27
Silence is… Deadly
I’m currently a little over halfway through this “slap Brian in the face” book called The Silence of Adam by Dr. Larry Crabb. The message is pounding me big time, and I’m not certain what to do about just yet.
Men are called to move into darkness, to keep moving ahead with purpose and strength even when they cannot clearly see the path before them. (The Silence of Adam, pg. 61)
Having been raised up in the church for as long as I can remember, it has always been commonplace to sort of joke around (and poke at women) about how sin entered the world. You see, it was “Eve” who spoke to the serpent, it was “Eve” who was deceived by the serpent, it was “Eve” who took the first bite out of the forbidden fruit, and it was “Eve” who enticed Adam to also take a bite – ie. sin’s entrance into the world was “Eve’s” fault! Right?
Well, what was Adam doing the whole time? I mean, scripture seems to imply that he was standing right there the whole time. I’ll tell you what Adam was doing… he was doing NOTHING! He stood there passively and allowed Eve to have this little discussion with the serpent – if your wife is talking with a snake don’t you think you should at least say something? He stood there silently as the serpent deceived Eve – he knew the truth of what God had told them, why didn’t he jump in at this point? He did not chime in when Eve took the fruit and was bringing it to her mouth – couldn’t he have said something like, “hey honey, shouldn’t we talk about this first?” And then he brainlessly took the fruit and bit into it himself.
Adam’s silence was lethal. It brought the severing of relationship. And ultimately it brought death. (pg. 98)
I’m being convicted about how often I remain silent, and I’m not sure what to do about it. How many times have I known that a friend was going to make a mistake and not called out warning lights? How many times do I retreat from a difficult challenge just because I’m uncertain of what the outcome will be? My finances have been a constant struggle since the failure of my first business, and when I feel overwhelmed and enslaved by them I ignore it and pray that my problems go away. And how many times have I not asked out a beautiful girl who I was attracted to under the guise of “not knowing if it was God’s Will or not?”
Like I already mentioned, I still have much of the book left to read, and while I’m still toiling with what this means for me I do know one thing for sure – if I really truly trusted God, I would not be silent, I would not be passive, I would not be still, I would not intentionally forget, I would not ignore. And if this is a challenge that essentially every man faces, how do I overcome? I have no clue how, but I will.
Men who spend their lives finding God are quietly transformed from mere men into elders: godly men who know what it means to trust a person when there is no plan to follow: spiritual fathers who enter dark caves that their children run from; Christlike mentors who speak into that darkness with strength instead of control, with gentleness instead of destructive force, and with wisdom that cuts through the confusion to the beauty beyond. (pg. 102)
9
How am I to know?
When I was 14 years old I made a commitment to save myself for my wife. At the time I didn’t know who my wife would be – heck, I barely even knew what I was committing to! And in the years to come I would discover it to be a constant battle and an extremely difficult commitment to maintain. However, when times got tough, when I felt weak, when I felt forgotten, when I felt lonely, whenever I was tempted to give up on my oath, I would always become overwhelmed with a sense that God had someone amazing planned for me. She would be more beautiful, more godly, more perfect for me than I could possibly imagine! He had a wonderful reward planned for me if I could just hang on.
In Genesis 15:1 the Lord came to Abram in a vision and told him that his “reward shall be very great.” To which Abram replied, “who cares if I receive a reward from you because I don’t have a child to inherit it!” (15:2-3; paraphrased by moi) Then the Lord went on to assure Abram that he would have offspring and that his concern was void. (15:4-5) What was Abram’s response to this reassurance? “And he believed the Lord…” (15:6)
When the Lord made that promise to me, I too believed. I believed when I was 14. I believed through my high school years. I believed through my college years. I believed through my 20′s. And I still believe to this day.
Even though Abram “believed the Lord,” he followed up with an intriguing question. “O Lord God, how am I to know…?” (15:8) And the Lord went on to provide him with an answer in his sleep.
So where does this leave me? I too shall beseech the Lord. “Oh Lord God, how am I to know?”
6
The Capability of God
I’m in awe of that which God is “capable” of doing.
I’m frustrated by what He is capable of but chooses not to do.
And then I read Job 42:1-6.
1 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
