Ep 59: A Skunk in the Daylily Field

0:00 Well, good morning, I'm Daniel Dalp and this is for Your Sunday Morning Drive, the short podcast designed to help provide you with some motivation, some drive, and some encouragement on your way to worship and to recenter your mind on those spiritual things on hectic Sunday mornings. We are brought to you in partnership with the Ministry League network of podcasts to check out many of the great resources and podcasts that Ministry League offers. You can check out their website, ministryleague.com or check out their app. I know I don't usually do this, but I thought it might be wise to have a small disclaimer at the beginning of this episode. You know, I've sat on this episode for the better part of a year and I've scrapped it and I've rewritten it several times because I didn't want it to seem like I was targeting a specific person or situation, and I'm not. It's just the way things go when you release a weekly show, you're just likely to coincide with some things. Anyway, as you listen to today's episode, I want you to know that my goal isn't to say that constructive criticism is wrong or that it isn't needed from time to time. Nor is it my intention to say that we stay silent if wrongdoing is taking place.

1:07 It's merely my intention to ask us to look at our hearts and examine if the things that we nitpick or criticize in others is truly for their well-being and that of the church, or if it's tied up in our own opinions and egos. Anyway, as always, I'm thankful that you're given today's episode a listen. I hope it challenges you. It challenged me as I was recording it. And I pray you give give me some grace in this episode and that we give each other grace in the church and most importantly, that we give God the glory. Let's go ahead and get the show on the road. This is episode 59, a skunk in the Daylily field. Let's go to church.

1:51 Are we there yet? Within the last couple of years, my parents have opened the Daylily farm and let me tell you, when the flowers are all in bloom, it's a beautiful sight to see. And with all those varieties of daylily growing in rows alongside lavender and hibiscus and other plants, how could it not? It's always interesting to see how even though there are hundreds of types of flowers all planted in the same field, they all bloom at more or less the same time, growing together to make something beautiful. Well, early last season, my mom texted me a picture of a skunk amidst all of these flowers.

2:38 And you know, I couldn't help but think of the church. Because the Lord's church is beautiful. It's made-up of broken, imperfect people of so many different varieties, backgrounds, colors, all kinds of diversity, all growing together after the pattern of our perfect Savior, all of us growing in the light of the Son of God. But doesn't it just seem inevitable that someone causes a stink? A skunk shows up. Now let's be clear, the skunk isn't always an individual. Oh, it can be. And maybe it's someone promoting false teaching. Maybe it's someone spreading lies or or leveling false accusations, or delighting in rumor and gossip, tearing down those that are about the work of the church while they themselves contribute little to nothing. Or maybe it's just someone that delights in undue or frivolous criticism.

3:24 Or it can be an ongoing struggle, something more conceptual. The loss of a beloved elder or preacher may be a natural disaster that leaves our community hurting. Infidelity, hypocrisy, poor leadership. There are all kinds of potential skunks, and sometimes we just can't stop them from causing a stink among the good work of the church. Let me clarify. I'm talking about causing strife or strife's sake or brought about by sinful motives. But then we have to ask ourselves, what is our responsibility when it comes to skunks? Well, of course we love them. Maybe we have to hold our nose and grit our teeth to do so, but we love them. But we also protect the flock, and I think above all, our greatest responsibility to skunks is to not be 1.

4:07 And how do we do that? Well, a lot of it comes, I think, through maturity. Don't be upset and cause a stink. Don't cause strife just because a decision was made that we don't agree with, because money wasn't being spent the way that we thought it should be, or because an idea was promoted that wasn't our own. As long as good stewardship and godly decisions are made, then let me pose you a few questions. Does it matter? Is it possible that we aren't the wisest people in the room? Or is it possible that others have valuable input, maybe even better input than we could often? Romans chapter 12, verse 9 through 18 give some really good insight into the cure to causing a stink and it's love. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil and cling to that which is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Give preference to one another in honor, not lagging in diligence, fervor, and spirit.

4:56 Serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the Saints, and practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind towards one another. Do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation, and never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men, and if possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. You know the Church that Christ died for is beautiful, but when a skunk comes along, be patient, be steadfast, and be loving because we often don't know what they might be going through.

5:40 But also keep in mind that even though it can be tempting, don't cause a stink where instead we should smell like Christ. Second Corinthians chapter 2, verse 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. And above all else, isn't unity the goal? Well, those are my thoughts for your Sunday morning drive. Now it's time to hear yours and don't forget you can always share your comments and thoughts on for your Sunday morning dr.com. Our discussion questions for today are have we been guilty of being skunks? Do we ever cause unnecessary strife? How are we encouraging those who are about the work of the church and are we about that work ourselves? Are we removing the plank before focusing on the splinter? And when is criticism appropriate? And what does the Bible say about how to take action upon it?