Sarcasm

"I know sarcasm is really the only time people tell the truth." 

-Propaganda (www.humblebeast.com)

"Thanks for the Christmas card you sent me, Violet."

"I didn't send you a Christmas card, Charlie Brown."

"Don't you know sarcasm when you hear it?!"

-from Charlie Brown Christmas

"You see, that is the sad, sorry thing about sarcasm: it's really funny." -Brandon Sanderson

"I'm sorry. I use my rapier wit to hide my inner pain." -Cassandra Claire

_________________________________________________

What is sarcasm anyway? Have you ever looked it up in the dictionary?

Sarcasm - 1. A sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain.

2. A mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, or often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual.

The word sarcasm comes from the Greek word "sarkasmos", which literally means "to tear flesh."
(Merriam-Webster's Dictionary)

So what are we doing when we are being sarcastic? We are doing it to spite someone. We are putting them on a torture rack and are tearing at their flesh. When Jesus talked about "loving your neighbor as yourself," I really don't think he meant, "Use sarcasm against them as often as possible!"

Sarcasm is really not love at all. When are we sarcastic the most? It is usually in gossip. We say some snide remark about someone under our breath, like, "Oh great, look who just showed up! On time as always, right?"

Sarcasm is a quick and easy way to deal with pain. You feel hopeless and that there is no help for you, so the best way to cope with it is to just laugh about it. A lot of the talk about politics has sarcasm written all over it. Politicians make laws and someone constructs some "witty" cartoon bashing that politician to pieces.

Sarcasm is a means to cope with the blood pouring out of our broken hearts. You know that snarky, kind of annoying co-worker of yours who keeps making snide remarks about men? What do you think her story is? She had a husband once. He would come home every night drunk. He would hit her and call her stupid, ugly and fat. Every night it was the same thing, and every night for five years this woman cried herself to sleep. Finally, she mustered enough courage to hire an attorney and divorce him.

So what is my point? We don't need sarcasm, people. Let's dump her and never call her again. Instead of using snarky, snide remarks as a fig leaf of shame behind our sin and brokenness, let us talk to God about it.

Have you ever done that? Just talk to God: venting to Him, crying to Him? It's humbling doing that because you feel filthy. Things come out of you: anger, shame, resentment....SIN.

The Bible talks so much about people doing that so beautifully. They come to God in tears and ashes, and God gives them comfort, forgiveness and freedom.

Do you think that is possible for you? 

Part 1: A Roman Jail Cell

Imagine for a moment that you're sitting in a Roman jail cell. It's dark and human feces is all that you smell. You're on trial and you have no idea what will happen tomorrow. You could either be released with no charges or beheaded. On top of that, you can't even get a moment alone in peace to reflect and pray about it because chained to you is a very scary looking and bitter Roman guard.

Wouldn't you feel afraid? Wouldn't you feel miserable? Wouldn't you feel hopeless? I mean it only makes sense, right?

That wasn't at all what this man named Paul was feeling as he was penning his letter to the Philippians. The opening line immediately said, "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy." (Phil. 1:3-4)

He later wrote, "Now I want you to know brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else, that I am in chains for Christ." (Phil. 1:12-13)

Then again he said, "Yes, and I will continue to rejoice...For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Phil. 1:18, 21).

Paul was making the most of his opportunity. Even though he was separated from dear friends who he loved so much and probably would not ever see again, he was remembering and praying for them with a smile on his face.

Even though he never had time alone with God and was chained to a bitter Roman guard 24 hours a day, he used that opportunity to talk to that guard about the true hope he had in Jesus. It then made sense at the end of the letter when he wrote, "All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household." (Phil. 4:22) People were coming to Christ because he was calling this illusion of a tragedy what it really was: an opportunity.

And even though he had no idea what tomorrow would bring, he was holding on with every fiber of his being to the reality: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I desire to depart and be with Christ, but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body." (Phil. 1:21-24)

If he were to be released, it would not mean continual selfish indulgence in fleeting pleasures. It would mean fruitful labor for Jesus: continuing to do what God called him to do. If he were to be executed, it would mean seeing His beloved Savior face to face.

All that mattered to this smelly prisoner was Jesus. It wasn't the comfort of a warm bed, it wasn't great social status, it wasn't financial security, it was Jesus.

The deepest sorrow is not the sorrow of harsh circumstances, but the sorrow of not knowing and resting on the God of the Universe. Paul got that, and since he had Jesus to rest on, he was certainly not being in sorrow. He was saying, "Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance." (Phil. 1:19)

Stay tuned for Part 2....

Showing Love Through Love

Amy and I, Valentines Day 2012

Where has this guy been? 

Truth be told...Life has been busy yo. This has been a season of chaos, and of restoration. It's a beautiful mess, and I both love and hate it.

So let me talk about something I love, or should I say, some one. Her name is Amy.

Now, if I could be honest about my past, especially in the area of romance...I'm not proud of it. I'm extremely ashamed about the wounds I inflicted.

However through Amy, God has said to me one thing: 

"STEVE, YOU ARE NOT THAT MAN."

