An anatomy of motivation

There are two overall but opposite approaches we observe in scripture regarding our motivation to obedience. All underlying forms of motivation fall under these two. They are...

·        positive motivation

·        negative motivation

There seems to be an indication that at a minimum we are to be moved initially on the path of obedience by the negative (which results in a positive outcome). As we mature the positive elements of our motivation become increasingly greater and the preferred (and ultimate/highest) form of motivation. However, since the negative appears to be where scripture starts we will look at this first.  

Pro 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (wisdom, true understanding). We could say it's the foundation on which all other knowledge and true wisdom is built. It is the starting point (though not the ending) for living obediently.

Why? Because any true movement towards God must start with the recognition that he is the God of great glory/worth and that all things come from him and belong to him. Therefore we answer to him on how we conduct our lives. If we act contrary to who he is and how he designed us, there are always consequences. In short, we are to respect (fear) he is God; he sets the boundaries of how things operate, we do not. 

But how does God use fear? As we dig further into the context of Prov 1 we see consequences for living contrary to God's will, direction, commands, address the meaning and basis for this fear.

To say it another way, there is a good way to live and a way that is harmful. To ignore this basic reality has consequences. To respect this is to have a healthy fear of acting contrary to God's expressed (spoken) will and our design. Ultimately this is a respect for God and that there are consequences for violating his design/will/word.  

There are consequences because we live in a world of design and purpose. We see evidence of this daily in simple things like, stop breathing and you die. Cut off your arm and you bleed to death and so on. 

Just as there are physical consequences for violating God's design, there are spiritual and moral consequences as well. To go contrary to these basic realities is to violate ours and the world's design. The reality of what is. 

The spiritual, emotional, and psychological world have a design that is equally consistent and predictable. 

And there is design simply because there is a designer. So living contrary to our design is indirectly living contrary to the will of the Designer. To respect or fear this reality is wise and ultimately a respect/fear of God i.e. the fear of the Lord (the designer of all things) is the beginning of knowledge.

Solomon goes on to lay out why we should follow God's instruction and if we do not what the consequences will be e.g. terror, calamity, distress, and anguish in verse 27. Destruction, dread, and disaster in verse 32 and 33.  All of this based on not recognizing truth and not choosing "the fear of the LORD" in verse 29. Whereas on the flip side verse 33 also promises security and ease if we follow his instructions/direction/will.

It's worth noting that LORD -- in all caps -- meaning self-sufficient one. (The word in the original is YHWH, also translated Jehovah). He is the "I AM" who needs no one. We need him.

Pro 1:27  when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.

Pro 1:28  Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

Pro 1:29  Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,

Pro 1:30  would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof,

Pro 1:31  therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.

Pro 1:32  For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them;

Pro 1:33  but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster."

Click here to see the entire chapter.

So again, we can see from the above passage, a central element of fear is knowing there are consequences for violating God's design/will. We also see this in Heb 11:7 

"By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this, he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."

Noah built the ark because he feared he and his household would drown if they did not i.e. he respected (had faith in) God's warning. Him taking action on God's warning was an indictment on the rest of mankind for not taking action, hence their ridicule of Noah's efforts. 

This was opposite of the disposition of Adam and Eve. They did not heed warning that they would die if they ate from the forbidden tree. They did not fear God.

The role of trust/faith

This foundational motive is acting out of respect (fear) for God. To say it another way, if God says it, don't question it; it's true. A key element of this fear is trust. If we don't believe/trust the one that warns us of harm, we will not heed their warning. If Noah didn't believe God was someone of his word he wouldn't have built the ark.

If Adam and eve had feared and trusted God they would not have eaten from the forbidden tree.

And in reality, many "obey" this truth on a regular basis whether they believe in God or not. We have simply learned (come to recognize/believe/trust) that if you go contrary to certain "baked in" rules you will incur harm to yourself or others i.e. if we violate certain principles and step over certain boundaries we suffer harm. So we don't necessarily have to trust God, we trust violating or not pursuing a certain "law" will always result in the same negative outcome.  Things operate in such a manner its hard not to recognize there is design even if we don't acknowledge the Designer. To use a biblical expression, we have come to recognize we reap what we sow. This too is why I think this fear is the beginning of knowledge since even unbelievers recognize this on some basic level.  

Until higher motivations are developed we act by faith out of respect for God or at least "belief" and respect (fear) for the consequences of acting contrary to the design we see all around us and in us.

This is an action that is often absent any feelings (except the fear itself) or affections for God, but simply acting out of respectful or reverential trust that to go contrary to design causes harm/pain, etc. 

If all we have is trust and there is no felt love and affections for God then we are still to act and will still experience the consequences of not acting - or the benefits of acting - regardless of how we feel. Obedient faith is not contingent on feelings but on confidence in the faithful character of God (or at least his law if we are believers or observable "laws of nature" if we are not).

