~EMBRACING YOUR JUDAS~ Jesus called his disciples—including Judas, whose blatant and premeditated betrayal soon followed—“friends.” Unlike you and me, who generally believe in trusting others until they give us a reason not to, Jesus trusted Judas unabashedly and wholeheartedly—knowing Judas would be the start to His finish. When I start to come down on myself about my gullibility and blind trust for people—treating enemies and acquaintances alike as friends—I remember this about Jesus: He called Judas a friend. With that said, I have no regrets, but I do have some knowledge and learned-the-hard-way experience that may be able to help someone who reads this, so I’ll share. A few weeks ago, God gave me a vivid illustration of friendship. Other than forgiveness, I believe friendship is one area in my life, personally, that God wants me to master. Let me try to paint a picture for you. Imagine that you’re a boxer in a boxing match. The metaphor here: this boxing match is your life. The Audience This group is comprised of all your “acquaintances.” They are first in line to buy front-row seats. Don’t be fooled—you don’t have a relationship of any substance with anyone in this group. This group doesn’t really care whether you win or lose—they just want to see a good fight and be so close the action that they can smell your sweat*. (*This can be replaced with tears; even blood). Lesson: Acquaintances, though ultimately insignificant to us in the long run, are still important—they give us infinite opportunities to exercise the fruit of the Spirit: love, kindness, gentleness, goodness, and the list goes on. After all, it has been said, “Character is how you treat those who can do nothing for you.” Corner Men “Stay low.” “Use your right hook!” “Play on his weakness!” “Listen to your corner!” These—needless to say—are your REAL friends. Their sole purpose is to do everything in their power to help you win the fight. They quench your thirst when you’re dehydrated, and they give you wisdom when you are too emotionally involved to be rational on your own. Even when you don’t take their advice—whether intentionally or unintentionally—they never leave your side. They’re there, round after round, win or lose, until the end. Your “corner men” encourage you, uplift you, and condition you. They are loyal and keep your best interests in mind. They are “in your corner” when you’re in the spotlight, and they’re with you when the notoriety has vanished. They’re in it for the long haul—period. Will you at some point (or in my case, points) in your life disappoint, offend, or hurt your corner men? Absolutely. Will there be knockdown drag-outs between you and your corner men? Let’s be honest here—of course! As if a boxer and his corner men don’t have it out behind the scenes! But they never turn their back on each other. They are a united front, and it’s them against the world. What separates this group from the audience and the opponent is simply forgiveness and acceptance. This person(s) understands they too need forgiveness and acceptance and thus are the epitome of Jesus’ definition of friend. They don’t just talk the talk; they walk the walk—and do it gracefully (not perfectly). Lesson: No matter how much you think someone can work their way from the crowd (or audience) to your corner, they can’t. And oftentimes, you’ll reap the consequences of allowing this to happen. If a person exudes an overzealous amount of effort to prove to you that they “belong” in your corner as opposed to the crowd, 99 percent of the time, they have ulterior motives. Your Opponent This is your enemy—the person who literally makes hurting you an art form. He or she wants nothing more than to see you fall right on your face and has no remorse. The person who deceptively shakes your hand before and after the fight, pretending all is well. The most perplexing and paralyzing “opponents” are those who, at one time, were in your corner. Being that we serve a God who loves us more than we could ever imagine, God uses even our enemies to make us better. Ironically, God uses our enemies strategically, to sharpen and refine us. He uses what our enemies mean for evil to restore and renew us. Their unruly fire fueled by jealousy, hatred, and wrath will always be thwarted by God Himself. Lesson: You are not God. Don’t play God. God is a big God. God is One you want in your corner; not as an “opponent” (and best believe, He can be both). The person who allows God to do the fighting for them—instead of taking things into their own hands—is the winner. The loser thinks they know better than God and can handle things better than He can. Judas Iscariot had this same mind frame. Be wise. Keep Him in your corner by following the rules of the ring. Low blows disqualify you!!! Some things to remember about Judas: · He was a loyal apostle · The other 11 disciples trusted him and yielded to his influence · Nobody, including the disciples, suspected that he was a sell-out · Probably the most educated of the 12 disciples · He had tact, ability, and patience · He was a sore loser and lacked humility · He had exaggerated ideas of self-importance Pre-betrayal Judas was a lot different than the Judas we think of today (the man Satan vicariously puppeteered). He was a good person. He was a trusted disciple. He was brilliant. He had faults like we all do—he was a sore loser, probably leaned on his own understanding as many educated people do—he was, in essence, a “normal” person. What does this tell us? That unless we ask God for discernment and wisdom, we may never know whether or not Judas could be our spouse, our best friend, that person we work closely with, even a family member. Don’t chalk Judas up to be exclusively an “enemy.” Guard your heart and learn from your mistakes. The “Judas” in your life could be a turning point for you. Maybe someday, you will even thank them. After all, at the end of the day, Judas didn’t use God—God used Judas.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 15:31:04 +0000
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