Rex M Rogers - Discerning What Is Best

Discerning What Is Best
with Dr. Rex M. Rogers

Details: Written by: Rex M. Rogers; Published: 09 April 2011

It’s possible to work too much for the wrong reasons. It’s possible to be motivated by what Bill Hybels labeled “the monster called ‘More.’” Another word for it is greed, a desire to acquire and possess and accumulate far beyond our basic needs.

Greed is not a uniquely American problem, but it’s clearly one of our problems. Greed happens when we go over the top with our work ethic. We work at good projects for a good organization. We take care of our family. We advance in our professions. We’re amazed at all the stuff we’ve acquired. But we still want more.

Greed is not a word you expect to see listed among the top ten rules for good living. You won’t hear a preacher in the midst of wedding vows encourage a couple to pursue greediness. You won’t hear any eulogies listing greediness as one of the deceased's most endearing qualities.

In one of the better-known passages of the Bible, God talks about greed in what’s often called the “Parable of the Rich Fool” (Luke 12:13-21). In this story the rich fool celebrates his riches not with praise to God but with a bold declaration to build even bigger barns for his goods. Then he issues his infamous cry of excess: "Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry."

But earlier in the story, Jesus offered this divine warning: "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

Greed displaces the joy of work. Greed is a form of idolatry. Greedy people worship both conspicuous consumption and accumulation of assets more than God himself.

Greedy people do not acquire-to-live; they live-to-acquire. What do they want? More. How much more? Just one more.

Greed equates life with what Jesus called "the abundance of his possessions." Greedy people define themselves based upon how much they have and how much more they can acquire---this could be money, personal property, net worth, corporate kingdoms, real estate, a greater inheritance . . . things. For men, it could even be wives (plural), “trophy wives,” girlfriends, or just conquests. For women, it could be husbands (plural), boyfriends, and more.

Howard Hughes was a brilliant man who wanted and seemingly attained it all. Greed warped his work and legacy. He died a spiritually bereft and psychologically disturbed man, lonely and alone.

For all this, greed isn't about "things" as much as it is about perceived stature or power. We want, not because we want the possession—we want because of what we think the possession can do for us or what the possession makes of us. This can be true whether the greedy person is a pauper or a tycoon. For a greedy person the amount is always relative.

Or, we want because of insecurity . . . in ourselves . . . in our lives . . . in God.

Greed enslaves; it doesn’t liberate. Under the guise of giving us more, greed instead exacts a price. Ironically, what we want to get actually takes from us.

The remedy for greed is to replace this form of idolatry with a right expression of worship. Pursue God, not greed. Pursue work to the glory of God not the accumulation of possessions, power, or position. Pursue God not money-for-money’s-sake. Pursue God and he will bless you according to his sovereign will.

For all greed promises, it only results in emptiness. For all God promises, He fills our cup to overflowing.

*This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Rex or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/RexMRogers.

Details: Written by: Rex M. Rogers; Published: 07 April 2011

Michelangelo said, “The greatest danger for most of us is not the fact that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” Michelangelo didn’t aim low. His aim reached as high as the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling.

Michelangelo was a talented superstar. His genius enabled him to attain heights most of us will never reach. But still, most of us have a lot going for us. Have you ever really met a truly single-talented person? God’s abundant blessing is too limited for that. Most people are either multi-talented or maxi-talented. Most of us possess more talent than we realize—and dare we say, most of us do not use all the talent we’ve been given.

But Michelangelo’s point is not really about talent. He’s suggesting that most of us are too risk-averse, too limited in our vision, too willing to accept a small view of God, too insecure in our sense of what God has given us, or maybe just too lazy to reach high enough to test the talents we’ve been given. If this is true, then most people really don’t attain the level of achievement and fulfillment God intended for them.

God commands that we work for Him, not just for employers or ourselves. He wants our work to be vigorous, reliable, and characterized by excellence. Anything less is dishonorable to the God who made us, the God who "worked" in creating the universe, who called His work "very good."

Excellence is, therefore, not an option, because excellence in what we do is one way we tell the world who God is. Excellence is a singular expression of biblical Christianity. Excellence in our relationships and excellence in our work are spiritual acts of worship before God. Excellence is the Christian way of doing things.

