I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything and some of you may be wondering why. The answer is simple really. I haven’t felt led to write anything in particular, and I don’t want to ever write a post just to do a post. Usually what I do end up writing about is some teaching or life lesson that the Lord has been working on with me for some time. That’s certainly true in this case. The weird part is that overall I’m in a very good place right now and have been for a long, long time. I feel very connected to the Lord, I’m very much at peace with my life and my walk. But lately He’s been showing me that even when I’m walking with Him daily; in His Word, in prayer, I’m still very susceptible to the flesh.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking stand. Those words aren’t just the lyrics of one of my favorite hymns, they are TRUTH. I know they are true and I try very hard to make them true for me. Yet I can have my feet planted firmly on the Rock and a moment later, without even realizing I’m doing it, I’ll reach for a stone.
Early in the morning He came again to the temple. All the people came to Him, and He sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test Him, that they might have some charge to bring against Him. Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more He bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him. John 8:2-9 ESV
If you do a quick read of the above scripture you might miss who the scribes and Pharisees where really intending to cast their stones at. The woman they dragged along was just bait meant to draw out their true target. Of course our Lord was able to elude their trap, and as He always did, He even turned their evil intent into a good result. The scribes and Pharisees dropped the stones held in their hands and left the tent. But were any of them ashamed enough to let go of the ones they were carrying in their hearts? I hope so, but I also know how hard it is to let truly let go of a stone. But it’s sooooo easy to pick one up.

I’m ashamed to admit it but there are even times when I’ll be in the middle of praying for someone and find myself reaching for a stone. And they don’t have to have committed any big heavy sin either. In fact they needn’t have sinned at all. A simple disagreement is enough to make my fingers start twitching…how dare they have a different opinion or way of doing things than I do? It could be just a slight, they didn’t notice I wanted them to do something, or not do something. But the murmurs of my heart sound like this, “Oh they knew…they just didn’t care!” Tragically, there are many more examples that I could go into, and as you likely have guessed, most of these stones are directed at people I care about. The ones I love the most tend to get targeted the most. But thinking something isn’t casting a stone, is it?
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:29-32 ESV
The first sentence of the above passage would seem to support the “I spoke no evil” position. But the rest, and so many more verses like it, are a clear indictment. And speaking of speaking…
Venting

I think one of the Father of Lies greatest lies, at least this century, is that “venting” is not only okay–it’s good and healthy. Don’t stuff your emotions, you can’t pack that baggage around forever…let it out! Can’t you just see a modern day Peter standing at the foot of the cross looking up at the crucified Lord and saying, “Don’t hold back, Lord, tell them how You really feel!” Jesus’ answer would be the same, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” He didn’t stuff, He forgave and interceded. But He didn’t hold back either, He loved them unconditionally.
The Lord has really been convicting me of just how horrible venting is, and I’ll go into a little more detail on how and why in a bit, but first I think I should share a story with you. I warn you, it’s a sad story, I know it grieved the Holy Spirit.
Some people are more naturally adept at throwing stones than others. When I first met my beautiful wife she had zero talent in this oh so common life skill. Considering how a lot of people had been treating her then and earlier in her life, that is truly amazing. But she never talked against any of them, even the worst offenders. Her point of view was always, “What could I have done differently so they wouldn’t have to be that way?” My counsel to her on the topic has always been, “Stop trying to absorb everyone else’s blame.” I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve told her that over the years. And I still stick by it somewhat…I think? But that’s not the only thing that came out of my mouth. In our years together I’ve taught her a different way of dealing with other people’s ‘short comings’ ; a nearly endless stream of stone throwing examples. The drivers who cut me off or the drivers who honk at me when I cut them off; they both get stoned. And since they can’t hear me, they get tagged with some colorful descriptive language; idiot, moron, jerk. Make no mistake, those are all swear words to God. Politicians and other celebrities are also fair game, but coworkers and fellow Christians tend to get bombarded more than anyone else. Of course my criticisms of people I’m close to, especially the latter category, are cleverly couched in flowery wording; “What were they thinking, I can’t believe they would do that (then I go into a thoroughly condemning description of exactly what ‘that’ was). Probably my most overused lead-in for other believers is, “They’re a Christian, they should know better…” Laurie has never looked back at me and answered, “You’re a Christian, you should know better than to talk that way about them”, but I’m sure after all our years together I’ve at least taught her to pick up that stone. But as I’ve mentioned, she’s a terrible stone thrower. She’ll toss a tiny pebble at someone and as soon as she realizes what she’s done, she’ll lament about it for hours if not days; dropping that stone and picking one up to use on herself. Why couldn’t it have been the other way? Why couldn’t I have learned from her not to pick up stones? The two shall become one; Laurie becoming my wife is one of the greatest gifts God’s ever given me, but I have a hard time believing the same is true for her. When she picks up a stone the Spirit within her grieves and groans, as He does within me because I share responsibility for that sin. See, that’s one of the biggest problems’ with the “venting” lie. When I vent to Laurie, or anyone, they will feel the need to lend a sympathetic ear to help ‘bear one another’s burdens’. But that same passage directs us to turn each other back from our sinning. And venting is sinning.
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29 ESV
Venting is letting a corrupting word proceed from your mouth. Some might want to debate that, but when is the last time your venting built someone up or gave grace to the hearer? Instead of listening sympathetically to our complaining, our venting recipients should be telling us to get the log out of our eyes before we even look at the speck in someone else’s. But of course they’d need to do the same themselves before doing that. See how confusing the whole situation becomes. No, not confusing, diabolical. The enemy has grown this particular scheme into a plague of misery. Like I said, it’s a sad story, but a true one. But it’s not hopeless, and it will have a happy ending.
Our Hope

“On Christ the solid Rock I stand, with humbled heart and empty hands”.
I’m no lyricist but I like the new line I’ve added to an old favorite. Here’s the real truth…you can’t truly be standing on the Rock while holding a stone. The next time you find yourself tempted to go stone hunting glance down at your fleshy feet. You’ll be standing on a rock alright, a big one, the third one from the sun. Wrong rock, wrong sun/Son. You slipped, likely without even realizing it. It happens to me all the time. I thought I was abiding in the Spirit, but instead of standing firm I got distracted and took a misstep. Standing on the Rock is a deeply spiritual thing. We can’t get there on our own, but the Lord is always ready to reach down and lift us back up. And when we’re there the things of the world and the flesh lose their value and sway in our lives. The failings of the flesh are washed away by the fruit of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Praise God, all of us who are His children have had seasons in our lives when the Spirit reigns supreme and the flesh falls away; if only those seasons happened more often. During such times stone throwing is not only impossible, it’s almost incomprehensible. With me the more common occurrence is a daily war between the spirit and the flesh. But I know I’m not alone, the Holy Spirit is right there on the battlefield beside me. And if I will only stop and seek Him, He will lift me up again, wash me anew, and set me back where I belong…resting on the promises of my Lord and Savior.
May the Lord lift you up daily to be a beacon of light in a dark world,
Mike
Leave a Reply