Do you hear what I hear?

I’m always amazed at the claim that life happened randomly without the aid of an intelligent power, yet human beings constantly try to find order, structure and patterns in just about everything. Random is not acceptable to most of us. Even the messiest apologize for their disarray. I’m certain that seeking order is part of what it means to be made in the image of God.

The book I’m using to guide this year’s devotional readings demonstrates this desire for order. The author gives an outline for the book of Matthew along with a list of the important discourses Jesus gave, each one from major divisions of his outline. Here is his outline with the discourses listed placed beside each section:

Introduction of the King	1:1-4:11
Demands of the King	4:12-7:29	Sermon on the Mount	5:1-7:29
Deeds of the King	8:1-11:1	Commission to the Twelve	10:1-42
Program of the King	11:2-13:53	Parables of the Kingdom	13:1-53
Destiny of the King	13:54-19:2	Meaning of Greatness & Forgiveness	18:1-35
Problems of the King	19:3-26:2	Olivet Discourse	24:1-5:46
Death & resurrection of the King	26:3-28:15
Final commission by the King	28:16-20

As I read the first discourse, and compared it to the section of the outline, the words “demands of the King” seemed wrong, at least applied to the Beatitudes. They sound more like a description of the King’s subjects who are blessed because we believe in Jesus, mourn our sin, are granted pure hearts, are meek rather than feisty or proud, and so on.

Then Jesus goes on to describe what else will happen. We will be salt and light in a dark world, deal with anger and lust, avoid making oaths and retaliation, love our enemies, give to the needy, pray, fast, lay up treasure in heaven, not worry about our own needs, drop our judgmental attitudes, be considerate, be wary of false teachers, and built our lives upon the Rock of obedience to our King.

It seems that interpreting these as “demands” depends a great deal on whether or not a person is in the kingdom. Before I believed in Jesus, these seemed like rules for following God. Even in my early Christian life, they seemed like rules I must follow. It was not until God helped me understand grace that I’ve been able to look at this amazing sermon as a series of predictions and promises. The King says to me, “Because you believe in me, this is what has and will change in your life.”

That is, the desires of my King for me are not about my performance but about His bestowal. He grants me His heart and mind, His Holy Spirit who enables me to be His child, to act like I’m supposed to act. For instance, Jesus says:

“You are the salt of the earth . . .  You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:13–14)

This is not, “You will be . . .” these things, but you are these things. Matthew is trying to explain the amazing grace of Jesus Christ, King of the Jews, who came to enable His people to live as His people. He did it by dying for our sin, raising from the dead, forgiving us and making us new. He wanted the Jews and all readers to know that the struggle described in the OT of His people trying to keep the Law was just that — trying and a struggle. They failed miserably, just as all people do. Everyone falls short of His perfection. We need a Savior to give us the gift, the amazing grace that sets us free from the law of sin and death by giving us Himself and new life.

The NT begins with good news. Yes, there are warnings and demands because not everyone who reads it knows that Jesus Christ has taken care of all that. Those readers are still in that place where they need to understand how deep their need is for this amazing King who humbled Himself and became a baby, a servant. They need to hear that good news that sets sinners free so we can live like the wonderful description of kingdom citizens given in the Sermon on the Mount.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, I’m thrilled to be a child of the Kingdom, a member of Your family, a person saved from sin’s penalty. I’m overjoyed to be in the process of purification, a process that results in what You described as You taught from than mountain in Galilee so many years ago. What a wonderful goal You have set for me, for Your people, for the world.

Flies are attracted to garbage . . .

“You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5)

A sheep has limited ability to keep flies from buzzing around its head, but Christians are less helpless when it comes to troubling and unwanted thoughts. Flies like garbage and God gives us resources to keep our lives free from stuff that attracts and sustains sinful thoughts.

Our main resources is the anointing oil of the Shepherd. Sometimes He sees my distress and comes to my aid. Sometimes He waits to see how I will deal with the flies. My best option is to ask for His help. He makes a couple of promises in that regard . . .

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. (Matthew 7:7–8)

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:22–24)

Yet He gives me some responsibility in this matter of unwanted thoughts. The oil is for after the flies are gathered, but as the psalmist says, there are some “I will not’s” that may keep them from buzzing and bothering in the first place . . .

