Last time, we talked about the difference between judging (passing condemnation) and discerning (distinguishing good from evil; spiritual perception). If we adopt condemning mentalities, we invite God’s judgement on ourselves, because our hearts are hardened to God’s instruction and reproof. Discernment, in many ways, is the polar opposite of this: it softens our hearts to God, rather than hardening them.
I've been thinking a lot about these concepts in recent days. With the politics of the world undergoing radical shifts, it's going to become harder to maintain godly attitudes with respect to judging. There are some world leaders out there with truly abominable practices and mindsets.
Our human minds observe them as we might observe a train crash—horrified at what's happening but unable to turn away.
We might judge these leaders and their followers, sometimes with a sense of superiority and disgust. Though it's true that their behaviour is evil, it's imperative that we be careful to keep our own hearts pure. We are not immune to becoming corrupted ourselves.
When I was a little girl, my mother used to tell this story:
Imagine you’re walking in a snowy field. You’re bundled up, but—brr!—it’s cold outside! You want to warm up with a cup of hot chocolate, wrap your chilled fingers around that toasty mug, and hear the crackle of a fireplace as it melts your frozen toes.
There’s a coffee shop to your right, but a fence is in the way. The entire field is enclosed. To exit, you have to walk straight ahead to a gate. You start towards it but soon gaze to your right, enticed by the promise of things to come. A few minutes later, your eyes return to the gate.
In what direction will your footsteps be heading?
I can almost guarantee you will have veered off course. Your steps will have turned to the right—towards the coffee shop.
We always tend to walk in the direction our eyes are looking. This is just as true in the emotional and spiritual realms as it is in the physical one.
So the question becomes: do I want to become like those people with abominable mindsets and practices? Or, do I want to remain with my identity, mindset, attitudes, and actions firmly anchored in Christ?
In this, too, the Bible points the way forward:
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Hebrews 12:1–2)
I'm not saying we should bury our heads in the sand. I'm not saying that we should not speak up. I'm not saying that the world around us is not evil, or that we should ignore evil. What I am saying is:
We need to be careful about how we think about the evil. If we're not careful, it will infiltrate and influence our own thinking.
If we allow evil to enter our eyes, ears, and minds without any filter or boundaries between it our our precious selves, it’s bound to suck us into evil thoughts and deeds ourselves. For me, the only way to stop this is to strategically remove myself from focussing on the world when I feel myself beginning to slip. You may prefer a different method, but one thing is certain:
We all need to thoughtfully develop a strategy to help us remain pure and sweet in a world filled with such sourness and hatefulness.
Whatever your chosen method, it’s important for us to take steps now to prevent ourselves from becoming worn out later. If our threshold for noticing our own sinful tendencies is constantly being elevated, that's a problem.
Personally, I've decided to remove the news apps from my phone. I've decided to access the news only through the CBC website on our computer, and stop the doom scrolling. On my phone, I've installed the app for the "Good News Network", which shares news of good and delightful things happening around the world.
Your strategies might be different from mine. But I hope one thing will be consistent. We all must resolve to counter the unrelenting psychological siege that evil wages with an unrelenting response:
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks.
(1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)
Will you join me?
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