So what must we believe about God in order to act?

What exactly is it we respect regarding God? That he is all-wise, powerful (He can and does what he says) and loving, in his being and the directions he gives us. Because he is, he knows there are negative consequences for going contrary to his loving design that is harmful to us. 

*Sometimes God in his mercy suspends the normal consequences of violating his design. When does this occur? When we truly and genuinely see the foolishness of going contrary to his design before the full consequences occur. The desired outcome of the consequences (i.e. repentance) has already occurred so that the full consequences are no longer needed. God's goal is not punishment, but repentance -- to change our course to a path of alignment with our design which is also in alignment with His will.

More than fear

However, for a believer, there are additional, higher elements to obedience (aligning ourselves with God's design); the positive ones I alluded to in the beginning.

I say higher because the fear of consequences primarily involves saving our own neck. These other and higher motivations, however, involve the benefit of another i.e. the focus isn't self but God and his creatures/creation.

What are these higher motivations? They are love and a desire to honor God.

I propose that honor is the greatest, best, highest and ultimate motivation. It is the most mature kind of motivation as it's solely focused on the benefit of another instead of our own. It will even move us to sacrifice our own benefit for another. And that in great part because we come to see all we ¹have and are, comes from the one we desire to honor and He rewards those who seek and trust Him.  

And in fact, we draw our truest sense of value from displaying the value of another i.e. God, the most valuable and honorable of all. So our honoring God actually does benefit us, but not as an exclusively isolated benefit and therefore the primary focus of our efforts. It is tied to the benefit of others and only comes about as the fruit of focusing on honoring another. 

It is the place we come to when we are so certain he only has our best interests at heart (only allows things that are for us not against us) we no longer need to concern ourselves with our best interest. We are so trusting of God's love, goodness, wisdom, and ability to bring about what is best (not necessarily easiest, most comfortable or most reasonable [to us anyway]), we only desire his honor (a place I do not consistently live in, by the way, but see more and more as a part of my motivation). 

In short, we are so convinced he's working in our best interest, we no longer give thought to it or feel the need to insure it ourselves because He insures it. We are convinced God "has our back" and there is no need to concern ourselves with our own welfare.

We may relate to God solely out of respect in the beginning but as we mature our affections for God grow as our awareness of the full extent of God's love for us increases. This results in ever increasing trust in God. As our relationship matures and we see more and more the greatness of God and His love for us, this blossoms ultimately into honor/respect for God springing out of these affections of love and delight (pleasure) in God.

To come to the place we are moved by God to obedience (faithfulness) out of this ultimate higher motivation of a desire to honor God goes as follows...

* a strong desire to honor God (our highest and best end and the ultimate end where God seeks to bring us), 

* out of deep love and trust in and for him, 

* because of a clear understanding of his sacrificial love for us, 

* demonstrated in giving us his son Jesus i.e. we love him because he first loved us.

When someone sees us as we truly are in all our brokenness and still:

·        Does for us what is required of us and from us (because of who God is and this is who we were created to be), ...totally providing the remedy for our brokenness (because we have not and can not do it ourselves), how can we not love them (Him) in return?

·        Pursues, receives and embraces us fully, how can we not trust them?

·       Treats us with great value and honor, how can we not value and honor Him in return?

The more we understand Gods great and personal love for us in and through Christ, the more we trust him and are moved to faithfully follow his directions i.e. obey.

(But lack of affections does not mean you should not act. We act by faith anyway if only out of fear/reverence for God.

When we act by faith without any feelings we also act in the confidence that this both honors God and is in our best interest)

Stated simply, the primary motives for obedience after and beyond fear and pointing to the ultimate motivation of honor are 

* love

* trust

* honor

So the lists of all forms of motivation started from the most basic to the highest are:

* fear

* love

* trust

* honor

Whether we are mature followers of Christ or new followers, all of these come into play. But as we mature it appears we move and more to honor as the dominant motivation and the one we ultimately should seek. 

But what about hope?

From scripture, we get the sense that hope is not so much a motivator as it is a sustainer i.e. something that keeps us from giving up on faithfulness (obedience). Hope seems to go hand in hand with faith, but is not itself faith but more about the objective of that faith i.e. that thing we believe we will obtain but do not yet have. So you could say it's a support to or element of our faithful obedience more than a cause of it. 

Hope is more confidence that what is promised to happen, will actually happen. Sure hope is confidence in an objective certainty that is not yet a subjective experience or reality. 

Heb 11:1

(AMP)  NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. 

(DRB)  Now, faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not. 

(ERV)  Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. 

(ESV)  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 

(GNB)  To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. 

