Strength in Hardship

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” -Luke 22:31-32

This verse is sobering for a variety of different reasons. It was said by Jesus to Simon hours before he would deny even knowing Jesus. Take a walk with me through it.

“Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat” - Just like Satan wanted Simon, Satan wants us. He wants to “sift us like wheat”. He wants to wear us down, and not just with temptation and sin. He can also wear us down with busyness and a works-based mentality. A sobering quote that I heard once is, “If the devil can’t kill you, he’ll make you busy.” Satan wants to do anything he can to distract us from God, His plan for us, and to prevent us from sacrificing everything for Jesus.

Things get hard as a Christian, which is not really shared much in the mainstream American Christianity today. People say that God delivered us from harm (which He did), but that harm is of everlasting punishment and damnation. That harm is not always something like physical healing or deliverance from a specific addiction. It can be, but it not always is. Christianity is HARD. There is PAIN in walking with Jesus because there is an internal battle with sin that we war against. There can also be persecution from others. People can lose friendships and even lose ties with family through being Christians.

“but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail.” - What a wonderful thing to meditate on: Jesus prayed for Simon! Do you think that Jesus is praying for us too? I know He’s God, but He prays to His Father and is currently, as I’m typing this, interceding for me and every other Christian on this planet as they struggle through sin to get to Him.

“And when you have turned again” - I find such hope in that phrase! Jesus didn’t say “if”, but “when”! He knew Simon would turn back to Him after this brief time of failure and folly. He knew because He is God and He always knows the future, but He also knew because He is God and absolutely none of His plans can be thwarted! (Job 42:2)

“strengthen your brothers” - Jesus already gave Simon a job, even when He knew Simon was going to fail miserably. That’s like a manager telling an unfaithful employee, “Hey, I know you’re not going to show up for work tomorrow, but when you return the next day, I would like you to lead a training session for your co-workers.” I’m not saying you should skip work tomorrow, but isn’t that cool? Jesus knew what pain Satan was going to put Simon through, knew he was going to come back, and then gave Him a job as Peter, THE ROCK!

Are you going through a season where it is just REALLY HARD to follow Christ? The worship songs all sound the same, the pastor’s sermons sound the same, the Bible devotions sound the same, you space out in your prayer times, and you stumble over sinful thoughts and actions. Remember this promise: If you are in Christ, God will never, ever, under any circumstance let go of you (Rom. 8:38-39).

Driscollisms

My last full semester at ECSU, I took a course on writing poetry, which COMPLETELY changed my perspective on it. I now think poetry is pretty cool. One of my most memorable poems is one called "Driscollisms," which is a tribute to Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle (www.marshillchurch.org). He has probably been one of the most influential people in my life. His views on anxiety, family, Jesus being everything, manliness and marriage have been transformational to me. Is Mark Driscoll Jesus? No, definitely not. However he loves Jesus and Jesus has used his messages and example in a lot of ways in my life.

This poem is a "postmodern cento" (chen-toe), which is a bit of an abstract form of poetry. Basically the poet takes lines from a source like a movie, a book, fortune cookies, or whatever in no particular order and makes a poem out of them. So for this, I took lines from various sermons that Mark Driscoll preached. The students in my class took it pretty well and thought it was pretty hilarious, especially because they usually thought Christians were "very religious, and very serious. And I think that's funny!" (Driscoll). So anyways, here is the poem. Enjoy!

Driscollisms
Various lines from various sermons by Pastor Mark Driscoll

Howdy Mars Hill,
I’m sweating like Mike Tyson in a spelling bee
Just trying to put the “fun” back in fundamentalism
Have a little fun with yourself because you are a joke.
I believe the joy of the Lord is our strength, and it’s cheaper than meds.

What do you call a musician without a girlfriend? Answer: homeless.
You change now, little boy.
You shut up, you put your pants on, you get a job,
you grow up and maybe one day you can love a woman.
Does he do this all the time? Yes, that’s why they have security.

I’m just the big brother giving them a wedgie for Jesus. That’s my job!
Gentlemen, your goal is not to stand before God
and tell him what level you got to on World of Warcraft.
She’s hot! So is Hell! Run forest run!
Go and grill your Garden Burger…or repent and eat some ribs.

I’m gonna get some water because I feel like I’m gonna start yelling again…
Jesus can’t kick anybody in the nuts! That’s a sin!
That’s funny, unless you’re that guy.
Write that down in our handy dandy notebook, we just figured out Blue’s Clues.

Jesus watches you download porn, which is theologically correct and actually true.
DJ Jazzy Jesus: two turntables and a microphone.
He’s a little kid, but He looks like an itty bitty man.
Every kid cries. They can’t talk. They’re like, “There’s something warm in the back! AAAH!!!”
So yes, Jesus did number one and number two…perfectly apparently.

Religious folks didn’t like Jesus because they never got invited to any parties.
What do you do with religious types? Make fun of them. Jesus did! That’s Biblical!
Jesus killed 2,000 pigs…hope he turned them into bacon.
David did it, I can do it. It’s a sandwich.

Post-Jesus? That’s Pre-Hell!
I will go to Hell, and there will be beer, and it will be fun.
He’s faking it? He’s a faker?
Yes, but you have not seen the big red “S” on my chest: SAVED!
You’re a terrible person!
You are worse than you ever feared and you are more loved than you ever dreamed.
I love you, that’s why I yell at you.