When Amy first met me, I was like Naomi in Ruth 1:20 when she said, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me." I was bitter, tired, worn out, upset and confused. I still am, too. I do not feel like good company sometimes, and I've told her that. Her reply blew me away: "Steve, I don't see you like that, I see you like you."

Our relationship for me has brought up many wounds in my heart about the past -- bitter memories and regrets -- and over and over again, Amy has reminded me of this truth. "That is not you." 

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. 

The old has passed away, behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The amazing thing about the Cross of Jesus is that on it was nailed every sin of every human who trusts in Him, whether past, present or future. The Christian walk starts and is maintained by that essential truth.

IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS!

In Jesus, God looks at us and all we offer with a nod of approval saying, "Enough!" because Jesus' offering is what completes us, makes us whole and makes us clean.

In Jesus, we are new. We have a new heart, and a new nature. We have a deep desire saying, "Yes" to Him and "No" to sin.

In Jesus, it's not just about following laws and rules, it's about following Him. It's not just about living a holy life, it's about looking at Jesus as life, because HE is the one who first makes us holy.

In Jesus, there's no condemnation, no shame, no running, and no hiding behind fig leaves and fake smiles. There's just life, love, forgiveness and acceptance.

In Jesus, nothing separates us from the warm embrace of the God of the universe -- no angel, no demon, no sin, and no lie.

This is the truth: His name is Jesus. He is crazy in love with us, and He has made us whole.

The Big Year

Do you like birds?

The Big Year is a movie about three men entering a bird competition: Brad Harris (played by Jack Black), Stu Preissler (Steve Martin and Kenny Bostick (Owen Wilson).

In the movie, Bostick held the world record for most birds spotted in a single year: 732. That’s a lot of birds!

Meanwhile, Brad, a single divorced guy who lived with his parents, decided that he was going to set off to beat that record. Also, Stu, a CEO of a Fortune 500 company decided to retire so he can pursue winning The Big Year as well.

Throughout their adventure, Brad and Stu meet and form a tight bond over what they love. Brad helped old Stu feel younger again and Stu helped poor Brad stop going into debt over travel expenses. Stu even helped Brad get closer to his dad and meet a special bird-loving young lady.

As the competition progressed, their desires for birds was overcome by a desire for true happiness in their love lives, families and friendships with one another.

Bostick, however, was a different story.

He was no-holds barred and did whatever it took to maintain his title, becoming so consuming that he pushed away everything, even his beautiful wife Jessica. He shattered his record and walked away with another Big Year title, but did it all alone.

The overall lesson communicated in this movie was that the simple pleasures of happiness and love are far greater than the pride of a title.

As people we can do the same thing. We believe this lie about life, that when we achieve a certain goal, then we will be truly happy. So we put everything on the chopping block: even our own families!

So in Matthew 6, when Jesus said, “Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear,” do you think he had a point? When he told that rich man to “sell everything and follow me” (Luke 18:22), do you think he was issuing him another challenge, or do you think He was trying to save that man’s life?

Wounds

"Wounds so deep, they never show, they never go away.

Like moving pictures in my head, for years and years they've played."

-from "Easier to Run" by Linkin Park

“I’m not sure that anybody who lived through that one hasn’t carried with him, in some hidden ways, the scars. Perhaps that is the factor that helps keep Easy Men bonded so unusually close together.” -Captain Richard Winters, from Easy Company, WWII

"Scars remind us that the past was real." -William Shakespeare

Do any of you remember those old cliche kung fu movies? They always start out in such a way where they show the hero as a baby with his family. Then the villain comes in and murders the child's family, burns down the house and it shows a dramatic scene of the baby crying alone in the dark.

Then for the rest of his life (at least in the movie), he is driven by only one desire: revenge. That festering wound in his heart became his identity. It was the only thing he desired: to see the man who killed his family dead.

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about wounds. We are a people who in many ways can let wounds define us. Many charities are started because of a person seeing a wound. Invisible Children, for example was started because this group of guys stumbled across a remnant of African orphans running from child soldiers in Africa. They were dirty, hungry, and wounded in more ways than one. Seeing them so deeply moved them to action.

Our wounds can drive us. Sometimes certain wounds even from our past if they hurt us deep enough propel us forward in how we think of ourselves, others and even God. If we had festering wounds from an abusive father, seeing God as a loving Father is extremely hard for us.

But you know...God talked about wounds.

"But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed." -Isaiah 53:5 (NIV, emphasis mine)

Wounds we've experienced through hard times can define our entire lives. But then we see Jesus. He bore the wounds of sin, both physical with the cross and even more so spiritual with the wrath of God.

You see, when God looks at us as followers of Christ, He doesn't see the wounds from our past sins and sufferings, He sees the wounds of Jesus.

In Jesus, wounds bring on a whole new meaning. We can exchange our wounds for His....

Our wounds bring bondage, His bring freedom.

Our wounds bring suffering, His bring peace.

Our wounds bring chaos, His bring order.

Our wounds bring infection, His bring healing.

Our wounds bring sin, His make saints.

Our wounds are filthy, His are beautiful.

Our wounds show imperfection, His were perfect.