(KJV)  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

___________________________________________Footnotes:

¹not only did God create us and give us all things, he also took human form and stepped into this broken, pain-filled world and embraced the pain so we could one day be freed from it. To know this truly causes us to desire to honor him fully. 

Keeping COVID-19 aka Corona virus in perspective

Posted March 25, 2020 when shut downs were just beginning.

Be sure to watch this powerful interview after reading the below. 

There are two primary factors we must know to accurately assess the significance of any virus.

1. How deadly is it?

2. How contagious is it?

These are very different aspects that must be considered separately.

If a virus is both highly contagious and deadly, we have a significant problem.

If it's highly deadly but not very contagious, that means few will get it but those who do have a high risk of dying.

If it's highly contagious but not very deadly, many will get it, but very few will die from it. Certainly unpleasant, but not very life-threatening. Not unlike the flu. 

The bottom line is both must be true for a virus to be of epic proportions and justify drastic measures.

As the numbers come in it is becoming clearer Corona is in the latter group. Though it's still uncertain how *contagious it is - it may turn out to be less contagious than originally thought - one thing is becoming clear, it's not very deadly at all. They are even saying many will get it and not even know they had it or they will display virtually no if any symptoms i.e. asymptomatic - which unfortunately is being played up to create more fear i.e. how do we know who has it?!

Death is no good for any reason, but the vast majority - not all - of deaths from this virus are the elderly (75 and older on average) who have a significant preexisting illness. This is statistically, a very small segment of society. This is exactly why the number of deaths compared to other viruses is low. If this spread as far as it could go, it would still be to a small - though certainly not unimportant - segment of the population. As of this post (3/25/20), we are around 1000 deaths compared to well over 20,000 (next to last bullet point in the blue box of the CDC site) for other flu-like viruses to date. Regular flu appears just as deadly. Curiously, this is rarely a part of the conversation in most reporting. When it is, those who raise it are often ridiculed by mainstream media.

So why all the fear and caution around Covid? The media overall - which has a history of biased reporting - is doing very little balanced reporting, raising considerable and unnecessary fear. They play up the scary parts - potentially highly contagious - and are quiet about the reassuring parts - low death rate to a small and feeble segment of the population (btw this isn't a derogatory statement but an observation. I happen to almost be in this age group). When this latter point is mentioned it is only in passing and rarely focused on. We constantly hear about the rising number of deaths and infections, but we rarely hear the significance of who is dying and under what conditions. 

Also, what proportion are those deaths compared to the number infected? Just on the reported infections, we are not that far from the percentages of the regular flu. The number infected is larger than reported - possibly much larger - which would make the ratio of those dying to those infected much lower i.e. making COVID-19 even less deadly than regular flu. These ratios are very significant but rarely mentioned.

Also, like past virus scares, COVID-19 is new so there is virtually no immunity built up. However, as more low-risk segments are exposed, it actually helps build our collective **(herd) immune system as a society, helping prevent future outbreaks - the very strategy behind vaccines - yet MSM wrings their hands over it resurrecting when cold weather returns. Since the death rate is low and among a small segment, "social distancing" - which isn't social at all, it's physical distancing - may actually be counterproductive - though it's certainly wise to quarantine those with symptoms as with any flu or flu-like virus. I am more than willing to self-quarantine if it allows the low-risk population to resume regular activities. Just like we do with any other bug.

I think there are also political reasons for the hype and worth exploring, but not the focus of this piece. If you wish to know my opinion, feel free to leave a comment.

There are still some unknowns about this virus, so the media (and we, along with the various governmental bodies) assume the worst. At a minimum, the points raised in this piece should have an equal part of the discussion instead of being minimized or ridiculed. This would go a long way in increasing understanding and reducing fear. 

The fact that the media is not addressing these, undermines their credibility at best. But what we know is important and encouraging. As the actual data comes in, hopefully, it will be disseminated. There will then be a declining concern and the solutions to address it must be modified to fit the latest data.

There are also some very good reports coming in on the effectiveness of the malaria drug HCQ (go to the 2:21 mark of this video) combined with other medicines. Unfortunately, this too is being quieted, downplayed, ridiculed, or outright misrepresented by the media.

The biggest outbreak is a virus, but a virus of fear. Due in great part to the sensationalist media. What is needed is facts, not fear.  Making decisions based primarily on fear never results in the best outcome. We must also engage our reason.

Fear is the enemy of truth and also the friend of deception. Lies ride on the coattails of fear. 

The bottom line... based on the facts there is much more room for optimism than originally thought. I predict this will be a none story by the end of May if all the facts are considered. 

For an update on the total number of deaths projected click here. 