I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. (Psalm 101:3–7)

For example, if I can’t get my mind off sinful lifestyles, but watch soap operas on television, can I expect victory? If I join in with those who gossip, can I expect to never have bad thoughts toward others? If I lift myself up over those who achieve, can I win over arrogance? If I spent time gobbling up the garbage of those who tell lies, can I expect no battles with deceit?

Some things must be avoided. Smut of course. Books and television filled with forbidden passion and violence do not do favors to a mind struggling to remain pure. While Jesus said we are defiled by what comes out of us, not by what goes in, feeding the sinful nature only adds to its power to defile. I need to feed the Spirit of God who lives in me with thoughts, words, and visuals that edify my spiritual well-being. No garbage.

Yet my best efforts cannot stop those corrupting ideas entirely. Sometimes I feel bombarded with temptations that seem impossible to escape. I ask God for help and they don’t stop. I try and try to avoid the buzzing flies but without success. Finally, God reveals that these pests were tests, not that He sent them, but that He wanted to show me something in my inner self that needs His renewing and redemptive power . . .

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:12–15)

Those inner desires can attract flies. My good Shepherd can deal with the flies, but sometimes I’ve had to learn the hard way to stop going where flies gather and stop putting out junk or being around junk that attracts them. Instead, I need to stay much closer to the One with the anointing oil.

Undivided and stable-minded

Attention deficit has been labeled an illness, a mental problem, an issue of socialization, a chemical imbalance, and even the sin of an undisciplined mind. As a person easily distracted, I’ve considered all of these. I’ve even been told, “You are likely a genius and easily bored” and “people with the gift of teaching like yours are interested in everything and often struggle to focus.”

Whatever of these is true (even all of them), I often feel unstable. I can be sincerely praying about a serious issue and in mid-sentence, my mind flips to total trivia. The Holy Spirit can keep me focused, but this is always in a childlike helplessness. He enables me to focus on praising God, yet I still struggle with consistency in any other cerebral endeavors.

On the topic of “No other gods” my devotional booklet points to the problem of being double-minded. While this is not exactly the same as being easily distracted, they do share some elements.

But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Knowing their thoughts, he (Jesus) said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? (Matthew 12:24–26)

In context, this is about the attitude of the Pharisees against the healing Jesus did and the power behind that healing. However, it gives another important principle. If my easily turned thoughts are pitted against each other, something has to give. That is, I cannot hold to kingdom principles and at the same time hold to anything worldly or sinful. This kind of double-mindedness creates chaos and confusion. God did not create us to think that way.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5–8)

The principle behind such instability is this: if the flip flops are opposing values such as honesty/deceit, purity/immorality, trust/doubt and so on, then my spiritual life will be unstable. Steadfast faithfulness will be difficult if not impossible, and consistency cannot happen.

Jesus talked about the love of money and said that if “your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:23–24)

This principle is true for the flip flops previous mentioned, but also true for a long list of similar opposing spirit vs. flesh values. Christians will struggle a lifetime with some of these back and forth matters. The best we can do is to stay as long as possible in the faith side of the equation.

However, this isn’t the point of today’s reading. The point is that no one can do both at the same time. As a recent television show illustrated, true multitasking is impossible. The mind flips back and forth because it cannot think of two things at the same time. While some admire those who can do that flip flop with skill, God doesn’t -- at least when it comes to faith and no faith, or pure thoughts and impure thoughts, or love for others and disregard for others. He wants stability of thought and action.

This is so serious that the Bible indicates that those flip flop fleshy thoughts can even be a form of serving Satan. He opposes faith, purity, honesty, and all virtue by encouraging doubt, sin, and lies. If I flip flop between these opposites, then I cannot be stable-minded.

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. (1 Corinthians 10:21)

The answer to this battle is always the grace of God and the Word of God. By the power of Jesus Christ, I can put off that old self (which belongs to my old way of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires) and be renewed in the spirit of my mind. By that same power, I can put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22–24)  

Regardless of what is at the root of ADD or any other form of mental instability, Christ is sufficient. He is able to stabilize the most unstable mind because of His amazing grace.