Skip to main content

Why Are People So Worked Up?

 (Originally written for The Baldwin Bulletin: Pastor's Column March 17, 2021)

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?...Do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you…Do not speak evil against one another, brothers... (James 4:1-12)

Every week, if not every day, it seems like there’s a new “crisis” people identify and are outraged over. Whether you’re a Christian or not, on the right or the left, the middle or associating with other ideologies, whether you consider yourself “woke” or any other cause or position you want to attach to yourself—people can find something to be worked up about. Some of the causes for outrage, anger, pain, or outcry are legitimate. Sometimes, even often, it can be a struggle for people who hold opposing views to truly understand why others are so enflamed when it doesn’t affect them that way. More and more it seems like we attack people rather views and we have no room in society for those who think differently than us.

Where all this is rooted is our convictions, “our passions” as James writes. We’ve been taught or raised a certain way. We’ve done research and come to our own conclusions, sustaining or deviating from where we’ve been in the past. We’ve been persuaded either by experts with strong factual evidence or by people who speak their opinions the loudest and we like their spunk or by personal experience and others’ stories. We’ve read and interpreted the Bible a certain way; we believe there are certain absolute truths God has communicated.   

I won’t pick on any particular issue, but I’m sure it doesn’t take too long for each of us to think of something that has struck a nerve in us to fight for or against in recent months. We could probably identify someone on the other side of that issue as well—someone who annoyed or infuriated us, who we can’t figure out how someone with common sense or in their right mind or who calls themselves a believer could honestly conclude what they have.

Please don’t read this and think, “He believes everyone can think what they want and not worry about right or wrong, good or sinful.” That’s not the case. God calls us to seek truth by his Holy Spirit; we are to live in this balance of boldness and humility with godly convictions rather than boastful pride. But no matter our convictions and how wrong we might believe someone else to be, we are still to love our neighbor and not speak evil against one another in the family of God.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Some Things Never Change

(Originally written for The Baldwin Bulletin: Pastor's Column July 5, 2023) Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) When I was a kid, I played baseball, basketball, and soccer in my hometown’s rec league. If I wanted to play, my parents would sign me up. If I decided I didn’t like the sport or didn’t want to play anymore, they made me finish the season (except for my final year of Little League baseball when I got sick of riding the bench and completely lost interest). Fast forward to this summer and my wife and I enrolled our two oldest children in softball and t-ball for their first summer team sports. My interest in baseball has continued as a fan of the White Sox. My kids have shown interest in the sport over the last year, helped by having friends who are playing. We were gone during the first week of practices, so I wanted to practice some with them at home before their first nights and when we have time as
Post a Comment
Read more

I'm talking about practice!

Practice...If you've had any interest in basketball or sports media in the last 10 years, then you probably remember Allen Iverson's press conference  rant  from 2002 on this topic.  You mention the word around me, and to this day A.I.'s voice pops into my head mocking the reporters, "We're talking about practice!"  This topic is our focus this week, coming from the theme presented at the young peoples' retreat I was on this weekend and re-iterated today in a conversation with a friend and her dad. When we think about the Christian life, there are certain principles and practices that are meant to be included.   Matthew 25:31-40 teaches believers metaphorically about their duties.  The sheep who inherit the kingdom of heaven are those who feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and in prison.  In John 3:21 , we find Jesus teaching that those who do what is true come to the light so that their wo
2 comments
Read more

Trouble at the Dinner Table

Note: While the intent of this blog is mainly to focus on how Sunday worship and preaching informs the week, I may occasionally take the liberty of focusing on worship practice and how the week meets Sunday. In this second post of this unofficial series on Sunday worship practice, I want to direct our attention to what it means to be a confessional church and some of the things that I'm wrestling with because of that.  As I mentioned last week, I have grown up in the Christian Reformed Church (CRC), a denomination which officially affirms and utilizes three ecumenical creeds and three Reformed confessions .  We recognize that these six confessions do not have the same inspiration or authority as Scripture, but we affirm that they fully agree with the Word of the Lord.  The new Covenant for Officebearers (a document signed by all ministers, elders, and deacons who hold office in the CRC), which was passed by Synod (our governing body) this summer, goes on to say, These conf
2 comments
Read more