If interested the following articles address some of the above points as well:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8076395/Leading-doctor-claims-coronavirus-isnt-deadly-feared-death-rate-1.html

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/is-the-coronavirus-as-deadly-as-they-say-professors-claim-more-data-needed-to-know-mortality-rate

https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-the-coronavirus-as-deadly-as-they-say-11585088464

**For an interesting article on herd immunity, click here. 

If you are wondering why I have a less than charitable view of the main stream media click here. 

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*I am doing a personal experiment on how contagious this virus is - don't worry, I am the only person at risk. I'll explain later. I am only 3 days in (assuming a 14-day incubation period. Some are now saying the average incubation time is 5 to 6 days) and will give a report in 11 more days. If interested, I'll come back then with the results.

Update as of April 1st, day 8:  No symptoms whatsoever.

Update as of April 8th, day 15: Symptom-free with one day past the guesstimated 14 day incubation period.

So what was my test? I went shopping at the grocery store and did what I normally do. I took no extra precautions. Opened the store door, grabbed a cart, bought some trail mix (using the "public" scoops), and ate some once I got in the car, with no precautions i.e. no gloves, no hand washing etc. Some might think I am crazy but I have done enough research to believe otherwise - not to mention I taught high school Biology and my best grade in college was Biology. My "experiment" began on March 23. Granted, one person's experience may not be worth much scientifically, but it helps confirm for me what I already believe is the case. The whole covid scare is more hype than science. I also helped my friends (March 28) who work with the homeless. They have a trailer that houses portable showers/ laundry units and take them to a camp here for the homeless. So we went and helped 30 folks get spruced up a bit with a warm shower and clean their laundry. I took no precautions than I would any other day.  Again, this is not likely to convince anyone of anything. btw feeling fine but a bit tired after being on my feet from 9 to 5. Pretty good for a 66-year-old dude, I suspect.

Update: as of Oct 2021 I have not experienced sickness of any kind and have not taken any precautions since my experiment e.g. I do not "social distance" or wear a mask... ever.

Addressing fear

Some significant keys in addressing fear: 

• Shift your identity (your sense of who you are; your significance, importance, value, safety) from the approval of others and base it on God's glory i.e. your true identity is based on who God is (the supremely valuable and most glorious of all) and His assessment of you as his beloved, not the assessment/opinion, actions of others or even (and sometimes especially) your own self-assessment.

We are designed to live in honor of God, not to ¹protect ourselves (physically or emotionally) i.e. our design (and therefore our purpose) is to uphold God's honor, not our own. In so doing, God says he will honor us (which includes ultimately protecting us and providing what we ²need most, though not necessarily what we want most at the time).

"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted..." – Jesus, Mat 23:12   

Our living for his glory impacts others.

The most important thing we can do is bring to others the most important "thing" i.e. our greatest accomplishment, value (and fulfillment) is in bringing awareness of God and his great worth to others. To do so leads them to life itself and it's Source i.e. God

If our conduct (vs our words) says God is most important to us, we are proposing by that conduct He should be most important to them as well. How we conduct our everyday lives will either indicate He is or isn't most important, worthy of their trust and commitment, not just ours.

• We must understand the real lack of control we have in order to learn to trust in God's providence/ sovereignty/control, i.e. God does, is, and will provide what we need most and what is best as we live to honor him. Seek 1st the Kingdom of God and all these other things will be added. 

• You ultimately combat fear through action, not reasoning/thinking, only i.e. taking action on what you fear instead of convincing yourself you have nothing to fear. Your mind (reasoning) is necessary to assess the best course of action, but once assessed, step forward in faith and act. 

Doing the thing you fear confirms the fear is often far worse than the reality. Knowing God is with you regardless sustains you. He will never forsake us no matter what we go through or how much it appears otherwise. We are assured of this because God's commitment to us is based on Christ's perfect efforts/work on our behalf, not our imperfect efforts.

For several posts discussing the significance of our being designed for God's glory, click here.

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¹This is not to say we are not to take reasonable steps to care for ourselves. This simply means self-protection is not our focus. God is. i.e. how do we best honor him in all we say and do. 

This may result in taking actions that seem risky to some, such as doing ministry in a hostile environment, e.g. foreign missions in a region opposed to Christ, etc. However, pursuing God in a hostile environment is safer than pursuing safety itself. Just read the book of Jonah.

²Sometimes what we need most is to have what we depend on most, other than God, removed from us. Dependence on anything other than or more than God keeps us from experiencing our greatest good and joy, i.e. God himself.

Fear anxiety and anger connected

Fear, anxiety and anger are tied together. How?

They all have to do with harm, loss or pain.

• Fear is in anticipation of harm, loss or pain
• Anxiety is in expectation of harm, loss or pain
• Anger is in reaction to harm, loss or pain

1. Fear occurs if and when there is no action or before any action is taken.  

2. Fear turns into anxiety when we are ready to take action or once action is necessary and about to occur.

3. Anxiety turns into anger after we have taken action which results in the harm, loss or pain.

Ever since our rebellious distrust of God in Eden we all live in a constant, though often unconscious, state of fear and anxiety and ¹anger.

