Dave’s Monday Blast – August 2, 2021
I read widely to find encouragement and to receive wisdom and advice from sources that consistently espouse a Biblical Christian Worldview. Once a week, I receive an email from Mark Batterson, Senior Pastor at National Community Church in Washington D.C. This week he hooked me with this title: Offend Pharisees. Then the question: Who are you going to offend?
Batterson comments: “That is one of the most important questions a man routinely has to ask and answer. This I promise you: you’re going to offend someone!” So my brothers, who will it be today? If you’re afraid of offending people, you’ll offend God. If you’re afraid of offending God, you’ll offend people. It’s one or the other!
Batterson says…my advice to you is this, “Offend the Pharisees! That’s what Jesus did, and he did it with great intentionality and consistency”. My personal tendency is that of a peacemaker, and on occasion, that’s Christlike. But more often than not, it’s conflict avoidance. (Can any relate?) Yes, Jesus calmed the storm. But He also rocked the boat. Jesus did not avoid conflict, He often caused it. Why? Because Jesus knew that conflict, not comfort, is the catalyst for growth.
It is not our job as followers of Christ to make everyone comfortable. In the long run that does not do anyone any favors. Our job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. While Christ followers are routinely criticized for this, the latter is not less loving than the former. In fact I strongly believe it is more so! Pastor Batterson says it this way: “Comforting the afflicted is love. Afflicting the comfortable is tough love!”
It is so much easier to just avoid conflict isn’t it? So we delay discipline, but in the long run it hurts our children more than it helps them. Or we postpone tough conversations because we lack the emotional energy or the emotional courage. Tough love demands tough decisions and tough conversations. I think that tough love is embodied in simply speaking the truth! We all know that this is NOT easy.
Jesus could have healed any day of the week, but He often chose the Sabbath. Why? Because He knew it was “killing two birds with one stone.” Heal sick bodies while confronting the Pharisees with their obvious hypocrisy. He knew they would be incensed by “His working on the Sabbath”. He knew it would get their goad. A goad was a spiked stick used for herding cattle.
I like Batterson’s take on this: “Now let me nuance this a bit, because it’s not a license to hurt people! It’s got to be the right words, at the right time, in the right spirit.” If you have an agenda my friends, keep your hurtful words to yourself. If you’re simply venting frustration or saying something that will make you feel better about yourself, don’t bother because it will backfire.
You must genuinely have the other person’s best interest at heart. And bookend your goading with lots of affirmation! That’s how you speak the truth in love.
Is there someone that you need to goad this day?
Have you INTENTIONALLY licensed someone to goad you when you need it?
