The CKC…the Carlsbad Karate Club, or Christian Karate Club?
“Meek is power restrained…” Josh has no idea what this means, but still he’s drawn to these men who are big, strong, and fast, who beat him around the dojo with ease, but with no ill intent. As he spends more time with them, he begins to understand how to be meek, but it may be too late as his life is in jeopardy from his very own best friend.
The CKC: Friends, Karate, Women and God. Not Necessarily in that Order.
“Don’t Judge me!” is the common refrain from people who know they’re doing wrong,
I won’t judge you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have an opinion. Because that’s really what people are saying, “Don’t have an opinion that I don’t agree with and makes me feel bad.” They frame the argument using the biblical “Judge not lest you be judged,” putting god-fearing Christians on the defensive, thinking they can’t express their opinion because it will be judgmental. But judgement is not opinion.
I can’t help but have an opinion about almost everything I see. I discern, and that discernment creates an opinion. If I see a rock, I form an immediate opinion about it (is it beautiful, ugly, useful, dangerous, in the wrong place, etc.). And when I see someone’s behaviour, I also form an opinion. I may not agree with how you act, or how you live. And there’s an outside chance I may even tell you, if it’s appropriate and useful for building you up so that it may benefit those who listen (Eph 4:29).
But that’s not judging. To judge is to condemn, and that’s not under my purvey. I don’t have the ability to condemn, only God has the ultimate say in condemnation.
I won’t judge you, and I won’t condemn you.
But God will.
So stop being defensive, selfish and arrogant. Seek God’s forgiveness and remove the imminent judgement that awaits us all.
And once you’re out of the shadow of condemnation, you might find the opinions of others less judgmental.
When I was young, I worried about pollution (having been shown gradeschool movies of factories spewing debris into rivers & sky)…
I worried about Killer bees, which were slowly making their way to america….
I worried about the whales, and their inevitable extinction.
I worried about the oil that was projected to run out in my early adult years…
and nuclear proliferation…
I worried about earthquakes, especially the “big one” and about California sinking into the sea.
I worried about water, Snowpacks and droughts, and how we’ll ever have enough water with growing population.
when I grew up, I worried about the national debt,
I worried about state budgets, and our city budgets and funding of pension liabilities.
I worried about School budgets…
I worried about my own budget.
I worried about Social Security going away.
But you know what? All that time and wasted energy spent worrying has amounted to nothing. Everything seems to work itself out…
More oil has been found, water has continued to fall from the sky, and those killer bees even arrived with little fanfare.
Why are we made to worry about so much? Especially about things beyond our control…to whose benefit is all this worry? Worry creates uncertainty, and desperation…and when people are uncertain and desperate they accept the bromides and easy answers that they’re sold. Worry is a tool of control.
But I’m done.
With clear eyes, I look back on my days and see that every single moment I’ve been alive, every second of every day, God has provided. I’ve always had food, clothes, shelter, safety, the love and caring of a family, friends…all this and much more than I can ever count.
So I will trust God, and not give credence to the hysteria of the world. I’ll use my God-Given insight and wisdom to know what I should be concerned about, and I’ll ask God for guidance, strength and his continued blessing. I won’t be controlled.
I’m done.
There was a Father with two young boys. He loved those boys and took care of their every need, even to the point of abundance.
The father found a supply of wood, and paint and wheels and other materials with which the young boys could build something of their choosing. So he put the materials in the garage where the two boys loved to play. Each boy discovered the trove of materials and quickly set about working, each independently. After a week of grueling effort, of building and tearing down and re-building, after fingers were smashed with hammers and knees were bruised from kneeling, finally the finishing touches were added that made each item a unique, personal expression of each boy. There in the garage were two well-made go-carts – – one was forest green built by the younger boy, and the other was a canary yellow car built by the older.
“Look what I did,” declared the older brother, to anybody who would listen. The Father nodded in appreciation at the finished go-cart. “I thought of the shape and I took the wood and cut, and sanded, and pieced them together. Then I added the wheels and tested the bearings to make it the fastest it could be. And I painted it my favorite color, the color of the sun that shines on me like a spotlight, and I put my favorite number on the front, and my initials on the back so whoever I pass in a race will know it was I who passed them. I’m going now to show it off to all my friends so they will know what a good builder I am.” Again, the Father nodded in recognition of the effort.
“Look what I did with the materials you gave me!” exclaimed the younger brother. “I wasn’t sure what I would build, but I knew that it had to be something on wheels since you included them with the other stuff. I designed it and carved the pieces and put them together. I painted it green to match our house and put our family name on the back so everybody will know who we are. Thank you Father for giving me this wonderful gift! Let’s go race it!”
The father embraced the young child and said, “I am so proud of you! Go on and show your friends, race your go-cart and enjoy! I’ll be along presently.”
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This is how I see pride, and the difference between a healthy pride and sinful pride. A sense of accomplishment, a feeling that fills you with joy or unabashed appreciation is not wrong. It’s only when we don’t acknowledge God’s hand in our lives, only when we attribute our success, accomplishments, etc. to our own doing that pride becomes sinful. God wants us to marvel at our achievements, since he’s involved in all our efforts, believers and unbelievers alike. He’s involved before we begin, involved during the process, and involved at the end. He does not want to be cut out from the event, from the celebration of the achievement. He’s in it with us. He wants us to share the moment.
We should seek the gifts god has given us, we should develop them, we should maximize their full potential. And we need to celebrate God’s glory, God’s generosity, God’s providence, God’s love and guiding hand. We are informed by God’s power and grace. Remember it and recognize it.
Be proud.
I hear the mockers of Christians often react to somebody who makes a religious gesture after achieving some success (i.e. pointing to heaven after scoring a touchdown), scoffingly declare, “yeah, like god really cares who wins this game,”…or if we invoke God nationally, like in regional conflicts, then they say “sure, God is only on our side of this war, as if the other side aren’t asking God for the same thing.”
Recognizing God in our lives doesn’t preclude God’s presence in the lives of those we compete with. The point is, whether we achieve or fail, the clear-eyed person will recognize God’s presence in every event of our lives. God doesn’t guarantee success, even if we humbly ask for it. But he does promise to always be with us.
Recognizing God is an act of humility, not an attempt to claim God for our very selves to the exclusion of others.
It’s refreshing to see, when those who deny God seek only to enhance and celebrate themselves.
S.M Vigil 