodging for the night. He was not living in any mansion. He was not staying at any 5 star hotel. He was taking whatever he could get.

As for false accusations, Jesus is no stranger to those, either. He did miracles, and how was he thanked? He was accused by some people (often the religious leaders of the day) of performing those miracles through the power of the Devil! Talk about ingratitude.

Jesus knows my grief and my pain, because he's been there.

I write the above words because once again, I am going through a time of trial in relation to my finances. I know that God will provide for me and I will survive, but it's still stressful, because I don't like having to ask for help, and it is likely that I will have to do so again in the very near future.

I pray that I will receive the mercy and help I need so that this time of trial will be as short as possible.

I further pray that such help will be extended to me in a more loving and generous spirit than I have received from some people who have claimed to speak in God's name.

Most of all, I pray that no matter how people respond and no matter what happens to me, I will never abandon my faith, and I will never forget that God loves me with a love so deep that it cannot be measured.

New Year's Advice from Dr. Phil

Because I'm a big bald guy with a thick moustache, I've sometimes been told that I look a bit like Dr. Phil McGraw, the popular TV psychologist from Texas, or to "meathead" from All In The Family.

(When I have had a beard, I've been compared with Dr. Andrew Weill, the nutritional "guru", or to the guys from Z.Z. Top, depending on how long my beard is at the time. And let's not forget the comparisons to good 'ol St. Nick, whose beard, like Dr. Weill's, is noticeably whiter than mine has ever been.)

I'm not quite sure why people feel compelled to tell me who I remind them of. Maybe that kind of thing happens to everyone, I don't know. To me, I seems kind of rude for people to comment on my appearance in such a manner (especially when the person is comparing me to Santa Claus!), but maybe I'm just overly sensitive.

At any rate, I can think of worse people to be compared with than Dr. Phil, who sometimes offers pretty good advice on his show, even though he almost never really addresses underlying spiritual issues.

On 1/6/2003, Dr. Phil McGraw had what I considered to be a particularly good show, pertaining to New Year's Resolutions. So good, in fact, that I took notes. He offered the following tips and advice (which are paraphrased slightly), followed by my own comments (as indicated by the initials MP):

DR. PHIL: Be accountable to others, and be honest with them.

MP: This is the key behind the success of groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. But accountability to other human beings, who can be fooled if you really want to fool them badly enough, is less foolproof than accountability to God. If you're conscious of the fact that he knows everything about what you think and do, and if you understand that he will hold you accountable on Judgment Day, it tends to make self-discipline a lot easier.

DR. PHIL: Replace bad behaviors with new, good behaviors.

MP: Good advice. Many of our self-destructive behaviors are just our ways of killing time. Telling someone not to do something isn't much help if you don't tell him what he ought to be doing instead. But notice that judgment is required, inasmuch as one is required to decide what constitutes bad behavior and what constitutes good behavior. So the first step is to resist the nonsense of moral relativism, which says that all things are of equal value. The second step is to make sure that our definitions of bad and good are aligned with the values of our Creator, who alone can be trusted as a source of perfect knowledge about such things.

DR. PHIL: The difference between a goal and a dream is a timeline (which enables you to measure your progress). Set specific goals with measurable results and a timeline.

MP: Great advice, to a point, but it presumes that you always have the ability to project how long a particular task is going to take. Sometimes you're just guessing when you set up such a timeline, and the accuracy of your guess will depend a great deal on your level of knowledge and experience, as well as your ability to accurately foresee all of the complications which might arise. No one can be expected to do that perfectly. An event such as Hurricane Katrina can throw a monkey wrench into even the best of plans.

DR. PHIL: You can't always control results (e.g., how much you weigh), but you can control your actions, so set goals in terms of actions likely to bring you closer to your desired results, not in terms of results which can't be controlled. For example, say, "I will walk one mile each day," not "I will lose 20 lbs. by March 1".

MP: Recognition that one can't always control results is essential for people engaged in Christian ministry. We would like to be able to convert the whole world to Christ, but the reality is that the most we can be expected to do is to clearly communicate our beliefs with others. Beyond that, how they respond is ultimately their choice.)

DR. PHIL: To overcome temptation (e.g., to smoke, overeat, etc.), control your environment (e.g., by choosing not to buy cigarettes, fattening foods, etc.). Don't set yourself up for failure.

MP: Sometimes, controlling one's environment is easier said than done! But Dr. Phil has a valid point. It's a good idea to do so whenever possible. If you are an alcoholic, for example, it probably isn't very smart to go into bars and liquor stores.

DR. PHIL: Talk to yourself in ways which encourage and reinforce good behavior. If you can believe it, you can achieve it. If you keep telling yourself something is hopeless, then it is. Don't make excuses.

