Have you ever just gotten all fired up and sick and tired?
Yep, Today is the day. I am sick and tired and it’s time to let ‘em have it!
It’s 1am and I woke up flaring. My heart’s on fire for the eyes of Jesus.
That is… My heart is on fire for the Good of the Good.
Most of us know the story of Jesus turning tables and driving out the money changers in the Temple. If you do not know that story, you can find it in different accounts here:
Mathew 21:12-13
Mark 11:15-17
Luke 19:45-46
John 2:13-17
Today this is my story. It is easy to be like Jesus here! I am angry at the blind and hard hearted. Jesus was angry at those with hardened hearts. And he showed them with a MIRACLE.
Mark 3:1-5
Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.
And so it is written(by me):
Another time, it was revealed to them through evidence based biblical counsel, by those who walk with Jesus: Male hierarchy, Twisting of power for better of self or some, toxic church messages that support sexual entitlement, are present and supported by many Evangelical ministries – And the people got angry. These people got sick and tired of the lies that support the hardened hearts and inner selfishness and called it out saying!:
- I am sick and tired of people who have written books and taught purity culture that has statistically been proven that it has hurt people and then they stand in front of their “fan base” and tell them “It’s just a book” – so which is it? Do you want credit for writing the book or do you want to throw the book out because it’s just a book? Please throw out the book(s)!
- I am sick and tired of people who think they are like they are some sort of transformed wife and take issue with US who stand with Jesus against hierarchy/male hierarchy and definitely male entitlement for sexual entitlement that they even admit to such a thing as “duty sex”.
- I am sick and tired of Pastors who write books that tell women they should send nude photos to their husbands so he isn’t tempted to wander.
- I am sick and tired of unqualified men who write books and think just because they were once sex addicts, they can write that it is ok to use your wife as your methadone and the Evangelical Church takes hold of this and makes it “Holier than though” because it benefits some and not all – mostly men and male entitlement who kick women to the sideline.
- I am sick and tired of people who all they can do is take, take, take, take and have no clue they are part of a cult as they encircle people and coerce them into their nasty world.
TAKE HEART!
THERE IS HOPE.
The Miracle response.
This year, our attendance in our pool has been at its lowest ever. We have been taken in other directions. Our plans were foiled and we decided to stay home and have a weekend in the pool. However, before we got to that, I decided that I wanted to take down a branch from a tree that has been getting ready to drop soon. It was easily a 6 inch wide branch. Before I got started, the last words from my wife were to be careful. I set the ladder, got the chain saw and explained to my youngest son the plan. I notched the bottom. I cut from the top and the branch slowly bent to the ground. My son started yanking on it and over the noise of the chain saw I told him to hold on. I then immediately began to cut behind my first cut so the branch would drop straight to the ground. However, my son thought pulling on the branch would take it away from me and the ladder. Instead as the branch came loose it swung over and hit the ladder and popped me straight in the air. I immediately start to fall down the ladder just like Clark in Christmas Vacation except facing the other way holding a running chain saw… duh duh duh duh duh duh… I extend the saw out away from my body with my right arm as far out as possible as I am falling… dud duh duh duh duh and because I have no control over what is happening I am squeezing the trigger of the chain saw and it is screaming at top end. As I finally hit the ground standing on my two feet for a split second, with the saw still screaming and the ladder falling behind me, I fell back to my left, keeping the screaming chain saw as far away from my body as possible. As my left hand hits the ground and can’t take the fall my left shoulder is next to break my fall. The chain saw slams into the ground. Somehow, I am able to slam the bottom of the saw into the ground keeping the saw blade parallel to the ground. The blade never touched the ground. As soon as I gain composure, I roll towards the saw and kill it. My injuries are sparse. A broken blood vessel in my left index finger and a rolled pinky toe and giant bruise across the bottom of my left foot. My plantars fasciitis loves this new added injury.
My son immediately apologized to which I replied that I was blessed. Then I had to TAKE OWNERSHIP of my failures in this event. I gave him the plan. However, I did not give him the full plan. I made assumptions that he had heard me say hold on. I made an assumption since he has helped me before, that he knew what to do. I was the leader of this event gone bad. Even though he pulled on the branch and shouldn’t have, I own the fact that I did not instruct my inexperienced son properly. I THANK GOD for being able to walk away from this. And now me and my son have a joke together and we can by the grace of God laugh – because trust me when I tell you, it wasn’t funny then.
What’s the point of all this?
Maybe it’s time we left ‘em have it!
Maybe it’s about the truth having its way. Let the chips fall where the chips fall. Or better yet, let the branch fall where the branch will fall.
Jesus was angry at hardened hearts. And He confronted them! He also restored what was broken. When we confront what is wrong, we still need to set our eyes upon ourselves and have to examine our own hearts.
Jesus got angry. He confronted hypocrisy. He confronted hardened hearts. He turned over tables. He called out religious leaders when they put rules, power, and self-interest ahead of people.
So yes, there are times when we need to be sick and tired.
There are times when we need to speak up.
There are times when we need to say, “ENOUGH!”
But there is something else I learned from that branch, that ladder, that chainsaw, and a very fortunate landing.
Before I start swinging the chainsaw at everybody else, I better take a look at my own hands.
I had a responsibility in what happened. I made assumptions. I failed to communicate. I was the leader. And I had to own my part.
That matters.
Because calling out someone else’s hardened heart while refusing to examine my own doesn’t look much like Jesus.
Jesus didn’t just confront.
Jesus restored.
He didn’t just expose what was broken.
He healed what was broken.
That’s the miracle.
And maybe that’s what I’m really fired up about at 1 a.m.
Not winning an argument.
Not getting even.
Not destroying somebody’s reputation.
Not proving that I’m right.
I’m fired up because people matter.
Women matter.
Men matter.
People who have been hurt by the Church matter.
People trapped in shame matter.
People who have been manipulated, controlled, used, silenced, or pushed aside matter.
And the Good News of Jesus is still GOOD NEWS.
So I’m still sick and tired.
I’m still going to call out what I believe is wrong.
I’m still going to stand up when I see people being hurt in the name of Jesus.
But I’m going to try to do it like Jesus.
With truth.
With courage.
With love.
With accountability.
And with a heart that is willing to examine itself, too.
Because the goal isn’t to “let ’em have it.”
The goal is to let Jesus have it.
Let Him have our anger.
Let Him have our outrage.
Let Him have our brokenness.
Let Him have our churches.
Let Him have our relationships.
Let Him have our stories.
Let Him have US.
And then watch what He does with them.
Take heart.
There is hope.
There is healing.
There is restoration.
And sometimes the greatest miracle isn’t that we walk away from the wreckage without a scratch.
Sometimes the greatest miracle is that God takes the wreckage…
and gives us a story worth telling.
That’s Jesus.
And that’s why I’m all fired up.