They Just Don't Get It!

I was watching a Democratic Presidential candidate on TV news the other day as he was making some negative comments about our Vice President, Mike Pence.  Since taking the second highest office in the United States a few years back, I have come to greatly admire and respect this man who lives his faith with integrity and honor.

As I listen to the disparaging remarks, I could only sigh with disappointment as it was pretty evident that he didn’t quite have all his facts straight.  And to make matters worse… he seemed to totally miss the point that… to any evangelical Christian listening… he was simply embarrassing himself!

After turning off the television and walking out of the room, I began to think about all the people I have known and or interacted with over the years “who just don’t get it!”  Have you ever bumped into someone like that?  It seems like there has always been at least one individual amongst all the secular places I worked, the churches we ministered in or even within our circle of friends and family!

I saw it repeatedly in good meaning folks… or at least I hope their intentions were good… throughout the years of dealing with Piper’s sickness, especially in connection with our stand of faith.  Now I see it daily whenever I tune into any political news reporting on TV.  It’s like a news event occurs and then as you flip through the various channels, each network seems to be reporting on a totally different experience than what you saw!  Many times, I’ve caught myself shaking my head and saying aloud… “Huh?  That’s not what they said or what they meant!”  or “How in the world did they come to that conclusion?”

As I meditated on this subject yesterday, I suddenly remembered a comment that Jesus had made to His disciples when a question arose as to the understanding of His parables.  In Matthew 13:16-17 Jesus stated that “Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear.  I can guarantee this truth: Many prophets and many of God's people longed to see what you see but didn't see it, to hear what you hear but didn't hear it.” (God’s Word ©)

Those verses brought a quick “Ah-Ha!” to my lips but even more understanding ensued as I looked up the meaning of a few of the words in the original Greek.  Thayer’s explains that to “see” in this particular usage means “to perceive by the senses, to feel; to discover by use, to know by experience, while to “hear” would be “to perceive the sense of what is being said.”

The idea of discovering some truth by actual usage or experience triggered the memory of a statement that I had recently read in a book about the ministry of the Pentecostal General of our faith Smith Wigglesworth in the early 1900’s.  During a convention he asked and then answered a question about the increase of our personal faith.  He taught, “How is faith received?  By acting on that which you have.  If you act on what you have, your faith will be increased.  You can never increase your faith until you act.”*

Well, that statement hit home as I considered what the Apostle James said in James 2:20 “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” (EMTV)  And then in verse 22 “You see that Abraham's faith and what he did worked together. His faith was shown to be genuine by what he did.” (God’s Word ©) 

So, to me, all these verses point out a reason as to why some people “just don’t get it” especially when it comes to matters of faith.  It is because they refuse to put their faith to work in their lives.  Without faith it is difficult to see or hear the truth.  Through personal experience, I have come to see how the ever-increasing knowledge of God’s Word that is put into active use in your life, opens the door to discernment in almost every area and situation in life… both spiritual and secular.

I have interacted with individuals that have known Piper and I for most of our lives and still not know us at all.  I have had people in my secular work teams that always seemed to be at odds with everyone else because the never caught on to the program, and I’ve patiently endured ministry co-workers that just never caught onto the vision of what we were doing!

And you know?  If you’re anything like me, it’s hard to be around people like that!  So, what do you do?  Well… I’ve also discovered that many times its FEAR that inhibits people from taking action on the Word of God… especially with those who have a good knowledge of His Word.  And so, with that in mind… you LOVE ‘em past the FEAR for the Word also declares that “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear…” (I John 4:18 EMTV) 

Is it easy to do that?  Emphatically NO!  Will it work… YES… when mixed with lots of patience and long suffering!   You love them so much, so continually, and so without condemnation that they begin to draw that love inside until they see HIM in the light of HIS love for them… so much so… that they’ll release their FEAR and place their trust in HIM and HIS Word.  Then they’ll be set free and enabled to begin taking baby steps of faith!  Who knows… You could be the initiator of a miracle in somebody’s life!

Have a wonderful celebration of Easter and the Resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ this Sunday.  I hope that you have a terrific and meaningful gathering and fellowship around the memory of what HE did for us, and as you do, say with me… “I am expecting to love someone into taking actions of faith today… so that they can begin to get it!”


*Smith Wigglesworth, A Life Ablaze With the Power of God.  by W. Hacking, Copyright 1995 by Harrison House, Inc.  p71