"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt, "Citizenship in a Republic,"
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
This hog wash in churches that says everything we do must be done under the cloud of anonymity is a bunch of garbage. When it comes to giving, and our prayer life one could make a strong case for anonymity (Proverbs 21:14, Matthew 6:4-6, 18) and I would agree, but when we are talking about making our life count for Christ I believe anonymity is for cowards. Was Jesus trying to hide when he ripped the Temple apart (John 2:13-17)?” All the disciples could do was to stare in disbelief seeking desperately to reconcile this mess. Finally one of them, probably John, remembered an obscure verse in the Psalms that said, “Zeal for your house will consume me (Psalm 69:10, John 2:17).”
Our politically correct Bible translators simply label this event as the “Cleansing of the Temple (NASB)”, “Jesus Cleanses the Temple (ESV, NKJV)”, and “Jesus Clears the Temple (NIV).” If I were a part of translating this riot to express the reality of the event I would have called it, “Jesus Rips the Temple a New one”, “Jesus goes off” or “Jesus Kicks Butt and takes Names”. Now that is a title that captures a man’s heart!
Jesus doesn’t want us to hide in our churches. You were made for meaning. You were planned with purpose. You were fashioned to fight.
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29;11)”
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29;11)”
No man was made to hide under the shadows of indifference or the anonymity of apathy. Quite the opposite, you were made to shine. You were made to be a fire representation of the redemptive power of the Savior. Listen to this statement from Jesus in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light if the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put in under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.”
But it is much easier to hide behind the fear of our critics than to shine for our King. John Eldredge writes, “There is a glory to your life that the enemy fears, and he is Hell-bent on destroying that glory BEFORE you act on it.” Fear keeps a man under the bowl of his flat screen, game stations, and man cave, but God wants us to crawl out of the shadow of fear, selfishness and anonymity with a fire that burns white hot for Him.
“Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Taking back the darkness takes courage, resolve and tenacity. You will be seen. You will be noticed. Hopefully, you will be persecuted. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus WILL BE persecuted (2Timothy 3:12).” Often times our critics are nothing more than men who are opposed to the light, paralyzed by fear, morally indifferent or pathetically passive and your fire simply exposes their fraud. Let their criticisms act as a beacon of affirmation that you are doing something right. Count your critics. Thank God for their complaints that act as a symbol of your light. Thank God that they are a symbol of life for the “man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives, valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcomings, but who knows the enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause.”
