‘Herod the Great,’ King of Judea in Jesus’ lifetime, is known for his great feats. His name seems a metaphor for natural man, not only trying to be better, but Something-the-Great! Such is the appeal of Joel Osteen’s newest book, “Break Out,” an appeal to break free of all limitations—truly footloose—and dream big.
Was this not the appeal of Satan to Adam, and then to Jesus. If they could only think ‘bigger’ and ‘better’ of themselves, what great feat they would have. Of course, it caused Adam to ‘get off on the wrong foot,’ leaving a foul foot print on each of us. Fortunately, he couldn't fool Jesus who said, “the ruler of the world has nothing in Me,” i.e., he can't find a foothold (John 14:30).
Someone has said, “It is a long road to the end of ourselves.” And when we get there, we will not have sore feet, as some might imagine, but ‘happy feet.’ One step at a time, we will walk in the good works He prepared for us (Eph. 2:10; 3:20), or in the homophonic language of this post, we will have “Great Feets.”
Last weekend the Spanish took to the streets to protest government austerity measures. Citizen reaction to austerity laws in Greece and Italy earlier this year was the same. In corporate context, austerity means cutting expenses and reducing services. No one likes austerity.
The word “austere” means to be without comforts or luxuries, connoting self-denial, self-discipline, asceticism. This week, the word “austere” took on new meaning when Altha and I visited a Greek Orthodox Monastery in the Sonora Desert. As soon as we arrived, we knew we had entered a set-apart place. We were handed a brochure which said: “Due to the sanctity of this Holy place we kindly ask that you respect the quiet and solitude of the Monastery while on the grounds.” We spoke with a young monk (from Seattle) who explained the monastic lifestyle as one refraining from worldly comforts and pleasures, so that without distractions, they might practice Christian disciplines and meditations to bring them closer to Christ.
Your first reaction may be to dismiss the ascetic lifestyle as aberrant and extreme, but single-minded devotion to Jesus is not something reserved for desert dwellers. Jesus’ life on earth and that of all who followed Him was austere. Jesus demanded singular commitment from His disciples. By leaving their nets and boats—their most valued things in life—they demonstrated the heart disposition Jesus was looking for. Why then, do we suppose, 20 centuries later, that following Jesus demands any less of us?
You’d have to be living under a rock not to know of Tiger’s scripted confession last week. A fellow blogger posted this question: “Who is Tiger Woods and Why Should I Care?” My answer: the “Tiger Affect.”
Do you remember the media brouhaha that was created when Brit Hume said Tiger needed to turn to Christianity to find forgiveness? (See my January 27 post) Well, in his carefully-worded 13-minute confession, Tiger explained that the root of his problem was not the Christian doctrine of sin, but the Buddhist philosophy of ‘cravings.’ (Buddhism teaches that craving for things causes an unhappy and pointless search for security.) By confessing that he had “stopped living by his [Buddhist] core values,” Tiger was rejecting Brit Hume’s exhortation to turn to Christ.
Effectively, Tiger is validating Buddhism, and putting himself on a par with the likes of Ted Haggard or Jimmy Swaggart—well known Christians who failed to follow their core values. This normalization of Buddhism is what I am calling the “Tiger Affect.” Allow me to explain.
American ‘evangelicals’ are moving away from the doctrine of “Jesus is the only way” so fast it makes your head spin. In a recent poll, 52% of American Christians agreed that religions other than Christianity can lead to eternal life. While Tiger Woods' actions have bruised his celebrity status, his confession of leaving his Buddhist values plays right into this ‘new’ American belief that all religions are the same. Because of his celebrity, people will be watching him. And if he succeeds (by the same self-discipline and will power he applies to his 'game') in overcoming his addiction, he may also succeed in convincing even more people that Jesus is not the only way: Buddhism works! This is the “Tiger Affect.”
How many times in your life have you regretted not exercising more restraint or self-discipline? How many ‘slip-ups’ or ‘blow-ups’ do you wish you could erase from your past? If you’re like me, probably more than you want to think about. But thankfully, every day “in Christ” is new. And today is a good day to renew your work-out routine—exercising self-control.
The word “self-control” comes from the Greek “strength,” meaning to "master one’s passions and desires.” Self-control is NOT the same as willpower. A strong will (will power) is a natural trait—some are inclined to it, while others are prone to passivity. These two natural traits result in, respectively, self-sufficiency or self-deprecation—neither of which is any help in fighting the enemy of our souls.
Since “self-control” is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23), it is indeed part of your new nature. Perhaps in your frustration, you have prayed for more self-control. But you will never possess any more of it than you already have! Our problem is not the “having” but the “using”—a spiritual muscle needing exercise. Not unlike muscles that are strengthened by stress (until they ‘burn’), every time you exercise self-control, you will feel the burn. But with practice, you will be stronger. And unlike an athlete who practices self-control to win a temporary reward, your prize is eternal” (1 Cor. 9:25; 1 Tim. 4:8).
Just yesterday, Altha and I drove into San Francisco for a pre-Christmas celebration, and after dinner, as I was enjoying a large calorie-fused chocolate ‘sundae’, I said: “Guess what I’m writing about in my blog tomorrow?—self-control.” We laughed, but oh, how timely! I am hereby reminding myself—and maybe you too?—of our need at the beginning of this holiday season to remember to exercise...self-control, that is.
