Ultimate Security: Finding a Refuge in Difficult Times (13 page)

20

PROTECTION AGAINST CRITICISM AND MISREPRESENTATION

In the last several chapters, we have been focusing on the quest for emotional security. Two of the most vicious enemies of emotional security are
criticism
and
misrepresentation.
A main weapon Satan uses against God’s people is the tongue.

The enemy’s very name in the New Testament,
“the devil,”
means “the slanderer.” That is his nature. He is the slanderer and the accuser. Very often, he will influence human tongues to be used against believers in Jesus. He does not come to us in person. Instead, he secretly, invisibly, takes control of human tongues and turns them against God’s people—using the words of others to slander, to accuse, to criticize, and to misrepresent.

When Satan Attacks Us Through Others

Jeremiah the prophet understood what it means to be criticized and misrepresented. It was revealed to him that his enemies were saying,
“Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah.…Let’s attack him with our tongues…”
(Jeremiah 18:18). At one time or another, Satan attacks most of the Lord’s servants in this way. When we are attacked by the words of others, our main challenge is in how we react and respond. It is extremely important that we respond in the way the Scriptures direct. Jesus Himself spoke particularly about our response to such attacks in His Sermon on the Mount:

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11–12)

Let us further examine how we should respond to criticism and misrepresentation by exploring two important lessons: (1) criticism is a blessing, and (2) we are
“hidden with Christ in God”
(Colossians 3:3).

Lesson #1: Criticism Is a Blessing

When we are maligned because of our faith in Jesus, it is a blessing. However, if we are criticized because of our own error or wrong conduct, then it isn’t necessarily a blessing. But when we are criticized and attacked because of our relationship and commitment to Jesus Christ, then Jesus says,
“Blessed are you.”

So, if people attack us with unjust criticism or slander, we must not regard it as a problem to lament over. When we understand what Jesus was saying in Matthew 5, we can see that our enemies are really doing us a favor. They may not realize it, but they are actually piling up rewards for us in heaven. So, how should we respond to such critics? We shouldn’t try to stop them. We should let them go on, because the longer they go on, the greater our reward in heaven!

Furthermore, Jesus told us that when such criticism comes, we are in very good company, because that is the way the prophets were treated. As we just saw, that is how the prophet Jeremiah was treated. Consequently, when people attack you with their tongues because of your relationship with the Lord, you are in the tradition of the prophets.
“Rejoice and be glad,”
because you are going to earn a great reward in heaven. Therefore, a major protection against criticism is to have the right response.

Lesson #2: We Are “Hidden with Christ in God”

Second, we need to remember that we are in Christ. The secret, hidden place is the place in Christ that Paul wrote about:
“For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God”
(Colossians 3:3). When we are hidden with Christ, we are covered by His righteousness. That is a most beautiful thought, if only we can grasp it.

Isaiah declared,
“My God…has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness”
(Isaiah 61:10). Another Bible version says it this way:
“…He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness”
(Isaiah 61:10 nasb). Once we enter into God’s salvation, we have a robe of righteousness—not our own righteousness but Christ’s righteousness, which we received by faith. We are totally covered with the righteousness of Christ. All the weak points in our character and conduct are covered by that robe.

Regarding our righteousness in Christ, Paul wrote,

God made him who had no sin [Jesus] to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Notice the words
“in him.”
All our righteousness is dependent upon our relationship with Jesus. When we are in Him, we are in the secret place. And when we are in the secret place, we are covered by the righteousness of God in Christ. Therefore, when people criticize and attack us on the basis of our relationship with Jesus, they are not criticizing our righteousness. They are criticizing Christ’s righteousness.

When we are wrapped in the righteousness of Christ, we are protected, so we need not try to stand on our own righteousness. We need not try to answer for ourselves. Why? Because when people attack the righteousness of Jesus that is wrapped around us, God the Father Himself moves in and deals with them.

This principle was stated clearly by the prophet Isaiah:

“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord. (Isaiah 54:17)

When people attack God’s righteousness, it is God who vindicates. An alternative translation for
“vindication”
in the above verse is “righteousness.” Therefore, the verse could be translated, “‘…their righteousness is from me,’ declares the Lord.” (See, for example, nkjv.)

This is why no weapon crafted against us can prevail. This is why we can refute every tongue that criticizes or attacks us. It is because we are not facing our accusers in our own righteousness. We are hidden in the secret place in Christ. We are wrapped with the robe of His righteousness. Again, when we are attacked by people’s criticisms, or when we face slander and misrepresentation, it is really a blessing in disguise. Why? Because it drives us once more into the secret place—the place of total security.

When we are wrapped in the righteousness of Christ,
we are protected, so we need not try to
stand on our own righteousness.

