A few years back, I realized I was dealing with cynicism and being jaded about certain things in ministry. It’s when I stopped being shocked when I heard about someone’s sin, and instead it just pinged off my scar-tissue’d heart with an eye roll.
Cynicism is related to bitterness, in my experience. And unforgiveness. It’s one sinful way we deal with the shock of sin.
Godly love, in contrast, takes the more painful, more inner-work route. For one, godly love mourns over sin, no matter how many times, no matter how frustratingly uncorrectable and un-help-able the sin seems.
“Hoping all things” is also one of the antidotes to cynicism and bitterness.
I realized this tonight as Vitaliy and I were chatting about the two new guys who’ve come for rehab at Center Salvation. After doing this ministry for a few years, it’s so easy to roll one’s eyes at their “repentance,” to distrust any statement of spiritual interest … to be cynical about … pretty much everything.
And I have to repent of this sin of trying to protect my heart with cynicism and distrust. Because it’s what I naturally turn to. Vitaliy tells me that a guy said this or did that, and immediately, I distrust any promising word. I want to stamp out any hope or expectation with my cynical tongue. I want to roll my eyes and snort and think sarcastically Yeah, right.
And instead, I need to embrace God’s love that hopes all things. ALL is a big word. To hope ALL things? To hope that God’s Spirit will reach into sin-choosing souls, into lying, deceiving, self-serving lives and transform them into godly, Christ-righteous men?
That’s a lot of work. To hope.
To keep on hoping year after year, guy after guy.
That’s a lot of love.
… And … And … I need to turn away from cynicism towards myself and hope all things for God’s transforming power in my own life. And in the life of our church.
1 Thess 4:3 says “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.”
My cynicism, sarcasm, and eye-rolling snorts want to jump right in and stamp out the possibility of change– the huge work of the Holy Spirit in sanctifying us. Well, not that I’d say it aloud, but I’m sure thinking it when it comes to certain issues in my life and certain people in our church.
So here’s my God-answer for cynical, sarcastic, jaded, self-protecting anti-love:
Love hopes all things.
Yes! And this is probably even more true and necessary in rehab ministry than anywhere else. I’m praying for you.
[…] Vitaliy talks to Oleg, and yes, he really wants to change (suppressing the eye roll, choosing to hope all things–because we have a God with whom all things are possible). He really wants to come to the […]