Stumbling Blocks (Part 3)

On Monday, we looked at examples of close relationships (e.g. husband-wife, mother-son, mentor-mentee, etc.) that ultimately resulted in one party leading the other astray. Today, let's delve further into one of those relationships.

Take Jesus' relationship with Peter.

Peter was Jesus’ right-hand man (Matthew 16:15-19). He was a strong, devoted, loyal friend to Jesus. But Peter was also flawed. Just a few short verses after praising Peter, Jesus rebukes him (Matthew 16:23).

At first glance, it might seem as if Jesus was being harsh. Peter simply loved Jesus, so much so that he didn’t want to see Jesus suffer. But Peter’s wrong perceptions skewed his understanding of Jesus’ purpose, and ultimately opened the door for Peter to be used by the enemy to create a potential stumbling block for Jesus.

In Matthew 16:23, Jesus tells Peter, “you do not have the concerns of God in mind, but merely human concerns.” And therein lies the rub. The fact is, we’re all human. We all make mistakes. We all have flawed understandings and perspectives. We also get caught up in "merely human concerns," just like Peter. And this is the reason why we can’t rely on our friends or relatives to give us sound advice. We're all susceptible to "Matthew 16:23" type moments.

So, remember, just because someone is close to you, doesn’t mean they know what’s best for you. And just because someone wants what’s best for you, doesn’t mean they know what’s best for you. God’s perspective is always right. Seek His perspective before you seek anyone else’s.

God bless,
J.W.

Stumbling Blocks (Part 2)

The other day, I was reading an article entitled “Being Too Busy For Friends Won’t Help Your Career” by Neal J. Roese, a Professor of Marketing at Northwestern’s School of Management. The article was all about how friendships can not only help enhance one’s life but they can also help advance one’s career. For the most part, I agreed with the contents of the article. But one part in particular caught my attention and gave me pause.

Towards the end of the article, Professor Roese presents 5 pieces of advice to make friendships more meaningful. One of those pieces of advice was to “ask for your friends’ perspectives.”

None of those pieces of advice included asking for God’s perspective FIRST (or at all).

This is a hugely important omission because we see examples in the Bible where folks in close relationship with others can steer them astray. Eve enticed Adam to sin (husband-wife relationship). Delilah masterminded Sampson’s demise (boyfriend-girlfriend relationship). Rebecca conspired with Jacob to steal Esau’s inheritance (mother-son relationship). And Jesus had at least two of his disciples (Peter and Judas) challenge Him to abandon his purpose (mentor/friendship relationship).

At the end of the day, we need to be careful who we listen to. Just because someone is close to you doesn’t mean they know what’s best for you. Likewise, just because someone wants what’s best for you doesn’t mean they know what’s best for you.

Seek God’s perspective FIRST. Your friends may either confirm it or contradict it, but at least you’ll be clear what the proper perspective is.

God bless,
J.W.

Stumbling Blocks

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy..." ~ John 10:10

The Bible uses very aggressive language when it talks about the enemy's mission. See John 10:10 above - steal, kill, destroy. But it's important that we know that while the enemy's goals are aggressive, often times, his tactics are not. The Bible tells us to stand against the devil's "schemes" (Ephesians 6:11) -
schemes invoking thoughts of subtlety, deception, and discreteness.

In Matthew 16:23, Jesus describes Satan as a stumbling block. Think about that. A stumble doesn't completely knock you out or even take you off your feet. It certainly doesn't steal, kill, or destroy you. But it does slow your progress and distract you. It may even cause embarrassment, humiliation, and shame. More importantly, it knocks you off balance, making you susceptible to even stronger attacks.

So often, as Christians, we only recognize the enemy's "steal, kill, and destroy" attacks. But we must remember that, more often than not, he simply tries to get us to stumble first.

So watch out for those stumbling blocks!

God bless,
J.W.

P.S. If you like this post, please feel free to share it with friends and family. I'll be writing more soon.