If you go to any bookstore, you will find the section called “Self-Improvement”. You are going to find books describing various principles and methods you can follow to improve yourself. I had an encounter today with a local church pastor that blew my mind…and it all started with his counseling of a member of his church leadership team who was having self-control issues.
I was unsure of his position so before our meeting, and being informed of what was going on, I went to his church website to get a little insight. I was shocked when I saw church “positions” on subjects like homosexuality, drinking, marriage and divorce. No other subjects were covered. Red flag! These must have been the “bad” sins. Each paper was well written and clearly backed by scripture. But the intent of these papers were to simply tell the people “how” to behave, not “why” they should behave a certain way. What else was missing from these papers? The simple mention of Jesus! Nowhere! It was a list of behaviors to get into right standing in the church.
Now I was heading to the meeting with a law-driven pastor who needed my help…and I’m a grace guy. Should be interesting.
We sat for a while and he told me how he had handled the problem with this leader and his sin. What was his sin? Smoking. He was actually going to remove this person from all teaching and leadership roles because he smoked. While I don’t agree with smoking, I actually don’t know of a specific scripture that forbids it or keeps him from ministry. I asked him why there wasn’t a church paper on it. He said the scriptures about “treating the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit” was enough. Huh. I asked him if any of his leaders were overweight. He said yes. I asked him why they weren’t removed as well. I figured the world is more offended by a fat preacher with no self control of his appetite than someone who smokes a cigarette in private. He told me that being overweight wasn’t as bad as smoking. Ok.
I asked him how he was going to help this man. He showed me several books that he gave him on Self Control. In all these “Christian” books, the focus was on you using your willpower and self-discipline to apply the principles to improve yourself. Jesus still wasn’t a part of this man’s plan.
I had finally heard enough and explained to him that God does not want us focusing on ourselves. That’s self-occupation, which can only take us so far, with results that last only as long as your willpower lasts. The law will produce a quick result but it never lasts. God has a higher way. He wants us to be Christ-occupied. When we look to ourselves to improve ourselves, we are putting confidence in our flesh. The Bible tells us that in our flesh dwells no good thing (Romans 7:18), and that we should put no confidence in our flesh (Philippians 3:3).
I told the pastor that the best way to change this man, and ourselves, is to forget self and be occupied with Christ. Forget about his smoking and keep him focused on Christ. Only Jesus can truly remove the habit.
When we read the Bible, we are to see His beauty, His majesty, His compassion and His grace. As we keep beholding and meditating on His glory, the Holy Spirit inside us goes to work in each of us. He will transform each of us into the very same image of Christ. Old, bad habits will just fall off without any effort.
It’s only at this time will we experience true and lasting inward transformation! Oh…the pastor walked away from our meeting disgusted. He said I didn’t understand ministry. I told him I’d pray….
Lost Shepherds 