Let’s take a moment to consider what King David said about that secret place of total security. In Psalm 31, he spoke about the relationship of the Lord to His servants:
“You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues”
(Psalm 31:20 nasb).

David was very familiar with human conspiracies and the attacks of people’s tongues. His refuge was the same as the one expressed in Psalm 91:1:
“The secret place of the Most High”
(nkjv).

Please notice the emphasis on being hidden and being secret. We must not expose ourselves. Instead, we must take refuge in Christ’s righteousness. The moment we begin to expose ourselves—the moment we start to fight back using the same weapons the enemy uses, or the moment we try to justify ourselves—we have moved out of the secret place without realizing it. By so doing, we have actually lost our cover and our protection. The remedy for criticism and misrepresentation is to stay hidden in the secret place, covered with the robe of Christ’s righteousness. We must never try to meet people’s criticisms in our own righteousness.

It is important that you learn to respond appropriately to all the pressures I have highlighted in the last several chapters: fear and worry, discouragement and depression, and criticism and misrepresentation. React in the right way.
Let them do you good.
Let them serve God’s purposes in your life.

Every time you encounter these pressures, let them drive you back into the secret place. That is why God allows them to come. He wants to bring you to the place where you are dwelling in the secret place of the Most High—a place of total emotional security.

In our next chapter, we will move on from this area of emotional security to one of the commonest areas where people crave security—the financial realm.

21

FINANCIAL SECURITY

In all periods of human history, people have been concerned about security in the realm of finances and material possessions. In recent years, the pressures of worldwide economic instability have greatly increased this concern and have made it continually difficult for people to find satisfactory forms of investment. One very obvious result has been the dramatic increase in the value of gold, silver, precious stones, and other collector’s items. People are investing in these areas because they do not feel secure about many other traditional forms of investment.

I know of a wealthy Arabic man from an oil-producing nation who feels secure only if he has a hundred million dollars available in ready cash. If he doesn’t have that amount of money accessible, he cannot sleep at night. In order to keep that sum available, he has deposited a hundred million dollars in a Swiss bank account, and he pays the bank a 3-percent commission to look after his money. In other words, it costs him three million dollars a year to keep his hundred million dollars secure. That is his concept of security. Yet, as much as anyone might like to think so, investments of this kind do not bring true or permanent security.

A Permanent and Secure Investment

There is an alternative type of investment that is permanent and completely secure. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said,

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19–21 nasb)

Think of that Arabic man who has his money stowed away in a Swiss bank. If Switzerland were to be invaded by a foreign power, and its banking system were to be taken over, that man would not be able to sleep. His treasure—the place where his heart is—would be gone!

Jesus warned us that there is no place of total security in this world system, including its banks. Consequently, He said, in effect, “Don’t invest everything in a place that isn’t really secure. That is very unwise and impractical. Invest in something that’s guaranteed, that’s secure, that cannot be taken over by an alien government.” The “bank” Jesus was talking about cannot be broken into, nor can its bullion be stolen. It is up to us to invest in the kingdom of God. It is incumbent upon us to invest in heaven and in the purposes of God.

The Right Priority

Further on in Matthew 6, Jesus concluded,

Do not worry then, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear for clothing?” For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:31–34 nasb)

It has always blessed me to realize that God knows exactly what I need, even without my ever reminding Him. When I meet His condition—to seek His kingdom first—He will take care of the rest. In essence, it is a question of the right priority. If I give proper priority to the kingdom of God and to the work of the kingdom, God will take care of me in return.

Do you agree with Jesus’ statement that
“each day has enough trouble of its own”
? Jesus was a realist. He was saying, in essence, “Don’t spoil today by worrying about tomorrow’s problems.” On the basis of several decades of experience, I can personally testify that the approach Jesus recommended really works! I have sought the kingdom of God, and God has faithfully cared for me and provided for me and my very large family.

When I meet God’s condition—to seek His kingdom first—He will take care of the rest.

Paul compared placing a priority on investing in God’s kingdom to sowing crops generously. He wrote, in regard to giving money,

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:6–8)

In the kingdom of God, there is total financial security:
“in
all
things,”
“at
all
times,”
“having
all
that you need,”
“you will abound in
every
[
all
]
good work.”
If we sow into the kingdom of God, then from the kingdom of God we will reap in proportion to what we have sown.

God’s Unshakable Kingdom

I want to point out the contrast between the kingdom of God, in which we are invited to invest, and the kingdoms of this world. The following Scripture passage highlights this contrast:

At that time [the time when God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai] his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things [earthly kingdoms]—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. (Hebrews 12:26–28)

We are presented with two alternatives in this passage. We can invest in kingdoms, systems, and institutions of this world, which God has told us are all going to be shaken, or we can rely upon God’s unshakable kingdom. In recent years, we have seen many institutions shaken. Many establishments that were regarded as sound and reliable have proved to be insecure.