I was struck this week by the contrast between our perception of conflict and the reality of spiritual warfare. It is not that we make mountains out of molehills… actually, we regularly do. It is easy to become wrapped around the Presbyterian axle on questions so nuanced the apostle Paul would not even recognize them. (I can’t wait to ask Moses where he stands on the republication of the Covenant of Works in the Sinaitic economy and whether he takes a more or less Klinean view of covenant history.) Given the lack of real persecution in our present American context, we can easily become like toddlers in the backseat of the car complaining that “he’s looking at me!”
This year has been one of controversy for our congregation, and to the extent that I have pointed it out and responded to it in various ways, I may have been like one of those children, whining that a little brother keeps looking at me and tapping his car seat. It is usually better simply to ignore bullies, disdaining their silly opinions and refraining from even giving them the credibility of a response. But it seemed necessary to say something, at least for the sake of those who were unsettled by uncharitable rumors. At the Synod of Dort in the early 17th century, one theologian challenged another to settle their disagreement with a duel. Paul says a bishop must not be a striker, but I don’t see any prohibition on chokeholds, armbars, and foot locks. A grappling match seems more godly than a gossip campaign.
It is easy to imagine these controversies and questions are the real conflict we face as the people of God, but that is a silly opinion, worthy of our contempt. Counseling young men who are in complete bondage to porn and cannot imagine why they can’t get girls to talk to them; watching young people become trapped in the madness of gender fluidity, sexual ambiguity, and recreational drugs; meeting with families who are being torn apart by pride, selfishness, and uncharitableness because each one knows they are right; trying, and failing, to meet with the rebellious and disobedient who seem hellbent on destroying their faith, relationships, and future: this is a typical week for me as a pastor. Who has time to gossip about a brother or respond to silly allegations? If we’re not careful, the Lord may send us some real persecution to settle us down and to help us focus on what is really important.
I generally believe the assessment of my ministry on the last day will reveal it to be one of wood, hay, and straw. There won’t be much lasting fruit from my labors, and no one beyond my own generation will know my name. That is as it should be. We should not aspire to great things but be glad to associate with the lowly. Tend the sheep in your own pasture, and don’t waste time wishing for a larger flock. Shepherding the sheep God has given us is already more than a full-time job. Marriages, children, and souls hang in the balance. We don’t have time to waste on pointless controversy. I do not worry what others may say or think about me, but I care very much what my own children will say when I am dead and gone. I have seen too many men neglect their own families while being eager to fix everyone else’s problems, too many pastors who knew all the answers but whose children do not walk with Christ, too many “experts” who are glad to tell you how to fix your life but whose wife and children can’t stand them. Which battles are we really interested in fighting? The souls and love of your family and the brethren God placed in your life is far more important than anyone who has anything to say from afar.
The Lord’s Day is a time to reset, remember what is important, and renew our covenant with God. We become distracted far too easily, and insofar as the Devil preoccupies us with what is unimportant, our lives and family and work will suffer the consequences. Much of what demands our attention from day to day is not real, only deception, a facade of importance erected to obscure what really matters. The Lord’s Day is a time to pull back the curtain, strip away the mask, and confront reality clearly, face to face. We are made for God, made for eternity, not made to waste our time on triviality and the foolishness of this world. We have been baptized as warrior priests and kings, remade to exercise lordship and extend the dominion of Christ’s kingdom and God’s grace to the uttermost parts of the world. Who cares what someone said on Facegram or TwitTok? (This is not to say online engagement is pointless, only that it is often done in a way that is intended to distract and neutralize godly labor rather than advance it.)
Your family needs to be in church tomorrow—they need to come before the Lord to be cleansed and further consecrated by his Spirit—and they need you to lead them there and then lead by example in humble, grateful, joyful worship. There is nothing more important for you to do this week than to come before the Lord and worship him, to encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ, and if you have a family, to lead them in that exercise, praying that God will mercifully bless each one and cause your children to excel you in his service. The Maker of heaven and earth is calling. O come, let us adore him. --JME
