Category Archives: Definitions

No Christian Pimps Allowed

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If I weren’t a Christian I don’t think I would want to be one. I’ve seen too many bank-rolling bishops and prosperity preachers flanked with so many goons and girls that Rudy the Pimp of my childhood would be put to shame. Why would I want to settle for the imitation of street life when I could live the street life? This is what so many skeptics of Christianity ask Christians who profess Christ then curse Him, go to church and to the club, take communion and hit some Hennessy or smoke a demon and then a joint. God calls us to be level-headed to stamp out this duplicity. “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways,” the Apostle James tells us (1:8). When you are unstable as a Christian others become unsure about you and yours, and you never gain what you were intended: winning souls for Jesus Christ.

If you aren’t level-headed you not only never receive what you were intended to gain, but when you lose your wits you can also lose so much else, like your reputation; friends; family; and job. When you aren’t sober (making wise decisions) you cannot be discreet (discipline in your body) to complete the work that you should be committed to (Titus 2:4-5). The Apostle Paul calls these two vanity of the mind and lasciviousness (Ephesians 4:18-19).

Vanity of the mind is the inability to perceive and understand the truth which leads to making bad decisions like lasciviousness, which is having no moral restraints, being shameless and outrageous. So when you walk in the vanity of your mind it’s easy to think it’s okay to be a preacher-pimp; a false friend; a failure in your family but a success on your job; or stealing time at work to make that church event a success. Next time you plan to do away with sound judgment and do something without moral restraints, think about your unsaved loved ones and the bigger watching world that God has commissioned you to be stable for. It’s better to suffer the slight affliction of self-restraint than to enjoy sin, whose pleasures only last for a season (Hebrews 11:25). A lifetime of salvation surely beats a season of sin. The choice is up to you.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Why Teach Good?

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Love God and love your neighbor as yourself is how Jesus summed up the 10 Commandments (Matthew 22:37-40). The two greatest acts we can fulfill are to love God and others. Sometimes we don’t know how to do this, but the 10 Commandments give us a framework. We are given such a framework so that we will have peace with God and peace on earth. The whole Word of God focuses on our relationship with God and one another. When we don’t know God’s Word, we can’t do God’s Word and we certainly can’t teach it. And we must teach it because every time man failed to teach God’s Word division between God and man and man and man ensued. Check out Psalm 78, particularly verses 1-11.

Here we learn that the Psalmist warned the Israelites to teach their children God’s Word so that they and the following generations wouldn’t become “a stubborn and rebellious generation” like their forefathers. These rogue Israelites, in spite of God’s provision for them in Egypt and the wilderness, didn’t have their heart (mind, will, emotions, passions) on God nor did they trust in His salvation (v. 8 & 22). As a result, they didn’t (couldn’t) follow God’s Word (v. 10). They not only ignored God’s commands, but they also forgot all that He had done for them (v. 11). They complained to God and did whatever they wanted, including fight each other (Numbers 16). There was no peace with God and no peace with men. The same is true today.

When we know God’s Word, we know what He requires so He sees us as righteous and not just another rank sinner (Romans 4:23-5:2, 10:9-10). When we know God’s Word, we are able to teach others so God sees them as righteous and not just another rank sinner. When we know God’s Word, we are able to live God’s Word and be in proper relationship with Him and others. But as we see with the Israelites, a teacher of God’s Word needs more than knowledge of His Word; there has to be an experience with God that remains in the forefront of the teacher’s mind that cements His Word in the teacher’s heart so the teacher is passionate about God, trusts in His salvation and wants others to know. This passion is contagious and students are bound to replicate their teacher’s life. So I urge you: Know God’s Word. Live God’s Word. Teach God’s Word so there is peace with God and peace with men.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Teacher of Good

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I don’t think most Christian women who want to do God’s will set out to teach their children or anybody else something wrong, yet Scripture commands for us to be a “teacher of good things” (Titus 2:4). Why would God take the time to command this? As with the patterns of other scriptures (think the 10 Commandments), it seems God knew our tendency would be the opposite of the command. He had to tell us not to worship any other god beside Him because He knows we’re prone to idolize things. We are told not to covet because our desires often fall on others’ stuff instead of with what He gives us. Our tendency is to seek what we want. We like self-gratification and what better way to be gratified than to see yourself and what you like to do in another person? Admit it. You may even get pleasure out of those who hate on you by trying to be you. Whether through imparting similarities or someone trying to be like you, it’s like having a double portion of your desires manifested. God wants replication, but He just wants it for the right reason (to give Him glory) and according to the Bible (His direction).