MP: "If you can believe it, you can achieve it" is one of those clever but overly simplistic things frequently said by motivational speakers and TV shrinks. All human beings have objective limitations. Believing that one can fly high above the clouds without the aid of mechanical devices of any kind doesn't make one a positive thinker, it makes one delusional!

However, it certainly is true that we can often accomplish more than we thought possible, and it certainly is true that approaching life with a spirit of optimism can substantially increase the probability that we will succeed, if for no other reason than the fact that pessimism saps us of the energy and motivation we need in order to do great things.

As a Christian, I might add that we can accomplish a lot more if we put our faith in God. Our success is no longer reliant solely on our own strength and our own efforts, because he is there to help and strengthen us. The Bible says that with faith, all things are possible. With faith, we can move mountains.

DR. PHIL: Will power is a myth.

MP: I don't completely agree with this one, but I do agree that for those who are struggling with serious addictions or negative habits, will power isn't always sufficient. "Will power," it seems to me, is just a phrase which means that sometimes we have to make tough choices, and stick with those tough choices even though it isn't easy to do so, in order to exercise conscious control over our own lives. Will power can also include planning our lives on the basis of the wise principles Dr. Phil teaches.

DR. PHIL: The power of an immediate reward is greater than the power of a longterm penalty.

MP: This may be one reason why people who don't meditate frequently on the possibility of Heaven and Hell tend to need more temporal rewards in order to be motivated to do the right thing. Those who meditate on such matters tend to find deferred gratification much easier, even though it still isn't easy by any means.

DR. PHIL: The difference between winners and losers is that winners do things (such as working out at the gym, studying for exams, working hard, etc.) which losers don't want to do.

MP: This raises big questions in my mind. What is a winner? What is a loser?

We all win (in the short term) from time to time, and we all lose (in the short term) from time to time. Winning in this life is sometimes more a matter of good luck than any significant achievement, and losing in this life is sometimes more a matter of bad luck than any personal failure. To call a person a "loser", therefore, isn't so much a statement about whether or not the person has recently lost anything of value. It's more of an insult with regard to that person's fundamental character.

Labeling certain people as "losers" is a common practice in our society, but I question whether or not such labels are consistent with a Christian worldview. There is a sense in which we are all losers, since we have all fallen short of God's plans for our lives. To single out certain individuals and to call them names seems to be contrary to the spirit of Christian love and humility.

Moreover, it seems to me that we won't really know for sure, until the day of final judgment, who the real winners and losers were. Jesus said, "What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?" Many people who are currently considered to be winners in this world will be seen as losers on Judgment Day. Conversely, many now considered to be losers will receive top honors. If you don't believe me, read the Beatitudes.

However, I understand that Phil is trying to distinguish between those who are successful in their attempts to achieve things and those who are not. He's essentially saying that self-discipline is an essential component in success, and he's right about that.

Self-discipline is not just a matter of doing things you don't want to do. It's also a matter of abstaining from doing things you ought not to do. Self-disciplined people resist the temptation to do things (such as taking recreational drugs, having sex outside of marriage, etc.) which are not in their best interests.

DR. PHIL: You don't have to resist temptations constantly, you just have to make it past "narrow impulse moments".

MP: I might add that the more success you experience in resisting temptations, the easier such resistance becomes, because it becomes harder for you to believe the tempter's lies about "irresistable temptations", since you've proved that they can in fact be resisted.

DR. PHIL: Your beliefs about your own identity can affect your ability to resist temptations. If you label yourself by saying such things as "I'm an addict" or "I'm a criminal" or "I'm a fat person" or "I'm a loser", then you're programming yourself to act in certain self-destructive ways. Don't confuse what you do (or, for that matter, what other people may say you are) with your intrinsic identity.

MP: As a Christian, I would add that we need to remind ourselves that people are fallible, both with regard to their assessments of others and their assessments of themselves. Only God possesses perfect insight into a person's identity, so our identity should be based on his word, not on our own fallible opinions or the fallible opinions of others. If we have met God's requirements in terms of the repentance which leads to salvation, then we are children of God, because he declares it to be so. Therefore, that is our identity, regardless of how much success we may or may not experience in this life.

DR. PHIL: Take small steps regularly, and you will achieve your larger goals, too.

MP: There's nothing wrong with having large goals. But it's hard to measure progress in relation to such goals than it is to measure progress in relation to smaller related tasks.

DR. PHIL: Failure is not a valid excuse for abandoning one's goals. Everyone fails sometimes, the difference between winners and losers is that winners never give up on valid goals.

MP: And of course, it helps to know that when we fail, God is there to forgive us, pick us up and set us on the right path again.

Overall, I'd say that Dr. Phil offers a lot of good (albeit incomplete) advice.