Doing all things excellently is no guarantee that you will achieve greatness in the annals of history. It is a guarantee that you will please God, serve him and others well, and bring blessings upon your life.

Details: Written by: Rex M. Rogers; Published: 06 April 2011

Most people, at some point in their lives, fantasize about greatness. Many people take it to the next level and actually aspire to greatness, and a few make genuine attempts to achieve it.

What would it be like to be elected President of the United States? Wouldn’t it be great to gain fame as a social reformer like Rosa Parks, or to be considered the epitome of compassion like the late Mother Teresa? Or maybe you’d like to be the world’s greatest athlete—like Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, or Lance Armstrong—renowned for your competitive prowess and skill in some favorite sport.

Or perhaps in your fantasies greatness is equated with financial success or net worth. So who is greater? Oprah Winfrey or Donald Trump or Bill Gates or Queen Elizabeth?

Dreaming about greatness is pretty common stuff. We’ve all done it. We all do it. From the business executive to the soloist, from the researcher to the kid playing ball in the park, dreaming we’ll be the greatest is as much a part of life as breathing. It comes from something inside us, a desire for more.

Aspiring to greatness can be selfishly driven, as in a Nixon-like quest for power and control. It can be selflessly driven, as in St. Francis of Assisi’s, “Preach the Word at all times; when necessary, use words.” It can be other-centered, as in a mother’s hope for her child.

Our dreams of greatness are rooted in an intrinsic desire for meaning, for significance, for doing something that matters. Our humanity makes us want to be somebody. We want to do something that lasts, something that makes our mortal selves immortal.

In the Bible God tells us the “why” and “for what” of our lives should be about obedience of his moral will, service in his calling, and excellence in our works. In this divine scenario greatness is possible. Greatness is always providential though not always predictable. Greatness is, rightly grounded, a blessing, a gift to be used for good, an outcome more than a goal.

The Bible never identifies greatness as a goal unto itself. Jesus asked his disciples, “Who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves?” (Luke 22:24-27). His answer was “the one who is at the table,” reminding us that God blesses those who love and give.

The word “greatness” is used more than twenty times in the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, all referring to a great trouble, great call, great opportunity, great compassion, great Lord, or great joy, not a great man. Nehemiah did a great work for a great God. The prophet Micah says it this way, “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (6:8).

Greatness is a rare disposition that is always a by-product of obedience, service, and excellence. Obedience determines whether our actions are in accordance with our Creator’s definition of reality. Service determines whether our activities are noble or ignoble. Excellence determines whether our work attains a level worthy of appreciation or admiration.

The New Testament book of Colossians says "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (3:23).

Details: Written by: Rex M. Rogers; Published: 05 April 2011

Who wants to be sued? I don’t. I doubt most people would. Why would they?

On the other hand, if you’re the one doing the suing, the plaintiff, than perhaps lawsuits aren’t all bad. They offer people a legal remedy by which they can pursue restitution or a sense of justice or closure or in some cases punitive action.

“A civil suit is a lawsuit whereby the plaintiff claims that the defendant’s actions or negligence caused damages (losses and/or suffering)… If a defendant is found guilty in a civil suit, they are typically required to pay restitution to the aggrieved plaintiff…In some cases, where the wrongdoing was intentional or malicious, the court may also order punitive damages. Punitive damages in a civil suit are intended to punish the defendant and deter them and others from committing similar acts in the future.”

After a year (1995) of televised circus-like trial in which O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murdering his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, her family, not surprisingly, did not feel justice had been served. So in 1997 the family, along with the family of her murdered friend Ron Goldman, brought civil suits against Simpson, ultimately winning a $33.5 million “wrongful death” judgment.

Did this judgment bring Ms. Brown or Mr. Goldman back? Of course not. Did it heal the Brown or Goldman families’ pain? Probably not. But it did give them some sense of accountability and justice served.

In 2001, lawsuits were filed in the United States against priests of the Catholic Church who were said to have sexually abused victims, now men, when they were children. Suggestions of such charges had surfaced in the 1980s, but in the 2000s they reached well over ten thousand victims and nearly five thousand priests worldwide. Ultimately, the Catholic Church has paid approximately $1.3 billion in damages related to sexual abuse by priests.

