“When we read scripture, we have to think about whether the people who wrote it might actually have meant something by it. They did! They are talking about the reality of the kingdom of the heavens—the stone that was cut out without hands and is going to wipe out all the nations of the earth (Dan. 2:45) is already here! It is the stone that is the rock of offense and stumbling. It’s Jesus Christ himself, the Chief Cornerstone, and he is here. And if we’re not in touch with that, then we’re just going to be whistling in the dark like everyone else, scrambling around to make a good appearance of things, but not having a reality that gives us peace and strength. So we need to deal with that if we haven’t reached that place in our lives. We need help in making that our context. Now, once it’s made, then we’re going to be so different that people are going to look and say, “What’s going on there? How can you live like that?”

-Dallas Willard

I don’t know about you, but I need a “reality that gives us peace and strength.” Without understanding and appropriating that reality, I find myself off balance and confused by the different voices around me offering advice on the path forward.

But then I am reminded that Jesus promised that he will overcome the world. Jesus promised that He will be with me always, even when life is painful and confusing. As Larry Norman said long ago, “He’s the rock that doesn’t roll.”

In America, we like leaders who are bold, outspoken, and visionary (whatever that means). Come election time, we love to see candidates who can hold their own in debates even if they are brash and/or abrasive. It seems that we elect leaders who are ready to charge forward; we don’t need or want any hesitation or thoughtful deliberation. If you doubt this assessment, just look at who we have elected President in the last several elections.

It seems that the people of Corinth had similar taste in leaders. In his first letter to the people of Corinth, the Apostle Paul addresses multiple ways the surrounding culture was having a negative effect on the church. One of those effects was how they went about choosing leaders.

Rather than being dependent upon God and looking to Him for how the church should be run, they relied on competition and debate to be the basis on which leaders were chosen.

Paul addressed this by describing himself as a leader:

“And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstrati on of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 2:3–5, ESV

I wonder if any pastor in America has used these verses in his resume. They don’t speak of personal vision; they don’t speek of personal drive; they don’t speak of skills in oratory.

They do speak about a sense of complete trust in God and they do speak about an acknowledgement of complete dependence upon God for a good outcome.

Church people, are we looking for leaders that trust God and are looking to Him for guidance? Are we looking for leaders who acknowledge their dependence upon God? Are we looking for leaders who will demonstrate what it looks like to walk in complete dependence? Are we looking for leaders who have the attitude of Paul in the verses quoted above? Are we looking for leaders who can honestly pray this prayer of the Psalmist?

“As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!”

Psalm 40:17, ESV

There is nothing wrong with the preacher being skilled in crafting and delivering a sermon. There is nothing wrong with a leader who can articulate a vision for what God is leading a congregation to do.

But his preaching must be focused on communicating God’s truth while acknowledging that it is Jesus who promised to build his church.

It is not the responsibility of the leaders to grow the church. When we take that on, we are usurping God’s power and it will not end well. It never does.

But, we need to apply this to our personal lives also. Do I walk every day acknowledging that I am completely dependent upon God? Do I have a sense of desperation to hear from God through his word so that I might be guided by Him on a minute-by-minute basis? Am I more likely to debate rather than pray about an issue?

When we look at it from Paul’s point of view, weakness and fear become strengths because they drive us to seek God for guidance and power to live out what He calls us to do.

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I have heard it said that at any given moment, a person is in a period of suffering, has just come out of a period of suffering, or will soon be entering a period of suffering.

As Christians we understand that this is because we live in a fallen world, and we, as part of that world, are also fallen and in need of restoration.

The Bible has a lot to say about suffering and how God uses it as part of his plan for bringing us into deeper relationship with himself. For example, in my daily Scripture reading I found this:

“I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.”

Psalm 119:75–76, ESV

I was encouraged by the phrase, “in faithfulness you have afflicted me.”

It is not out of negligence. It is not out of malevolence. It is not because God does not care, that he allows suffering in our lives.

He is faithful even while we suffer.

The Psalmist wrote these words long before Jesus came and showed us the extent that God is willing to go to bring us into relationship with himself. To accomplish his mission of restoration, Jesus endured ultimate suffering on our behalf.

I am encouraged that the trials are not the end of the story. They are not the end because Jesus showed us that evil and death do not ultimately win. They are also not the end of the story because they are time bound and we are destined for eternity.

The Psalmist continues, “let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant.” I like that. There are lots of promises in Scripture in which we can find comfort. Here is one of my favorites:

“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

John 14:2–3, ESV

“When I feel self-righteous, it means I’m afraid. It’s a way to puff up and protect myself when I’m afraid of being wrong, making someone angry, or getting blamed.”

Brené Brown in Daring Greatly

Fear is a strong motivator. Unfortunately, it often motivates us to behavior that is either wrong or unhelpful.

As I listened to this quote in an audio recording, it really struck me about how much this applies to the church. I have seen self-righteousness in action in myself and in others. I have been hurt by it and have hurt others by it. It is never a good thing, so it should never be OK.

There are churches where self-righteousness in endemic in the system. Some display it to the point where the church is almost a caricature; I’m thinking of some of the “King James Only” type churches that rail against anyone who would use any other English translation of the Bible.

But in all of us, and therefore in all of our churches, we have an amazing propensity for responding in fear and therefore in self-righteous condemnation. I like that Dr. Brown linked fear and self-righteousness because this link seems to explain why we have a tendency to go there.

The Apostle John tells us,

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

1 John 4:18, ESV

So, I want to explore the idea that the antidote to self-righteousness is a better understanding of how much we are loved by God. We can experience perfect love which should, if we allow it to do so, cast out all our fear.

If I am fully convinced of how much God loves me, I won’t have to fear being wrong, making someone angry, or getting blamed. I can face those things without feeling devalued as a person.

In the context of church, if we are loved and loving perfectly, we won’t have to fear being wrong on some finer point of theology and have useless debates over non-essential issues. If we are loved and loving perfectly, we don’t have to fear being misunderstood or incurring the anger of the society around us. If we are loved and loving perfectly, we don’t have to worry about being blamed whether or not the accusation is true or false.

If we are wrong, we can repent, seek forgiveness, and move on to try to bring healing to the relationship. Self-righteousness, on the other hand, doubles down on the offence rather than seeking restoration.

If you are in any doubt about how Jesus represented God’s love for us, I suggest that you turn to the stories in Luke 15 where Jesus, to the chagrin of the Pharisees, represented God as a father, running to embrace his lost son.

The father cared nothing about his self-respect as compared to the desire to have his son back. The bare legs and undignified running of the father were more than outweighed by the opportunity to hug the son.

That desire to restore the lost relationship is what took Jesus to the cross.

“ . . . looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:2, ESV