What is the solution? Knowing God, who redeems harm, loss and pain, is using it to strengthen and advance us in our relationship with him, if and when we trust him.

For a discussion on why God continues to allows evil click here.

For a further discussion of how God uses evil for our good click here...and here.

The greater the evil the greater the opportunity for healing/grace click here.

For a discussion on the key lesson from the book of Job click here.

For a further discussion on the value of paradox click here.

For a further discussion of how big is God exactly click here

For a discussion of how pain can help us see Christ's love click here

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¹If you question or doubt you have any anger, have you ever questioned or become upset over why there is so much pain and suffering in the world or felt it's unfair? This question usually comes out of a "low grade" anger over harm, loss or pain; either yours or others. (for more on the blame question click here) 

We can express sadness over harm loss and pain but this is different than anger. Sadness recognizes our plight is the result of our own choices. Anger plays the victim and blames God or others for our harm loss or pain.

what moves us to faithfulness?

Psa 33:18  Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,

At least two things are involved in *experiencing God's working in our lives -- having his caring attention/eye on us, thereby moving/motivating us to faithfulness i.e. to obedience. 

fear of the Lord AND hope in his steadfast love                                                             

      

Fear- The utmost regard for God's absolute rule (sovereignty), majesty, power, and holiness. Recognizing these things about God is the beginning of wisdom i.e. where wise living starts.                                                              
Hope- The anticipation of being in God's presence and experiencing the fullness of who he is in all his infinite love **according to or in proportion to our faithfulness to him in this life.

"... who hope in his steadfast love..." Why do we hope in God's steadfast love? Don't we have and experience his love now? We do but only by faith, from afar if you will, not yet fully seeing Him as He is i.e. not through direct first-hand experience but "through a glass darkly..." 

Though God's disposition is one of perfect love towards us now and can not be added to or taken away from -- it's based on the perfect work of Christ, not our imperfect feeble attempts at perfect faithfulness -- we will not experience the fullness of his love until we see him face to face in eternity. 

It is this hope, the hope of complete transformation and glorification, and the promise of the fullest ***experience of his love -- which will increase throughout eternity -- this hope moves us to diligently pursue to him.

"Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure." I John 3:2-3

"For the one who ****sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Gal 6:8-9. Give up what? Hope of eternal bliss/life. 

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*We must distinguish between having God's love and participating/experiencing it. Having it is based on Christ's efforts alone, not ours. We can never do enough to secure God's love for us. Experiencing and more fully participating in his love, however, is contingent on faithful obedience i.e.  "the just shall live by faith..."  For a further discussion on this click here. 

** "according to..." also carries with it a respect/fear for God i.e. God does things a certain way (according to design) and if we do not live accordingly we experience the repercussions of living contrary to that design.

***The essence of our reward is greater union with God and therefore greater participation and firsthand experience of his perfect love in proportion to our faithfulness i.e. faithful obedience. 

By "in proportion..." we mean our experience and participation in God and His love throughout eternity are in proportion to our trust/faithful obedience to him now, in this life. Our faithfulness doesn't save us but it does increase our capacity to enjoy God. God is the reward of that faithfulness. Participation in God's love throughout eternity is the reward for our faithfulness now, in this life.

****Sewing and reaping is evidence of design and a Designer.

To get the shot or not

Some within the Christian community have encouraged others to take the vaccine (John Piper, who I otherwise respect - and others - would be high-profile examples). Their reasoning? It is the loving (unselfish) thing to do i.e. it is loving our neighbor.

However, the question isn't whether we should love our neighbor or not but how can we best do so. The answer is not as black-and-white as we might think or have been led to believe. There are several parts to this.

To be an expert in one area does not make one an expert in all areas. Pastors and theologians, like any other area of discipline, are generally trained and gifted in their respective fields of expertise but few of them are doctors or medical experts. We should all be careful therefore in advising people on medical decisions or areas outside our field of training. 

That's not to say they should never give advice outside of their training as long as they've done their due diligence in that area. However, I would not go to a pastor to fix my car or plumbing or ask where to invest my money unless he had expertise in those areas. The medical field is far more involved than cars, plumbing, and investments.

Because technical fields are so numerous and specialized most of us depend on experts in other fields. Unfortunately, even experts are not beyond the influence of those with less than noble intentions, where money is more important than serving our fellow man. There is a strong indication that strategic members of the medical community are influenced by an agenda. The advice given by some at the top appears to be heavily influenced by money more than hard scientific evidence. Many doctors or heads running these agencies appear to have greater loyalty to the pharmaceutical corporations than to science or the patient.

