By Shane Bennett
Quick, move on to your next email! A sermon on sin? What has come over me? This hasn’t happened once the entire 15 years I’ve been writing Practical Mobilization. Maybe it’s the approach of Lent, reminding us it’s healthy to lament and repent. Maybe deep winter has got to me. Another foot of snow will likely fall on my house tonight and football’s over until August. Ugh.
I could call this The Seven Sins of Shane. But if you’ve read Practical Mobilization for a while, you’re aware I abhor alliteration. And just maybe I’m not the only one guilty of these things. Though guilty I am. I’ve done (or am doing) them all to varying degrees. With Paul I say, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” His mercy is essential, kind, and good.
Let me be straight here: These are detours from holiness to which I think mobilizers are prone. That doesn’t mean you’re guilty of any of them. And, by way of reminder, your guilt is no match for the cleansing blood of Jesus.
1. Pandering to the Rich
Could James be any plainer? After specifically challenging our tendency to show preference for the rich, he declares, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:8-9).
But the guy “wearing a gold ring and fine clothing” clearly has more disposable income to direct to your fine work than the “poor man in shabby clothing.”
If your work arrangement is like mine in that you depend on the financial gifts of others to pay your bills and feed your kids, you need relationships with people who have money to give. Ergo, you need to be nice to rich people. But somehow you can’t prefer them over poor people.
Easier said than done, in my experience.
2. Self-righteousness
How many overseas trips does it take to cancel out the sins of your youth? Will learning a foreign language or two finally earn God’s approval? Will disregard of your culture’s main narratives of accumulation and status through wealth make God like you more?
Clearly not. But I’d be dishonest not to admit that below the surface of my consciousness there lurks a bit of this notion that God likes us more when we do more stuff for him. And that brings us to…
3. Pride, the Ugly Brother of Self-righteousness
Can we agree it’s hard to preach a sermon on the heart of God or what God is trying to do in the world and not think, “Hmmm, I must know the heart of God!” Even when our words are couched in scripture, as well they should be, we may believe we’re the ones with a right understanding of the Word. Those we speak to need to have their thoughts tweaked, changed, or maybe even traded in for the new model.
Whenever we are sure we believe rightly about a given issue, lifestyle, political approach, or really anything, pride is waiting to jump us. Since God says clearly that he “opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble,” my frequent prayer is this: “Father, help me be humble! I don’t want you to have to oppose me.”
4. Idolatry
Is it possible we might value the work of God ahead of the God of the work? I’ve wrestled with accusations of this from people I’ve loved and trusted. “You’ve made an idol of your ministry.” I don’t think so, but I get that sometimes such things are easier to see from the outside. I do know that I don’t want to progress years down the road in my work only to look back and see God waving far behind me.
We’re called to be passionate, self-sacrificing, and diligent. Our work can be hard and require attention and focus. May God give us grace such that while working hard, our chief focus stays fixed on the author and perfecter of our faith.
5. Judgement
A couple of Sundays ago I attended the first service at a pretty big church in Salt Lake City. At the conclusion, with no place to be, I sat in the lobby watching the service-one people depart and service two begin to show up. After a few minutes it occurred me that I was clearly judging on outward appearance, not like the Lord who “looks on the heart.” I’m not proud of my thoughts: “Those guys are cool. Those guys are weird. Those guys are trying way too hard to be cool.”
It’s so easy for mission mobilizers to fall into judgement. God has called us to call the attention of his body to those for whom his blessing has yet to arrive. Most won’t respond as we wish. Some will not care at all. How do you deal with that? Have you ever shaken your head and seethed just a bit? I sure have.
Jesus soberly warns us that the way we judge is the way we’ll be judged. That gives me pause. So, in this case, do the words of Brené Brown: “I know my life is better when I work from the assumption that everyone is doing the best they can.”
Someone not answering my call to live among the unreached? If that’s cool with them and cool with God, it should probably be cool with me, too.
6. Lack of Compassion
To think that mission-y people might not be compassionate seems a little crazy. Why else would we do what we do? Well, I for one, have a long list of sub-par motivations. But what I’m referring to here is this: In our passion to complete the Great Commission, we may give short shrift to the Great Commandment. I know, I know, the best way to love someone is to tell them how to spend eternity with God. I just want to be sure I’m willing to share my sandwich while I’m doing that.
I also recognize in myself a deeper, more driving concern for Muslims, Turks, Indians, refugees, and basically most brown people far and sometimes near than I have for the white people who live in my town.
I’m happy for God to give gifts and vision to each of us as he desires. None of us can care enough for everything and everyone who needs care. But I don’t want to not love anyone Jesus desires to love through me.
7. Finally, Despair
Haven’t faced days of despair in your life or work as a mobilizer? I’m happy for you. For me it’s sometimes hard to shake the sense that it’s been a long time since Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand.” Yet the kingdom’s not here the way I wish it was. Too much injustice. Too little compassion. Too many living and dying without hearing of a God who wants them desperately.
I know, deeply know, that the hope of God is the only way I can survive, but despair lurks in the shadows. As Stephen Foster says, “Long have you lingered outside my cabin door.” As God warned Cain, “sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
Since I’m feeling pretty despair-free these days, reach out if you like and I’ll juice you up! You can return the favor later.
May God give us all grace
to walk in holy freedom with him,
humbly obedient to carry out the good works
he has prepared in advance for us to do.
Subversive Mobilization: Remember Uyghur Kids
I’ve been praying lately for the million-plus Uyghurs in Chinese concentration camps. Some experts say if the coronavirus reaches the camps the results could be devastating. I’m also concerned for their kids who’ve had to make their way to relatives or been shipped to orphanages. I can’t imagine what things might be like for them.
Will you join me? Consider putting a note on your bathroom mirror or the dash of your car that simply says, “Remember Uyghur kiddos.” Take a shot of it and share it on Facebook or Instagram to invite others to join you in praying.
God loves those munchkins. Let’s join him in that.
By Shane Bennett
Some of the 40 Pakistani Christians acquitted and released after years in prison gather to thank advocates and supporters. Photo via Jubilee Campaign; see story below.