I've moved . . .

If you've come here looking for Doug Hallock's (hallockd's) Terrifying Grace blog, these are old posts. I've moved the updated blog to: http://www.hallockd.posterous.com

An Odd Challenge

Here's an odd challenge, if you dare: Carefully check out the two verses below, and see if they aren't backwards when compared to the way many of us operate today:

1. "Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs" (Prov 10:12 ).
So when someone wrongs you, and you cover his wrongs, that shows what?
But when someone wrongs you, and you stir others up against him, that shows what?


2. "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault . . . (Jesus, in Mat 18:15 ).
So when someone wrongs you, and you talk to him about it, you're obeying who?
But when someone wrongs you, and you don't talk to him about it, you're disobeying who?

What I mean is this:
Do you talk directly to the person who sins against, disappoints, or otherwise fails you?
Do you talk about that persons sin, disappointing, failing to others?

If you're like me, there is a great temptation to do precisely the opposite of what those verses say. I suspect that we don't talk directly to the one who sins, disappoints, or otherwise fails, is because we are afraid. Afraid of getting into an argument. Afraid of being confronted ourselves. Afraid of having to "remove the log from our own eye." Afraid of . . .?

Humility - What Is It?

We've all heard, read, and maybe even said, that humility is good and pride is bad. I'm not going to debate here the rightness or wrongness of that statement. Rather, I'd like here to ask some questions about the meaning of the statement, particularly in regarding the characteristic of humility. What exactly are we saying is good?

Do many view humility as a "person-to-person" trait? That is, if some one is humble, then he will treat other people in certain ways, and will refrain from treating others in other certain ways? Conversely, if someone treats another person in certain ways, can we then accurately call him "humble," and if someone treats another in other certain ways, can we then call him "proud"or "arrogant?" While I agree with this understanding of humility, I see a great problem with defining it only in "person-to-person" terms.

Wouldn't it be better to define humility first in its "person-to-God" framework. I believe that only then can its person-to-person expression be properly and accurately defined and measured. Without this critical first step, humility can be redefined into a pale, shallow shadow of its bold, robust, and clearly biblical original trait.

More later?

When Peer Counselling = peer enabling

Imagine your friend coming over to tell you of the trial that his or her marriage has become. Bam, instantly you become a counselor. Your manner of listening, attempting to understand, advising, and encouraging your friend are now given a test drive. But will your counselmobile actually run? Will it do what God has placed you in that moment, in that situation to do?

Can we know what God wants to accomplish in every counseling situation that might arise in your life? Are there universal principles that would apply to any friend, any crisis, or any issue?

I'd suggest that there are at least two goals that every peer counselor hold up as part of the evaluation of his counsel.

The first is to demonstrate in your listening and in your effort to understand that God is right there with the person in his or her trial. God has compassion on him. God deeply loves her. And you are there to flesh out His love.

The second is to encourage your friend toward love and good works. Yes, in their trial, they often would prefer hatred and/or evil works, but your job is to call them back to that calling God has placed on their lives.

True or False: If you love me, you will not offend me?

If there were a perfect lover, that is one who loved perfectly, then we could test this question by seeing if he ever offended those he loved. hmm, does such a lover exist anywhere?

If you can think of someone, then test this hypothesis:
Someone who truly loves another will not offend him in any way, whether by speech, or by action.

Test it by looking at his beloveds to see if any were ever offended.

Oh, and if you subtly define your perfect lover as one who doesn't offend, then you mess up the experiment by creating a circular system.

The foundation of this Blog

Terrifying: Highly frightening, creating great fear, extremely scary
Grace: the gift given without regard to merit or performance, but given in proportion to humility

As God reveals Himself to each of us, we learn more about His character, His commitiment to us, and His calling for us. As each of these "C's" is unveiled, we see a larger and larger obligation on our shoulders to receive fully all that He has offered. Or we see a larger and larger threat to our very existance as independent, idiosyncratic, sole kings of our own little world.

If obligation, we pursue that unveiling. If threat, we run.

It is God's amazing essence to be at once amazing love and consuming fire.

I actually pursue at times, and run at other times. Lord, help me to quit running!!