Most are also not aware of the extent of influence and control over media that "big money" has. This ensures that the narrative big money (I call them banksters) wants, is maintained, and factual information contrary to the narrative is suppressed. 

The breakdown of morality in culture is far more invasive than many recognize, resulting in many being swayed by personal gains or desires more than by the principle of loving our neighbors. Unfortunately many in positions of influence or power love mammon (money) more than truth or God (I'm not referring to anyone specifically).

If the vaccine was effective and there was no other way to address this bug then the vaccine would be the loving course to take. However, as time has gone on it has proven to have minimal benefits and ¹substantial (sometimes ²deadly) side effects. Certainly enough to cause us to legitimately pause and ask questions. To be pressured to make such a decision as taking an experimental procedure is unloving at best. More and more information is coming out that the vaccine is not the best option and could also be ¹extremely harmful.

To mandate it also violates our freedom to address our health according to our conscience and responsibility as good stewards of the body God has given us. Especially if there are other equally (if not more) effective and proven treatments.

If the vaccine resulted in harm to you or me, impairing our ability to love our neighbor, not aid it, this is not wise or loving. The greater the harm the less I am able to love and serve others i.e. it would result in the opposite of loving my neighbor. 

The irony is the left side of the political aisle used to argue hardest for the right to choose what we put in us or have done to us and still do, but selectively.

The good news is there are other options (strengthening our immune system, herd immunity, various therapeutic or holistic treatments). But for some reason, these options - and those mentioning them - are either being suppressed, hidden (censored), or vilified.

Why is there such a huge effort made to discredit or hide these other options? The deliberate effort to suppress discussion or discredit information should alone give us pause as to why. To expect us to blindly accept the advice of those who have proven either to be wrong or outright misleading (not Piper but so-called medical experts) is not prudent or loving others well. 

It behooves us to do our due diligence when making such a significant decision or advising others to do so. As the saying goes haste (created by a supposed emergency which in turn creates fear) makes waste. On the coattails of fear deception often rides. The whole push for a vaccine is rooted in fear. Fear is rarely the soil out of which wise choices grow. In this case, what's at stake is far more significant than waste. 

It is becoming increasingly clear our health and possibly our very life - and that of our loved ones - are at stake. No wonder passions run so high on both sides and why sadly this has been such a divisive issue. 

For an excellent panel discussion between highly respected doctors (some highly published - and some have been vaccinated i.e. they are not "anti-vax") who are on the front lines of patient care and treatment, click here.

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*A significant number of ADRs (adverse drug reactions) is listed on the WHO site.

http://www.vigiaccess.org/

To search VigiBase data go to the bottom of the page and check the box, then search for “covid-19 vaccine”

To see the VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) COVID Vaccine Adverse Event Reports 

Go to 

https://openvaers.com/covid-data or the main page at https://openvaers.com/openvaers

**  For an article on a study of the vaccine's effects on unborn infants click here 

Broken yet fully loved

We are far more ¹broken than we are willing to admit but also far more loved than we can ever imagine or hope for - or are usually willing to believe.

Why do we struggle to believe that we are both broken and fully loved at the same time?

We fear if someone knew ²all our faults they would reject us and no longer love us. Why? Because admitting to or being seen with all our flaws usually results in rejection. 

We so greatly long to be fully and deeply loved, we fear ³losing it if we ever find it. We believe it's better to never be loved than to powerfully experience love and lose it.

The more we know we are loved - regardless of our flaws - the more we can admit ("own") them - not only to the one who loves us but to ourselves as well. 

Why does love free us? We are no longer concerned that admitting our brokenness will result in rejection. We know we are loved regardless of how broken we are. 

Love is the fuel of growth and change. Why?

Admitting our faults to ourselves and others is vital to our maturing. 

We can't and won't fix something if we don't think it's broken. And we can't admit our brokenness until we know we will not be rejected for it. Once we feel safe to admit our brokenness, we can be more honest with ourselves (and others) about our shortcomings.

We can admit our faults only to the extent we know we are loved despite them.

When we are loved in ⁴this way we desire to bring joy and honor to the only One who loves us this way. We delight in doing all we can to honor them. When this is for God, He in turn feels honored to be in a relationship with us.

For a discussion on loving yourself click here and here.

For a discussion on what it means to be broken click here. 

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¹We are not broken in the sense that we no longer have natural abilities, talents, or resources but in how we use these, i.e. do we use them to self-comfort instead of bringing comfort to others as we were *designed to?

Self-comforting is so common it is considered normal, not broken. We not only embrace it but applaud others who do this as well. "Loving ourselves" has become a cultural mantra in the West when it is actually the primary evidence and expression of brokenness. 