Did this money remove victims’ pain? I doubt it. Did it hold priest pedophiles accountable? Not really, for the most part. It did force the Vatican to reexamine and reorder certain practices and policies that will, hopefully, reduce the likelihood of this kind of thing happening (as extensively) in the future.

Lawsuits and trial attorneys get a bad rap and likely some of them deserve it. Certainly we live in an overly litigious society and tort reform is needed. But not all lawsuits, like not all trial attorneys, are about greed and avarice. When civil suits are properly pursued and administered they serve to remind society that truth and justice matter.

Details: Written by: Rex M. Rogers; Published: 04 April 2011

It’s a common view: Christians shouldn’t sue other Christians, or for that matter anyone—ever. You’ve probably heard people make this comment if you haven’t heard a pastor preach it.

1 Corinthians 6:1-8 is the most extensive treatment of lawsuits found in Scripture. Here the Apostle Paul warns the Corinthian Church away from taking personal disputes to the courts, asking non-Christians to adjudicate them. Paul’s primary point? For Christians to take internal church or personal matters to court is a poor testimony. It undermines the unity, fellowship, and moral credibility of the Body of Christ. Christians should have the maturity to handle our own problems.

So despite forming the foundation of a widely held erroneous interpretation these verses really do not say Christians may never ever sue. Actually, this passage is about church fellowship, not criminal behavior and, for that matter, not civil lawsuits protecting rights or seeking justice. Yet the passage has long been cited as the traditional proof text for the principle variously stated as “Christians should never sue.”

There are other passages relevant to this question. Matthew 18:15-17 details how Christians should seek to resolve conflict: approach the offending person; if the person doesn’t respond, approach the offending person along with two or three others; if that doesn’t work, take the issue to the church. Few people I’ve ever known have gotten past the second step or needed to if they followed the process sincerely. But this process isn’t always applicable, for example in terms of civil liberties threatened by government or instances wherein laws have been broken.

Matthew 5:40 recommends Christ’s ethic of love. If persons sue you and want to take your coat, Jesus said let them have it—the coat that is. Here the message is one of compassion, turning the other cheek, loving ones enemies, or doing good to those who persecute us. All of these attitudes or behaviors are aspects of the Christian ethic and should be lived. But these injunctions are not absolute for every circumstance and do not displace other passages of Scripture in which Paul, for example, cites his rights as a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37-40) or in which government is ordained by God to secure order, liberty, law, and justice (Romans 13).

Nowhere in Scripture does it say Christians may never sue. It says we should not sue for frivolous personal matters outside what can be handled amongst believers. Scripture says we should bless those who seek to harm us and not seek vengeance. It says we should, as much as possible, live at peace with one another. But this is not always possible even when we behave wisely, so Scripture indicates we may employ duly appointed governmental means to overcome evil.

I thought about this matter a few years hence as I watched in shock the unbelievable number of people who came forward attesting to the abuse done them during their childhoods by Catholic priests. It was and is a sickening story.

I’ve been thinking about this matter again recently as I’ve watched a grievous case in which a Christian perpetrator harmed many people via actions now long ago and long hidden and, it appears, actions at least in part known, mishandled, and covered up by a Christian organization.

Deciding whether to seek justice (not vengeance) via civil lawsuit is a complex matter. What’s right or best to do is not always unambiguously spread before you.

I thought most victims of priest abuse acted responsibly when they pursued class action lawsuits seeking not simply money but truth and justice. Since I am not privy to all details on the recent story I cannot say I know exactly what the harmed should do. They will have to make this decision based upon their evaluation of how the Bible calls for us to integrate truth, justice, and grace in our lives. In any event, I believe Christians sometimes must sue and can be biblically justified in doing so.

Details: Written by: Rev. Ryan M.; Published: 04 April 2011

Thanks, Rex, for a great blog. Thanks in particular for your leadership on the subject of gambling's folly. Consumer Reports just posted something interesting and related on one of their blogs: http://news.consumerreports.org/money/2011/04/before-buying-a-ticket-check-your-odds-of-winning-the-lottery.html

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