My Prayer: To See Through Holy Eyes

Some Christians equate holiness with ignorance of what is going on in the world outside of the influence of the church. If they think that a magazine, book, TV show or movie is likely to contain materials which contradict their own beliefs and values, they shun such materials, thinking that in doing so, they are somehow insuring their own moral purity. It is this impulse which explains why so many Christians (particularly conservative Christians such as myself) see censorship as a valid way to enhance respect for Christian moral values.

Unfortunately, the end result of such insular thinking is that the church is incapable of adequately responding, from a Biblical perspective, to societal change. On a more individual level, such thinking leads to the unfortunate perception, among unbelievers, that Christians are ignorant people. This can dilute or negate the moral influence of Christians on unbelievers.

If God is indeed omniscient (meaning that he is fully aware of everything, both good and bad), then how is it that he is not tainted by his exhaustive knowledge of evil? The answer, of course, is that he sees the world through holy eyes. Christian singer Amy Grant acknowledged this when she sang “My Father’s Eyes”, a song in which she prayed that she would see the world as God saw the world. That is the meaning of discernment.

Jesus said that if one’s eye causes offense, it is better to pluck out that eye than for the entire body to burn in Hell. It is interesting to me that he didn’t say that the offense came from unholy things which were perceived, but rather, from the impure eyes with which those things were perceived. In other words, if what you see corrupts your soul, it is because you are not looking through holy eyes.

If necessary, it would indeed be better to pluck your eyes out than to lose your eternal soul. But it is doubtful that Christ, who frequently gave sight to the blind, would wish for more blindness in the world. When seeking to become holy, a better and far less painful solution is to pray that God will grant you his perspective on the world, so that you can see all, and yet remain pure. Then familiarize yourself with the Bible so that you can evaluate everything you see in the light of God’s word.

Certainly, the Bible is correct when it advises Christians to flee from temptation. Part of discernment is knowing one's own personal limitations, and avoiding situations in which one is particularly vulnerable to temptation to sin. (For example, if a Christian is struggling to overcome an addiction to alcohol, it’s a very good idea for that person to stay away from bars and liquor stores!)

However, different Christians are at different stages in their moral development. It is absurd to treat a person who has served the Lord for many decades the same as one would treat a brand new convert to the faith.

Furthermore, different Christians are vulnerable to different temptations. A sin which holds great allure for one Christian may be of little or no interest to another. One Christian may have a problem with lust and sexual sin; another, with pride; another, with the desire to steal other people’s possessions; and yet another, with a love of gossip.

Since some Christians are more mature than others, and since sins which afflict some Christians do not necessarily afflict all other Christians, it does not necessarily follow from the fact that a particular Christian needs to avoid certain situations that all other Christians need to avoid such situations. However, it is certainly every Christian's right and responsibility to urge other Christians to abstain from sin, and to avoid situations in which they are likely to yield to temptation. There is nothing wrong with offering advice which seems to be pertinent to a particular person’s situation, as long as one does so in a spirit of humility, keeping in mind that only God is infallible.

In the short term, running from temptation is sometimes a necessary strategy for new believers. In the long term, however, all Christians should aspire to reach the point where they are so firmly grounded in God's word that no amount of temptation can sway them from their commitment to a lifestyle of obedience to God. The most effective spiritual warriors are those who are making substantial progress in their quest for this ideal. Conversely, it’s hard to defeat an enemy (in this case, the Devil) if you’re afraid to venture into enemy territory. To fear exposure to ideas contrary to one’s own beliefs is not a sign of faith. It is a sign of insecurity and weakness, and it is a poor testimony to unbelievers.

Jesus was heavily criticized for associating with sinners. But he made it clear that his critics had missed the point of holiness. To retreat into an artificially sheltered environment consisting only of like-minded people is not holiness. It is an evasion of one’s responsibilities to a dying world.

Christians are compared, in the Bible, to salt (which preserves) and to light (which reveals). As a preservative, salt does little good in the shaker. It only serves its purpose when you sprinkle it onto meat which needs to be preserved. Likewise, turning on an additional light in a room which is already brightly lit serves little purpose. When light is taken into a dark room, it fulfills its reason for being.

Too many Christians spend their lives as if they are just marking time until they are released from this evil world. But God has a purpose here on earth for each one of us. We have a mission to a world which desperately hungers and thirsts for truth. To disengage from culture is to abdicate our spiritual responsibilities.

Francis Schaeffer, the influential and highly admired Christian writer, made it clear in his books that he had read the works of many of the world’s most influential philosophers, many of whom taught things which were directly opposed to the teachings of Christ. But rather than running in fear whenever he encountered such ideas, Schaeffer read secular philosophy books with the perspective of a fully committed Christian who was grounded in God’s word. As a result, he was able to critique the false ideas of such philosophers from the perspective of a Christian who knew what and who he believed.

Censorship is not the answer to the lies of the world. The answer is to seek, believe and proclaim the truth.