When our Lord was just twelve years old He knew the difference between personal business and the Lord’s business (Luke 2:49). I greatly fear that the distinction has been lost in our society, and even in the Lord’s church itself. Repeatedly over the last few decades we have seen the gradual incorporation of the personal agendas of individuals into the workings of the body of Christ. We ought to know better.
I ran across a remarkable example of this phenomenon recently. A man claiming to be a gospel preacher, citing his credentials as a member of "the church of Christ", has announced his intention to run for president of the United States in 2004 under the banner of the "In God We Trust" party. His "campaign", judging from his Web site, will consist wholly of teaching the Bible, including the plan of salvation and the errors of the denominations. And he is trying to raise money by soliciting tax-deductible contributions to "the church of Christ" (he does not identify which congregation, if any), which presumably will pay his salary and expenses. Of course, the Bible only authorizes voluntary contributions from local church members when it comes to money-raising (1 Corinthians 16:2), and sponsoring political candidates is not in the specific mandate of duties (preaching the gospel, edifying the saved, disciplining the unruly, and extending benevolence under specific circumstances) given to the Lord’s church.
Is this being needlessly "nit-picky"? After all, a great deal of preaching could be accomplished with this tactic. But at what cost? Some people will certainly get the impression that this "church" is a political operation instead of a spiritual one, and therefore be alienated from the church (and the truth) if their views differ from those of the preacher. And if the "church" turns out to be nothing more than a front for the campaign — a man providing people a chance to make tax-deductible contributions to a fraudulent "charity" — he could very possibly be vulnerable to tax fraud charges. And needless to say, that could not do the church any good.
I don’t know how sincere this man and his efforts are. But I do know that our Father’s business must be tended to in our Father’s prescribed way. Where He is specific (source of revenue, mission), we must be specific. Where He is not specific (percentage of income to be offered, style of meeting-house, length of sermons), we are free to use our best judgment. But we must always take our lead from Him, instead of expecting Him to follow us (2 John 9).
Over the years, brethren have rationalized innovations ranging from universal missionary societies to hundred-foot banana splits. The sincerity of such actions is not in question. The authority of them is. The Lord’s church is simply not permitted to engage in activity that transcends its New Testament mandate. And making the gospel look like a presidential campaign (or a giant hot dog) does not serve the Lord’s interests, despite our best efforts.
~HH
This is the time of year when people begin to think of making resolutions. Usually, they are resolutions about things that need to be corrected, or things that have been neglected, or attitudes that need to be changed. The only problem is, resolutions don’t last.
I don’t suppose I am able in this short space to describe all the reasons why most resolutions fail, but I sure know why my resolutions often meet with disappointment and even failure. Perhaps, you will see yourself in my list:
It’s fine to see something that needs to be done and to make the effort to correct that, but some resolutions take more forethought than just a moment of recognition will allow. One needs to carefully consider what is required before the resolution can be accomplished. Even Jesus warned about those who would put their hand to the plow of Divine service and then turn back. Such a person, He said, is not fit for the kingdom of Heaven.
Sometimes the problem is not that the means to recognize the need is not present, nor is the will deficient to accomplish it. Sometimes, it is just a matter of not taking the time to gather all that is necessary to get the job done.
Preparation means more than recognition of need. It implies the recognition also of whether one is equipped to do the job. Sometimes it is just a matter of manpower, getting enough people together to pull the load. At other times, it hinges on the sheer ability to carry out what is required.
One would never think of trying to build a house without gathering the appropriate materials, such as concrete, lumber, and wiring or without having the appropriate tools, such as hammers, saws and screwdrivers. The scriptures fairly teem with stories of those who set out to do something without considering what is required. It may be as simple as picking a sandy beach, rather than a foundation rock, on which to build a house.
On the other hand, some things we set our wills and hands to accomplish seem to take so little effort and require so little preparation that their accomplishment seems almost second-nature to us. I may resolve to spend more time in a hobby and find it is easily accomplished. Or, I may resolve to spend more time with my family and find it to be an onerous task. The difference is motivation.
No resolution makes sense if it leads me to neglect another, perhaps even more important matter. It may be fine to spend more time in pursuit of an enjoyable hobby, but if it takes you away from your family obligations or keeps you from paying attention to your spiritual obligations, then you need to realize that it is a nonsensical resolution.
On the other hand, if the accomplishing of the resolution gives me a greater opportunity to fulfill obligations, or equips me to higher or more noble service, then it is probably a worthwhile endeavor. Of course, I need to be able to recognize when the pursuit of the resolution has displaced the right emphasis on what else must be done.
Now, take these simple rules and apply them to the resolutions you are making for the coming New Year. As an example, let’s look at the most prevalent resolution, namely, to lose weight:
Here’s the point: There is no benefit to making a fool of yourself by announcing that some irresponsible goal is what you intend to tackle in 2004. For one thing, 365 days is too far away for you to have reasonable feedback on how you are doing. You would be far better off to say, "For just today, I will eat fewer carbohydrates," or "For just this one week, I will cut down on red meat."
The making of resolutions is both good and proper. We need to set goals for ourselves, our families and the local church. But, we need to be sure that these goals are reasonable and attainable, and that when once we have achieved them, we keep before us the other obligations that need newer resolutions in order to accomplish the challenges.
Go out and make some good—and reasonable—resolutions for 2004.