Our need to love ourselves is only because we have rejected God, the very source of love. How? Whenever we look to or go to something other than God for love, we are telling God we can do better at finding and experiencing love on our own than we can from Him, when in fact only God is the source of love, life, and all things. 

*We are in God's image, designed to be like God, which is to be other-focused - i.e. to give, not take. The more we give, the more we are like God, and the more we partake of and experience Him, i.e. experience love flowing to and through us to others.

We justify getting or taking because we think it will make us happy, more complete, and whole. Short-term it may, but the ultimate solution to our need for love is not taking it but receiving it from the Source, which enables us to pass it on to others. 

God is primarily what we need, but we refuse to receive what he offers, i.e. His infinite affections offered to us in and through His Son Jesus.

We reach the highest level of our design - God's likeness - when we give. But not to get but simply for the joy of seeing others receive life through us. And we can only give as God does when we are receiving love from the One who is the ultimate source of love, God himself. 

²This is what makes our family of origin so unique and significant. No one sees our flaws and strengths as much or as well as family. If we come from a loving family, this is where we feel safest... Or "more at home" to use a common expression. If we come from an unloving family, this is why for some thoughts of family are most painful. And also why we may fear letting others see us the way we truly are. 

³This approach believes you can't lose what you never had to begin with.

There is a saying that it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.

But what if you never love again? All you have is the painful memory of not having something (love) you still need and long for. Is this not the essence of hell itself? I'm not suggesting we avoid love for fear of never experiencing it again. I am saying no human can love us in the way we are designed for, i.e. perfectly and continuously loved, without interruption. Only God is perfect, perpetual, and endless love. 

⁴God alone consistently loves us in this way. He alone is perfect and infinite love.

Christ's central message?

Once Christ officially began his ministry, what was His central message? 

"From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand' " - Matt 4:17 - i.e. the kingdom is right at your doorstep. So get ready for it, for its King is about to be ¹set up and established.

What time is "that time" highlighted above? The time right after his 40 days of testing in the wilderness. A ⁹testing that the Spirit ²led Him into right after the public announcement of his ministry at his baptism.

During his time in the wilderness, Jesus passed three tests by the deceiver (corresponding to the 3 failures of Adam and Eve, our original "parents"). This set the stage to announce His soon-coming kingdom and ⁸earned Him the right to be its King.

What is the kingdom of God (or heaven)? It is the rule and reign of ³love by Jesus - the ⁴King of love - over His followers i.e. His willing subjects.

Why does Jesus use the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven interchangeably? Because they are one and the same. 

How?

It is a heavenly (blissful) kingdom because it is a kingdom that issues forth from love and is "governed" by and filled with ³love - for God is love. It is the ⁵arrival of heaven (i.e. Love/God) on earth which was inaugurated at the birth and incarnation of the Son of God, secured and sealed by his death and burial, and initiated by His resurrection (Death no longer has the last word, life does; life back from death) and will be fully implemented when Christ returns to earth to reign forever with those who have received His offer of life and love through the forgiveness earned for them by His life, death, and resurrection. 

Wherever God and His rule of love are present is a ⁶taste of heaven on earth (but only a taste for now...the full feast is later) i.e. a taste of joy and delight in the King's love which ultimately will lead to an uninterrupted, eternal, unobstructed, infinite feast of love and bliss i.e. heaven on earth.

How does this work? How is this different than the typical kind of kingly rule or kingdom?

Typically, a king reigns or rules by decree (law) under threat of punishment. If and when you violate a king's decree (law), you suffer the consequences. Those consequences can be anything from fines to imprisonment to execution. Fear of punishment is the primary motivation used to maintain compliance (law and order) in this typical kind of kingdom.

A rule (kingdom) of (or run by) love is completely different. Unlike a rule of law, which works by ⁷fear of punishment, rejection, and condemnation, a rule of love (or the law of love) creates within its subjects the desire to obey its king's directions (commands). His subjects willingly (delightfully) obey because they want to, not because they have to...they obey out of love for and trust in their King, not out of fear of punishment by their judge. Why? Because Christ bore the judgment for us for not properly honoring and loving Him as rightful King and not loving our neighbor - fellow image bearers of the King - as we were designed to.

Even though there are still consequences for not loving Him (and others) as deserved, under the rule of love they are not the consequences of rejection, condemnation, and judgment. They are consequences of correction as His beloved child. Correction designed to draw us closer to the King of love so we might experience His love more fully and freely display it more perfectly for His glory. Once Christ literally comes to earth to physically reign, we will be perfected like him, for we will see Him fully as He is in all His love. 

Under both a rule of law and a rule of love there are clear directions to follow on what is good and right conduct. The difference is the motivation that drives the behavior of its subjects. Under the rule of law, it is a fear of rejection, condemnation, punishment, and judgment. Under the rule of Christ, love and trust are the driving force behind true love-inspired obedience.

