The Threat of Self-Defense
Daily Old Testament Reading: Job 29-31
Daily Focus Passage: Job 31
Self-defense occurs when we face an onslaught against us, and we attempt to stop the attack through various attempts. Sometimes we defend the self through physical altercations, and in other moments; we use words to defend the self. In Job 31, Job comes to his final words before hearing from Elihu and then the Lord. The culmination of his speeches reveals that Job is practicing spiritual self-defense. He has defended his righteousness and questioned why the problematic events are occurring. As Job gives this last speech, he reveals to us several threats that occur when we practice spiritual self-defense.
THE THREAT OF POOR THEOLOGY
Job followed the Lord in faithfulness. He trusted in the goodness of the Lord and held firm to the Lord throughout his struggles. Yet, Job displayed a simple theology that indeed was a poor theology concerning the character, person, and justice of the Lord. Job attempted to understand and define the Lord through the limited thought of humanity. He tried to understand his plight and God's presence by rationalizing it from a human perspective. Thus, we find. Job gives self-defending speeches concerning himself and his actions and questions he desires answers for from the Lord.
In our attempt to understand the dynamics we experience in life, we often find ourselves attempting to grasp the moments through the rationality of humanity. Even when we hold onto the Lord in faith, we can fall prey to the threat of poor theology by lessening God's ways to the ways that make sense to us. What poor theology about the Lord is threatening your ability to deal with the dynamics you face in life?
THE THREAT OF SELF-ELEVATION
Job analyzes his life as his friends counsel him concerning his plight. His analysis communicates in a manner of spiritual self-defense that elevates the self. Job promotes his righteousness and constantly declares his innocents. The elevation occurs as Job responds to his friends and comes across as one who believes they are above the reproach or counsel of others. When self-elevation occurs, people find it difficult to enter a position of receiving rebuke where it is needed.
When you deal with difficulty in life, do you attempt to make sense of it in light of others? Do you elevate yourself as one who does not have as many issues as someone else? When we consider the elevation of the self, we need to check and see if our spiritual self-defense leads to thinking more highly of the self than one should.
THE THREAT OF SPIRITUAL DEAFNESS
The presence of poor theology and the practice of self-elevation form a posture not ready to receive criticism of one’s life. Job defends his righteousness so much and holds a poor theology of the situation that he cannot thoroughly investigate his life and see what sin exists. This does not mean that his plight occurred because of sin. Still, his elevation of the self has brought him to the place of attempting to understand the justice scale of God through the eyes of humanity and left him not grasping how to deal with the problem of pain or seek repentance for even the unintentional sin in life. His poor spiritual posture closes his ability to search for his life and the Lord in a way that leads to repentance.
When we enter a wrong posture, we find ourselves battling to take an honest assessment of our life or hear words of caution from others. As a result, we can become deaf to the work of the Lord in our life, calling us to repentance. As you think about spiritual deafness, how is your posture before the Lord? Are you seeking him and responding to him? Are you ready and willing to listen and respond?