Some good things He tells women to teach are what I will discuss in detail in coming blogs (Titus 2:3-5). Let me add to that the basics that I think we’ve gotten away from: The 10 Commandments which are summed up in two: love God and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). This is the focus this week. This, I believe, is what we need, and not self-styled mini-me’s.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Understanding Sobriety

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The world tells us to drink responsibly: Don’t drink and drive and don’t let anyone younger than 21 purchase or consume alcohol. But for the Christian, handling alcohol properly goes beyond drinking and driving and being a certain age. We have to consider the spiritual implications for ourselves and others:

1) Being sober enables us to do what God wants. “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). When you’re drunk with wine or any intoxicating drink, you’re under its power. Christians should always be under the power of the Holy Spirit so we can a) clearly hear from God; b) understand proper actions; and 3) have the strength to do what we have heard and know to be right. If you don’t do what’s right, you bring judgment upon yourself (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). And what good is being a Christian if you aren’t able to follow God’s commandments?

2) Not drinking helps others to do what God commands. “It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble” (Romans 14:21). Though we have freedom as Christians to consume fermented drinks, we are told that everything we do is not helpful (1 Corinthians 6:12). So if drinking in front of others causes them to disrespect you, misunderstand Christianity or drink more than they should, you should not drink. And if you do drink, you’ll have to be so much on the down low that they won’t find out because whether you drink in their presence is really not the issue. It’s just knowing that you drink that may cause them to make improper judgments. For me, being a down low drinker is not worth the hassle. I’ve just given up drinking altogether.

So can a Christian drink alcohol? Yes. Should a Christian drink alcohol? No, if 1) you will get drunk; 2) you want or need alcohol to control you; or 3) doing so causes others to make improper judgments about you, Christianity and how they can relate to alcohol. Truly, we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper, not just for physical safety but also for spiritual guidance, understanding and protection. This is a big job, but we are called and equipped to do it.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith

Sober Vision

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To drink or not to drink, that is the question so many Christians have. As a recovering strong black woman who likes to make her own decisions, I wrestled with this question for awhile. People I know would invite me to mix and mingles and without exception these events would have beer, wine and alcohol. Or maybe I would attend a wedding reception, and they would have an open bar and a champagne toast. Should I participate? And if I could, what could I drink and how much could I drink? Outside of mix and mingles and wedding receptions, where should I drink, around whom could I drink, what would people think about me if I drank, and should I care what people thought about me if I drank? Maybe you, too, want to know as a Christian whether or not you should drink and what may be the stipulations of doing so. I believe after reading this series of posts on being sober, you will have an educated biblical response regarding whether or not Christians should drink beer, wine or alcohol.

Scripture gives us the positive and negative side of drinking:
Positive sense—Paul tells Timothy to use wine medicinally (1 Tim. 5:23). We also see that people drank wine at a wedding. So they drank at a time of merriment, to celebrate (John 2:1-10).
Negative sense—Wine has the power to make you talk rough and alcohol makes you walk tough, causing you to argue and fight people. They both cause you to be under their power (Proverbs 20:1). Titus 2:3 puts it this way: The biblical woman “is not given to much wine” which means that she doesn’t allow the drink to control her.

So God’s vision of a biblical woman is for fermented drinks not to control her with their intoxicating effect. Even if you don’t get sloppy drunk, where you’re stumbling and cussing out and fighting people, fermented drinks control you if 1) you have to drink to have a good time; 2) you have to have a drink to become calm; or 3) you can’t stop drinking until you get drunk. All of these instances make you a slave to the bottle, and you are out of control.

Am I saying you can’t get your drink on? Maybe. It depends on you assessing yourself according to who God wants you to be as I laid out here and as I will further do next time. Until then, I welcome your stories of struggle and success with beer, wine and alcohol.

Copyright 2009 by Rhonda J. Smith