Will Davis Jr.'s Blog, page 88

Just Because Someone Quotes the Bible Doesn’t Mean He Knows What it Says

The Bible has become a favorite source of quotes for people in every conceivable corner of the political, social and theological spectrum. I recently heard the Bible quoted on both sides of the gay marriage and abortion debates. I’ve heard it used to justify child abuse, smoking dope, racism and even murder.

But just because someone quotes the Bible doesn’t mean he or she has actually read it or has any real idea of what it says. So, I have a challenge for all who are interested in knowing where the Bible actually stands on any issue–FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF. Don’t take anyone else’s word for it, including mine.  Do the biblical due diligence to know what the Bible says. It’s not rocket science. You can do it.

Here are some things to remember when trying to understand the Bible:

1. Read it. Don’t read what someone says about it, read it for yourself. Have you actually read the creation accounts or the Laws of Moses and the Ten Commandments? Have you read Jesus’ Beatitudes or the biblical teachings on sexuality? Don’t let people filter the Bible for you. Read it for yourself.

2. Don’t prooftext. In other words, never build a theology or moral view on one verse. Verses are written in a very specific context–a flow of thought with a specific audience in mind. The Bible wasn’t dropped down from heaven in a social vacuum. If you’re going to know what the Bible is saying about certain things, then you’ve got to do some work to get into the mind and culture of the writers.

3. Along those same lines, the best interpreter of the Bible is the Bible. Never pull just one verse out and stake your worldview, political stance or theology on it. If you think a verse is making a specific point, ask yourself what the rest of the Bible teaches on that topic. Read cloudy, difficult passages in light of clear ones. Build your moral, political and social views on the teaching of the Bible as a whole, not just one or two verses.

4. Acknowledge your presuppositions and then set them aside. Or said differently, go to the Bible naked and let it clothe you. We all have things we believe the Bible says and even things we want it to say. We go to the Bible looking to find support for our points-of-view. That’s a sloppy and dangerous way to deal with any document. Mature Bible interpreters will acknowledge that they approach the Book with a set of expectations about it. They may have things they desperately want the Bible to say. Be mature enough to set those wants aside and let the Bible speak for itself. Don’t be afraid of where it might lead you, for it will never lead you astray. The point of reading the Bible is not to get from it what you want, the point is to get from it what it actually says. And if you are mature enough to read it that way, then it is going to be constantly slamming into your cultural and worldviews.

Don’t be biblically illiterate and don’t be biblically irresponsible. Before you quote the Bible as a source or accept someone else’s view who does, do your homework. Read it for yourself.

Top Ten Things I Learned from My Mother

In honor of moms everywhere, here are ten things I learned from my sweet mother (who now lives in heaven).

To love Jesus
To pray before meals and before I go to bed at night
To treat a girl like she’s a lady
To always use ma’am and sir
To always say please and thank you
To NEVER, EVER, UNDER ANY CONDITIONS leave the toilet seat up
To put my napkin in my lap
To wash my hands before meals
To treat people less fortunate like they are royalty
To always be gracious, even when suffering terribly

Honorable mentions:

You just don’t go the hospital in cotton pajamas
It’s ok to make the firemen take off their boots and jackets before they come in your house, even if it is on fire
Being in hospice doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to die

Happy Mothers Day!

Hey Ladies, What’s Up with all the Skin in Church?

It happened again a few weeks ago. A woman showed up at our church for her morning of serving, worshiping, learning and fellowship with others. The only problem is she forgot to put on her clothes. I’m not saying that she was dressed too casually–casual is fine in church. I’m saying she was dressed provocatively if not downright scantily.

Her high end was way too low, and her low end was way too high. I’d say that she was wearing a postage stamp, but honestly a postage stamp would have been good compared to this. To say that she was distracting–at least to me–would be an understatement, and I’m pretty good at looking the other way.

So ladies, I need your help here. What’s going on with all the displays of skin that seem so common in our culture? Why would a woman dress that way, not just in church, but ever? Here are a few of my theories:

She’s not a believer, so she doesn’t know any better
She’s a believer, but she’s not really a disciple, so she doesn’t know any better
She’s insecure and wants to feel better about herself by showing how sexy/attractive she can be
She missed Paul’s and Peter’s exhortations to women to let their hearts, not their appearance, be what is attractive about them
She’s letting cultural trends, not her posture as a Jesus-follower, dictate how she acts

I know that by even writing such things I run the risk of being tagged with all sorts of labels, but honestly, I’m willing to take the risk.

Ladies please know that when you dress provocatively or flash a lot of skin at work, church, school etc., it has a negative impact on how men see you. Rather than making you more attractive to them, it actually makes you appear as more of an object instead of a person. It makes you look as if you don’t respect yourself. It cheapens you and makes you known for what you have or don’t have externally, not internally.

And ladies, the real you, the beautiful you, the priceless, eternal, made in the image of God, fearfully and wonderfully made you isn’t external and has nothing to do with your skin.

So cover up a bit. Please? We’ll all be better for it.

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. 1 Peter 3:3-5

About my new book Enough: Finding More by Living with Less, from the Library Journal:

A refreshing alternative . . . . Davis’ approach should prove instructive and helpful to the soul and the checkbook . . . . This should be required reading for many congregations and pastors as well as Christian families and couples.

 

The One Place It’s OK to be a Pushy Christian

Followers of Jesus are called to be meek (not weak), humble and self-effacing. We’re commanded to yield to others and listen more than we speak. And, we’re told to not exercise our authority even though we have the very power and authority of Jesus in us.

But there is one major exception, a place where we are supposed to be downright pushy–spiritual warfare. When it comes to opposing the devil and the powers of darkness, we are told to be assertive, authoritative and confident. We’re not to put up with any of the antics of the devil and to expose his lies and oppression for what they are. We’re commanded to invoke the name and blood of Jesus and to use the authority over our enemy (your enemy is never a person–it’s Satan) that they give us.

We are commanded to be men and women of prayer who give up meals, sleep, recreation and other opportunities so we can pray. And, we are expected to meet with other believers for the expressed purpose of praying together.

Finally, we need to get a little red in the mouth. (If you want to know what that means, you’ll need to listen to my message from this past weekend.)

For more on how to pray against the schemes of Satan, here are two great resources:

E.M Bounds–A Guide to Spiritual Warfare.

Pray Big: The Power of Pinpoint Prayers