MY LIFE: #36 Chasing the Wolf.

One of my most vulnerable patterns of walking AFTER my flesh is my war against rejection from those I love or maybe from others, I hope to be loved by.

CHASING AWAY THE WOLF OF BITTERNESS

Looking back over my life as a believer, I remember many times when I questioned the stability of my salvation due to “doing the things that I do not want to do.” I found myself questioning the immovable doctrines of Christ in me for the sake of doing the things I hated the most.

One of my most vulnerable patterns of walking AFTER my flesh is my war against rejection from those I love, i.e. family. On an average day, if not walking in & after the Spirit, I can be faced with the demise and reality of certain family members not accepting me – particularly for what I teach.

When we moved into the community we now live in, Jane and I were faced with some of the most hurtful rejections we had faced to date.

Eagar to enjoy small-town living once again, we set out to find a church that supported our basic beliefs. Thinking that we had found such a church, I met with the pastor and began the process of “getting to know” each other.

Discovering that this pastor had sat under the tutorage of my mentor, I felt at home. Discovering that the church was in the process of changing leadership – with the present pastor retiring, we decided to go and interview the new pastor.

After meeting with the new pastor, we all agreed this church would be a good fit for them, as well as Jane, Jess, and me. The following day, I received a phone call from this new pastor stating, “It would be best if you did not attend our church.” When inquiring as to why, he replied, “It was determined that you should not attend our fellowship.” With that being the case, we started a little home fellowship.

About a year later, I sent a letter to the surrounding churches introducing myself and our new fellowship – requesting an invite to the community’s pastor’s alliance. About a month after sending the letter, I received an e-mail from one of the pastors stating he & his elder board would like to set up a meeting to confront me about some issues, to which I replied requesting a detailed list of what these issues were. I reminded him about the Biblical mandate of going to a brother “privately” before bringing any such items before the church leadership. I also stated that I was more than willing to embrace such a meeting if the two of us followed the proper protocol given to us in the Word. Sad to say, I have never heard from this pastor again.

Several months later, I was told by one of his close friends that his offense against me was due to my attempt to “steal the pastorate” from the church that asked us not to attend. Completely shocked by such a revelation, we moved forward with what God called us to do through our local ministry. Needless to say, this rumor, along with many other fabricated lies, spread through the entire community.

Even though I have sent communications requesting explanations for the purpose of reconciliation, to no avail – complete silence, now having to live in a community that appears to be embracing these lies – we are reminded occasionally that we are known for attempting to “steal a pastorate,” “stealing funds from church members,” and many other sorted lies. This certainly gives us new meaning to Jesus’ words; “a prophet is not wanted in his hometown.”

These kinds of rejections are used by the Lord to fix my eyes on Jesus while being willing to consider my own ways of reacting vs. responding in the Spirit. I have had to repent (realign my thinking) with God and these men, for my judgmental attitude toward them. I have discovered one of the most difficult things to do in a believer’s life is to reconcile with someone who will not grant the same measurement in return. Again, I am learning the lesson that it is not about what they did to me but what my reactions did to them. I am soberly aware of the fact that out of every single offense done to a believer, there are a minimum of 5 selfish reactions that need to be addressed in this realignment process – before God and man.

CHASING THE WOLF AWAY

Chasing the wolf away is the reward of extending forgiveness, which is oftentimes in the rebuilding of the relationship. In our case, this has taken years. Both parties tend to be more careful and gracious in communication. Unity is the goal of Christ in the believer. The fighting is over, and both parties need to be willing to work together (hopefully) for the Lord’s glory – unless the other is unsaved or unwilling.

Both the offender and the offended have a responsibility to rebuild the relationship. Trust is often a roadblock, having to be yielded to Christ continuously. Beyond extending forgiveness, the offended needs to minister to and serve the offender, as Christ would do. Beyond extending forgiveness, the offended need to give up their self-proclaimed rights that the offender owes them something. Remember, it was intimidation, jealousy, or incompetence that got you or the offenders in this trouble to start with. Only when the offended recognizes that his life is not his own will he be able to be vulnerable to the offender again (2 Cor. 5:15). Both, if saved, need to pray for each other and be willing to spend time together.

I implore you as a reader to search your heart and ask the Lord to reveal to you who you need first to extend forgiveness, what wolf you need to chase away, and then just how you can and should seek their forgiveness for your reactions to how the offender hurt you.  I think you will discover a healing in your own soul that will free you to minister to others through the indwelling Life of Christ from within.                       

The power of chasing the wolf away, as taught in the Bible, is profound and transformative. It’s not just about absolving others of their offensives but also about liberating ourselves in Christ from the burden of resentment and anger. When we extend forgiveness, we extend the Grace and Mercy that God extends to us. It’s a powerful act of love and understanding that can heal relationships and bring peace to our hearts - even when the offenders run like wolves. Remember, forgiveness is a journey, not a destination. It takes time and patience, but the freedom it brings is worth releasing Christ in you.

Coming up next is #37, “Turn or Burn.”