Job 32:21
I will show partiality to no one, nor will I flatter any man; for if I were skilled in flattery, my Maker would soon take me away.

Proverbs 27:6
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

So seriously, being an American living in an international community I’ve been struck that not all cultures value flattery and political correctness the way ours does. We highly value “speaking positively” and whether or not it is actually true doesn’t matter as much as our skill at this hippy like “happy talk”. My devotions have drawn me to look for a biblical precedent for what my dad calls “blowing sunshine”. In the search I have found little support for it, but a strong theme to the contrary. Specifically Elihu in Job 32 seems to say that if he were in the habit of blowing sunshine he wouldn’t live very long… maybe you read it differently? That chapter sums this post up.

Speaking positively is important, but lets be careful not to so disproportionately exaggerate the positive that we basically end up lying. Have you ever seen some of the people that show up for American idol? They genuinely think they sing well and make a joke of themselves. Simon never ceases to be amazed at the delusions those people live in. Many are quick to point out that their friends think they are great. It is probably symptomatic of this aspect of our culture, we just want to be nice right? So tell someone something to make them smile even if it is a lie. I’ve done it, we all do it. Especially Americans.

Have you ever seen some poor guy walking around with a big hair sticking out of his ear, or something hanging from his nose? How about that guy with his fly down? Tell the poor guy to zip it up already. I remember one time a friend of mine was talking to me, but he had this one giant hair sticking out of his forehead like a unicorn horn. It was really huge. Without missing a beat I plucked it for him. He initially was a little shocked… but not long after he was trying, yet again, to woo the young lady he was interested in. I don’t think he ever did woo her, but the missing hair certainly helped his cause. How would you like others to treat you? Would you like them to notice it, ignore it, and leave you to look silly over and over?

In the church it gets exaggerated. My mom used to say, if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all. Kinda a contradiction of my dad. There is a place to be silent of course, but there are also opportunities to actually help someone. To make a difference. Does it always work? Nope. Sometimes it blows right up in your face. Especially when you “cast your pearls before swine”.

My Aussie friend was my hero the other day when he let me know about the food hanging from my mustache. A British friend mentioned that I am in the habit of speaking quite loudly when I am teaching, which probably explains why my throat gets so sore. … I kinda like that way better.

We Americans can get really bent out of shape, when we finally decide to put a hold on all of the sunshine blowing we proceed to dump every criticism we can think of back-to-back and just look plain silly. It really works much better if we just deal honestly on all occasions. Maybe just a little more?

Some Christians get this superstitious feeling that if we don’t do things just right we’ll somehow be punished or things will go bad for us. Or if things don’t go well we think “oh, what did we do wrong that God is mad at us.” In the case of reaping what we sow it may be true, but to create a Christian karma like superstition about it is just plain wrong.

I live in a place where many people work to improve their “karma”. They do rituals to earn favor from different deities. Marching circles around temples and stupas and idols so that some business deal will go well might sound crazy, but I really think it subtly exists in church too. There is a little biblical foundation for it, reaping, sowing, but … it is not karma. That is about consequences. Everyone, Christian or not, will experience consequences. Everyone, whether Christian or not will experience the grace of God. Being a Christian does not corner the market on good things. God gives the rain and food and all kinds of good things to all kinds of people. Not just Christians.

What kind of world would it be if only Christians had good things? What if only non-Christians or evil people suffered? It would be a mess. It would be contrary to the order that God has established.

I was sharing with someone how God has blessed me, and they countered with Shiva has also blessed them. This good karma marketing really doesn’t hold water. God gives everything that is good. Even if someone thinks it was Shiva, an idol in their back yard, or their financial savvy. Our job is only to point out the good and confirm that God is the source. Whether it is in our lives or someone else’s. Even when they aren’t Christians.

Matthew 5:43
43″You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Acts 14:16
16In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”

Psalm 126:5-6
Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.

Galatians 5:6
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we
will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

In the kingdom of God sowing seems to be the most difficult job. It is thankless, frustrating, and usually very discouraging. The scriptures warn us that to reap abundantly we must sow abundantly. However, I for one sure haven’t developed the stamina for that. Perhaps, that is the process we are in now… exercises that will produce stamina? We’ve noticed a difference. The stress that was initially associated with our times with locals seems to have weakened. The confusion of misunderstandings have lessened.

Recently I had the privilege to take a group of students to a remote area for several days. During that time we did a lot of different team building activities. One was called canyoning. I had not heard of this before more-less tried it. I was up for it, but really felt no need to do it. Adrenaline just doesn’t do much for me any more. Despite that, as the preparations were made, I found myself in one of the groups. I even tried to pawn it off… but alas I was going.

Canyoning basically means abseiling (repelling) down waterfalls. In this remote area the waterfalls are basically cliffs with a fire hose blowing down them. We dressed up in our wetsuits, helmets, and harnesses and headed off to the cliffs.

To make a long story short, it wasn’t as dangerous as it sounds. It sure felt that way with the water blasting by, or often into us. My point for bringing it up at all is just this. The sides of those cliffs were VERY slippery, the rope was wet and had much more friction than I had experienced (if you call a half dozen rock face descents experience) … it was just plain awkward. Everyone slipped and splatted into the cliff a few times, most everyone was freaking out every time a leech was even in view, and we really were pretty unsure if we could do it, especially when we came to the 45 meter drop, twice as tall as the other ones. Gulp.

Ministry is like that. Sowing is like that. It can be awkward. It can be scary. We’re not always convinced we can do it.

On that same trip we were invited to visit a very small church of locals. They said for the first half they’d do church and for the second we would. They were beautiful. I really love to participate with these folks worshipping God.

Then came our turn. My students are so awesome… I on the other hand was like a fish out of water. I was handed a guitar with 3 high E strings randomly placed. I was crazy enough to even try to tune it… WRONG… Once we accepted that we were acapellaing it I was hard pressed to come up with a song that would translate and be simple… I reached back to childhood Sunday school and we sang “This is the day”. How funny. They had sang it to us in their language, now we sang it in ours… It worked out… but I felt so awkward. So weird… just like a fish out of water. Then we sang and did the motions for “Lord I Lift Your Name on High”. We translated the verses… I said this is the message that we both believe. We are not so different in this way. We are brothers and sisters. A student was translating… it was weird. Super uncomfortable. He was having a hard time translating… I thought it was simple. :-\

After it was over my good friend who was helping with the trip said it went fine. He had warned me not to expect too much from the guitar even before I had gotten it. He pointed out that the young man who invited us was probably thinking that their church should be more modern… We may have actually shown him that they are right on track. I still felt like a goober.

I suppose we all have to splat into the wall a few times. We should just be glad it’s only our pride that suffers. Someone else might reap what we sow. That’s a reality too. If it is all tears, then all tears it is. God is in control, and He has said it is more blessed to give than to receive. Not only should we be willing to give until it hurts, we should let other people around us splat into walls without being too hard on them. That’s how we learn. I’m certain my good friend had lots of ideas, but he chose to say “you did fine”. That’s why I call him my good friend. He’ll get a chance to give me advice, but is wise enough not to dump it on me while I’m feeling all splatted on the wall.

Let us not give up.