In light of all this, God calls us to enter His kingdom through the love of its humble king.

Matt 11:28 

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 take my yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

What rest? The rest from fear of rejection and condemnation, and constantly having to seek life and love (i.e. affirmation from others) because we now have it fully and perfectly in God through Christ. All that is left is for us to accept his offer. Do you accept it?

It is appropriate and not insignificant that near the end of the bible we are extended the following invitation, 

"The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.' - 

Rev 22:17

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¹What would it take to establish this kingdom of love? The death and resurrection of Christ that will remove the barrier between God and man - i.e. he removed the legal consequences of our rebellious distrust of Him - so that his love could flow freely to his subjects and Christ's rule of love could be firmly and permanently established.

²Which makes the prayer Jesus taught His disciples all the more interesting.

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. - Matt 6:9‭-‬13 ESV

The Father's will being done - i.e. His rule and reign as King - on earth as it is in heaven - was most fully demonstrated in the very person of Christ during His incarnation and time on earth. That which is of heaven - i.e. God and His Son - was fully displayed and manifested on earth in and through Christ as a human... a creature i.e. the incarnation or fleshing out of God himself among us in Christ, while here on earth leads to his complete and ultimate physical reign on earth when He returns (and also our reign in and through Him).

Since the resurrection of Christ and the coming of His Spirit (of love and life), we are now the "fleshing out" of God before a watching world until He returns.

³And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered with the Shama, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 

And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 

And when Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely, He said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” - i.e. You understand that the essence of the Kingdom of God is love. Now live by it.

"And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions." - Mark 12:28‭-‬34

The greatest and second commandment is the essence of the kingdom of God. And what is the essence of these commands? Love. The love of God and others.

⁴Christ earned his right to reign over His subjects by humbling himself as a servant and dying on behalf of the subjects He rules over. 

Christ our King cast himself into battle to fight and overcome evil to save his subjects and died. He did this knowingly and willingly. 

And then He came back to life. And because He did, those of us who have submitted to Him as our King will also rise to life after our death and rule along side Him on earth when He returns. 

Death is the inevitable result of rejecting the Giver of life. But Life is the inevitable result for those who accept that His death was on their behalf i.e. it was done to restore them back to the Giver of life they had rejected.

⁵The arrival of the Kingdom of God begins in the individual hearts of men and women when we place our trust in the King of love. But will be completed when God sets up His literal physical kingdom on earth at His return. 

⁶It isn't the full meal however until we sit at the feast with the King. A feast that will not be just a one-time meal but heaven itself will be a perpetual eternal feast of love that will never be interrupted or end. At that time he will usher in and fully establish his perfect rule and kingdom on Earth, where there are no more tears, pain, or dying... only love, joy, and bliss. In fact, a (maybe the) primary cause of the joy we experience now under God's rule (kingdom) of love is knowing we will one day experience his love fully and perfectly face to face without limit or interruption.

It is also a kingdom of hope. It is a sure hope (expectation) that we will fully experience what we now only have a taste of.

For an excellent article on the "already... but not yet" aspect of the kingdom click here.

For additional thoughts on this click here.

The arrogant seek to control and rule over the resources of creation but in the end, the meek will inherit the Earth. Why? They are humbly submitted to Earth's Creator, Sustainer, and true King and will use creation to honor Him as such.

⁷We are to fear God as children, not as criminals. This is a fear of correction for not listening to our Father's wise and loving instructions, not of condemnation and rejection for violating the law. A "spanking" hurts but when done out of love it is designed to bring us life. 

⁸Unlike us, Christ earned everything he received. Everything we receive is a gift i.e. by grace - earned for us and given to us by Christ. We couldn't earn it and because He did and extends what is rightfully His to us, we don't have to.

But he earned it nevertheless. How? He fulfilled the rightful requirements of the law because we were unable to - and assigns his complete record of perfect obedience to us as if it's ours - if we accept it. Do you accept his offer?

⁹It is worth noting that Christ encouraged us to pray that we not be tested by the evil one.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (evil one in the original)." Mat 6:13

He's encouraging us to pray we do not experience what Adam and Eve experienced or Job experienced or what Christ went through in the wilderness. Temptation (testing) is not God's preferred plan or design. These were all unique events with a specific purpose and not the norm.

Tests come, and we can learn much from them, but only because God can bring good out of evil. Pain and suffering is still evil and not what God created us for. 

Death, harm, and destruction are the fruit of our rebellion, not the fruit of our design. They are not the preferred experience he desires for us (and they will all be done away with in eternity). 

Evil is simply part of living in creation that is under bondage among broken humans, eagerly awaiting deliverance. If he wanted us to go through evil he would not have included "deliver us from evil (or the evil one)" in the prayer he taught us.