A Simple Question

Let me get right to the point. Is the concept of respect having to be earned a biblical concept?
Everyone seems to agree that love should be unconditional. Why not respect also? Most of the ladies will say, "But they are two totally different things!" I understand and acknowledge that as a viable perspective, but since when has the Christian life been about you? Aren't you supposed to be "others" focused? As I have mentioned before, a large percentage of men perceive love and respect to be exactly the same thing. Many men will tell you that absent respect there can't be love. Therefore if the "other" you are focused on sees respect as love, and we know that you want to love them in their native tongue (so to speak), shouldn't you respect unconditionally?

Giving the Gift of Wicked!

I gave my wife Tricia and my oldest daughter Karissa (7) a little gift of "Girl Time". Check out the details here please.

Never Turns to More

It seems like eons ago when Dan Phillips posted this question about continuing sin at Pyros.

Towards the end of the post he says,

One last twist: could you throw yourself in there? I could. The problem isn't really just Them, is it? Would that it were. Why does not my holiness grow and deepen more apace? Whatever "those people" pray, I know that I pray (and you pray) for growth in holiness. Why is it so slow? Why are sins so stubborn, and graces so seemingly ephemeral? Sins die so hard, graces grow so agonizingly slowly.

I think I will put myself in there. As Dave Grohl has said, "I've gotta confession to make."
So here I go. Hello, my name is Brian, and I'm a habitual speeder. And not your run of the mill five over the speed limit type either. More like twenty. One more thing...I don't feel bad about it.

That's just wrong. I occasionally feel a pang of guilt, but it passes quickly. But why do I persist? Is it the fleeting pleasure of of the sin? I'll be the first to admit that going fast sure is fun. So why has this "work of the devil" not been "destroyed" by Christ? He annihilated my desire to use methamphetamine more than a decade ago. So why not my desire to play "Double the Speed Limit?" Why has He left that desire standing?

To presume the motives of God is a scary thing. Thus, I will try to restrict myself to what He has revealed in His word. So why am I not granted instant holiness?

It may seem odd, but consider Balaam from Numbers 22:22. Everybody knows the story. Balaam's donkey sees the angel of the Lord set a pick, and does what any good donkey would do. It wanders off in to a nearby field. Twice more the angel sets the pick, with the last one the donkey just gives up and lies down. Then, of course, God gives voice to the donkey.

Moral of the story so far: When you see your friend is headed toward the judgment of God, be an ass. Eventually, God may speak though you and save your friend's life.

So how does this apply to the question at hand? We see Balaam repent. What did it take? Crisis. We all have times when we need a good smack upside the head. Sometimes it has to sting more than others, because at different times our skulls tend to change in density. Ultimately I believe it has to do with the fact that some sins bring us greater pleasure over a longer season than other sins.

It also tells me that I lack the proper perspective. I am not seeing my sin in relation to a real and coming judgment. This tells me my faith is small. In some measure I do not have the assurance of things hoped for (judgment by a righteous God in this case) but not seen. I believe that the reason God allowed me to go on in this sin was the minor crisis of writing this post. As I wrote, it became clear what my insubordination to civil authority really is: Thumbing my nose at my God. I thank God that this time the crisis was minor, merely reflecting on my sin in contrast with the righteousness of God. For the most part I have slowed down, and when I don't at least I feel bad about it.

Sometimes it is better to be Nineveh than Israel. Pray that God would break you...softly.

Recommended Reading: Ps. 139

Recommended Listening: Stavesacre's Acquiesce iTunes Link Lyrics found here