Jack Johnson. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Anthony Weiner. Although these are some of the latest politicians at the local, state and national levels whose dastardly deeds have seized news coverage, there will certainly be others. Listening to reports, I was reminded of a few of God’s principles about leaders and the need for us to guard our minds in a sex-saturated planet.
Leaders
Hearing about scandals involving politicians during the last few weeks, my first reaction, like many, was disgust. More stories about politicians doing stereotypically dishonest “politician” things such as taking kickbacks, sleeping with women not their wives – or cheating in some other way – and then trying to cover it up with lies before admitting to the truth, I thought. How many times do we have to keep hearing about scandals?
Yet as these thoughts came to mind, God also brought Romans 13 to me. Part of the oft-quoted passage on leaders, verses 1-2 & 6-7, reads,
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves….This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”
The lesson I was reminded of from this passage is to generally respect leadership. Leaders, even the unjust and corrupt ones, have been established by God. While it’s not wrong for us to acknowledge their reprehensible behavior, or even to speak out against it, biblically there is still a level of deference that we are called to give all leaders. In several of the recent cases the politicians embroiled in scandal have been– or will be – stripped of their authority and suffer consequences for their actions – as we all do – and God has a hand in their removal as well. But often, we can get caught up in feeling disillusion and disrespect for politicians to the point that we do not hold our leaders with regard as we should. We end up denigrating them rather than showing them honor.
One way that we can show our leaders deference is to pray for them – all of them. As I expressed my disgust, God also brought feelings of empathy – or at least sympathy – for political leaders. Many are in high-powered positions that often expose them to heightened temptations. When they give in, they not only face personal cost – but also affect their constituents. If they can be distracted, the focus can be taken away from the jobs they were placed in office to do. Scripture is clear that those who know Christ and walk in His ways can resist any temptation– even the ones that come with political leadership. But not all leaders have Christ, and many who do choose not to walk in His ways. And even the ones who do follow Him still need encouragement and accountability to stay the course – as we all do. When we pray for our leaders, we ask God to give them wisdom in the positions He’s placed them, regardless of their spiritual conditions. The Romans 13 mandate is not just about the most upright, God-honoring leaders – but all leaders!
Further, prayer for our leaders should not take a partisan bend. As I thought about all of the temptations that leaders face, I thought specifically about our current president. I was reminded of the need to pray for him continually. I also thought of the fact that many Christians I know are happy to pray for him because they voted for him, but there are many other Christians who seem to be incapable of even saying a single positive thing about him. In that moment I didn't think to judge either camp, but was reminded that our Romans 13 calling should not be based on whether the president you voted for is in office. Whether it’s George W. Bush or President Obama – if our next president is a Republican or Democrat – the calling doesn’t change. Despite the fact that it’s in vogue to speak only ill about those whom we disagree with politically, followers of Christ must hold a higher, biblical standard.
Sexting, Etc…
The other side of my rumination on politics was the sex part. The recent indecent sexual acts spotlighted in the media reminded me of the need for Christians to take a stand against the things that God hates, but in love.
A segment on Good Morning America discussing Congressman Weiner’s actions was the latest public issue to get me thinking about standing for sexual integrity. A psychologist was surmising on the “psychological” problems Weiner may be facing that led him to sext and tweet lewd messages. Attempting to characterize his problem, she commented, to the effect of, “If Anthony Weiner had just been looking at porn and then using those images to enhance his monogamous relationship, it would have been okay. The problem is that these messages are out of the context of monogamy…” That wasn’t the first time I’d heard the idea that pornography is okay – even “beneficial” to a “monogamous” relationship – but I will not stop being disgusted by it.
After flipping the channel, I continued to think about the many ways – beyond politics, that God’s paradigm for sex and relationships is distorted in media. It’s hard to turn on the television today without seeing some dramatization, report or interview, like the Good Morning America one, that embodies a model of sex and relationships that clearly contradicts Scripture. We can expect that from our world, but, unfortunately, Christians have bought into it also. I think we’ve come to suffer from “Super Hero” syndrome – we think we can ingest literature, entertainment, conversation, etc. - that contradicts God’s design for sex and expect that it won’t affect our ability to think and live Christ-like –especially in how we approach sex and romantic relationships (i.e., that the only thing that can make us stumble is something like kryptonite). Yet there’s plenty of evidence that it does!
I believe one important way to ensure we are following God’s paradigm of sex rather than the world’s, in the context of the attention surrounding the recent scandal, is by watching the media we fill our minds with. Colossians 3:2 says that we should set our minds on things above. Romans 12:2 says that we avoid being conformed to the pattern of this world by renewing our minds. We renew them by filling them with, as the apostle Paul says in Philippians, excellent, praiseworthy things. While I’m a serious proponent of the belief that The Gospel demands that we be relevant – knowing the signs of the times and engaging our culture – including awareness of what’s in the news, holiness requires that we be set apart- particularly in how we view sex and relationships.
Recently, I’ve really been convicted to pay even closer attention to what I watch on television. With the many ways that our world is trying to normalize sex and relationship paradigms that distort God’s principles, I really believe it’s important for us to avoid adopting – or even condoning -- those same ideas, even subtlety. Often, when we don’t watch what we read or listen to, over time those negative ideas take root in our minds and result in us thinking and acting contrary to God’s commands, especially in the area of relationships. We start to look at issues not from Scripture, but based on what sounds okay to us. Even as we love and engage our world, as we’re called to do, we constantly have to renew our minds in the process.
Our world often tells us that because God is Love, He accepts everything we do, as long as we’re not lying, cheating, stealing or killing. But if we as humans, as simple as we are compared to the Creator – can have standards, the God of the Universe must have them, too! And He’s established the standard for sexual integrity all up and through His Word! Followers of Christ have to uphold it!
I’ve had to part ways with some shows - dramas in particular - on television that I found entertaining - and caught when I could - because of the poor paradigms of sex and relationships they presented. As I tuned into these shows periodically, I kept finding the storylines had become increasingly contradictory to the principles I’m trying to live by through Christ. God reminded me that I gain absolutely nothing from entertainment that rejects His ways – in fact, I lose! These days my TV amusement, aside from news, is pretty much the Food Network – but, borrowing from a popular 90s Christian campaign, and my parents, I’m happy I can say that it would be totally cool for Jesus to come sit on the couch and watch any of my favs with me (especially Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, lol)!
Doing the Word
God calls us to love people, but our first command is to love Him. As we show others God’s goodness, we also have to take a stand for His righteousness. We pray for our leaders, even when they don’t care for their behavior. We also share Christ with others, but guard our minds. That’s how we stay set apart in a world that keeps finding new methods to bring the scandal.
No comments:
Post a Comment