Are You Sick In The Head?

We people sure are funny.  After all these years we are still trying to figure out how to separate ‘cause and effect’.  Do you know what I mean?  Often times we either want the consequence or results of hard work but don’t want to actually do the hard work.  Other times we want to do whatever we feel like doing but don’t want the consequences of those irresponsible decisions.  You would think we would accept that cause and effect are immutable truths in life, and yet we keep looking for ways to ‘beat the system’.  My dad has told me on many occasions that “we often want to sow our wild oats and then pray for a crop failure.”  Unfortunately that is all too true and we see it played out in society and in our own lives every single day. (Click here to read my post on the interesting thing about Byproducts)

The word consequence literally means ‘with the sequence’.  In other words, it is the natural, next step to the sequence that you have started.  We love consequences when it means that after we work hard the next step in the process is we get a healthy pay check.  We hate consequences when it means that after we eat unhealthily long enough the next step is we carry extra weight in our bodies.  These concepts seem clear enough but I have found that there is an area in life that we often forget that this same ‘cause and effect’ is very real.  It is the consequence of speaking negatively about those in authority.  We too often forget that what we say has real power.

Saying Hello From Brazil

I’m in Brazil and have been for the past week.  It has been such a joy to serve and minister at the conference in Brasilia and then at our church in São Bento Do Sul.  However, something you quickly notice while in Brazil is that people talk so openly and negatively about their government and their leaders. Everywhere you go people talk about how corrupt the leaders are here and how bad their system is.  Now, this is certainly not just a Brazilian problem.  This is a people problem.  Those of us in the United States know all too well about speaking badly about leaders; especially as we are approaching the Presidential elections this fall.  However, as I visited the capital and toured around the beautiful city of Brasilia with its stunning architecture and wonderful people I was reminded that the longer people curse those in authority, the longer they will reap the fruit of the seeds they are sowing with their mouths.

Authorities are often referred to as ‘heads’ (Heads of state, Heads of government, etc…).  We can forget that heads are connected to the body, whether we like it or not.  So if we wound our own head, it affects the function of the rest of the body.  And in the most extreme cases if we harm our own heads we commit suicide and the whole body dies.  Now that doesn’t mean we have to ignore corruption or be proud of poor leadership.  That would be irresponsible.  After all, in the same way that a wound to the head affects the whole body, so does sickness or improper care.  So we must address the issues in our ‘heads’.  But we must do it with care and concern, not with hatred and indifference.  The consequences of cursing our ‘heads’ is that the rest of our body is cursed. (Click here to read my post on how we sometimes Do The Devils Job For Him)

Don’t Be Sick In The Head

Choose to speak life over the ‘heads’ in your life so that the body will receive that same blessing.  Sometimes it takes a while to see the effects make their way through the body but you can be sure that they will.  Remember that God may have put those people in positions of authority, not because they are sure to do such a great job, but because He’s counting on us to pray for them, since that is what He has commanded us to do in His Word.  I shot a short video in front of the Congress Building in Brasila to share this thought. Check it out and remember, the food we’ll eat tomorrow is being planted in the ground today by the words we speak.  Speak life, especially over those in authority, and reap the fruit of good seed, that has been well planted.

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior… – I Timothy 2:1-3 NIV

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.  – Titus 1:3 NIV

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.  – Romans 13:1-2 NIV