Let's make that exchange!

Weakness, Part 2

"Crying out reminds us of our dependence. Weeping leads us to reconnect with God. Our tears are sacred. They water the ground around our feet so that new things can grow."

-from Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell

"I hear the Savior say, 'Thy strength indeed is small. Child of weakness, watch and pray, find in Me thine all in all.'" -from "Jesus Paid It All"

Times like this when we are weak are some of the best times of our lives. When I say "the best", I definitely don't mean the most enjoyable. Let's face it, times of weakness are tough. They can make us depressed, bitter and want to punch things.

It's interesting how in the Bible, they tell us to "rejoice" when bad things happen.

Rejoice? Like throw a party? That's weird.

Okay, maybe not that far. Times of trial though can be amazing times of spiritual breakthrough. Paul in his letter to the Roman church said this profound statement about suffering: "suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (5:3b-5).

Hard times teach us things. Not as punishment, but definitely as discipline.

Maybe a hard time is a result of a particular sin in our lives that we've been consumed with and are avoiding.

When Paul was writing that verse I cited in the previous post, God was teaching him about a flaw of his called boasting. In that verse he described a specific "thorn in the flesh", though he never said what that thorn actually was. It was something that Paul frequently cried out to God for release from.

Do you have a thorn?

Constant back pain,

significant debt,

a physical illness that just won't go away,

a cloud of depression and sorrow over your head,

unemployment,

doubts about God,

insufficient funds,

car troubles,

no friends,

horrible "friends",

constant criticism,

no food,

parents who filed for divorce,

someone close to you passed away,

________________. <--------Fill in the blank

Maybe God is actually trying to teach you something.

Maybe God is actually trying to tell you, "I miss you."

So many times people say it's hard to cry out to God when bad things happen. You know what? I disagree. It's easy to cry out to God. It's easy to tell Him at the very least how mad we are at everything, how confused we are, how broken we are.

When I look back at old journal entries I wrote, some of my most beautiful prayers to God were during some really bad days.

Bad times cause us to be vulnerable. They show us that we are weak, that we can't do this life without the strong hand of God in it.

They humble us.

They show us that weakness is the best place to be.

Weakness is where we should always be.

So, Child of Weakness, as you can't walk.

As life hurts.

As you ache.

As you cry.

Remember you're in a very beautiful place,

The place where you were meant to be:

inside the Everlasting Arms of God.

And He will never, ever let you go.

Weakness, Part 1

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

-2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Two summers ago I had a partial tear in my soleus muscle, which is a muscle located just behind the knee on the outer side of the leg. It caused me for much of the summer and autumn months to be off my feet. I was told that I didn't need surgery, but the only thing that would heal my injury was physical therapy and time.

So I waited.

And stretched.

And waited some more.

I remembered certain thoughts crossing my mind: "Am I ever going to get out of this? Will I ever run again?"

I felt weak.

As a man I don't like feeling weak. I like feeling strong. I like feeling tough. I like working hard and being active. I like it when my hands are busy, I like it when I'm laboring with others. However I have found times when I want to labor, but I can't.

Lately I have been feeling like I am in one of those seasons again. A season of weakness. I remembered feeling joy of ministry, feeling excited to serve, excited to see God move.

Not as much right now.

Ministry for me these past two years at EDGE Corps has caused wounds to be revealed. Some were inflicted during my time doing it and others were ones there the whole time, I just never paid attention to them. Wounds of guilt, shame, fear. Pains of stress and worry. Wounds of sins. Wounds of idols I was holding onto. Idols like having that "title".

"Hi I'm Steve Timmons, on staff with The Navigators."

That title feels so good. I wanted that title of ministry, of being in the spotlight, of being known, but now I'm questioning the heat of that spotlight. In many ways I'm even beginning to dread it and want to run away from it. That spotlight has also been causing me to ask a lot of questions, such as:

"Why do I believe what I believe?"

"Is the church really doing this ministry thing right?"

"Am I doing ministry right?"

"What does ministry even mean?"

"Is the church doing anything right?"

"Am I okay with Jesus?"

"Am I healed? Am I forgiven?"

"Am I in God's will right now or outside of it?"

"Does going to church really mean anything?"

"Is what that pastor saying really true?"

"What are my convictions on different issues?"

"Why do we Christians preach so much?"

"Why do Christians break promises?"

"Why do we have fake smiles all the time?"

"Am I doing ministry right?"

"Am I in a great place spiritually?"

"Is this even worth it?"

"Are people even listening to me?"

"Am I honoring God with everything?"

"Is God mad at me?"

It's funny how far off the beaten path the mind can wander sometimes.

Paul had a similar problem. He wanted strength again, he wanted freedom, but for some reason it wasn't happening. He pleaded, begged with God for release, but it never came.

Over these past two years I've had a lot of sleepless nights. I have been lying there in bed with my eyes wide open and my head spinning. I have cried out to God for release over and over, but it didn't come.

I want strength again. I want to stand on top of that mountain, feeling that Holy Spirit high.

So where is it? Where is that relief? Where is that strength? Where is that peace?

Stay tuned for Part 2.....