Week Five ~ “The Only True Vacuum is the One that Cleans the Rug” Link to Video Blog
(if you have some time read: 2 Samuel chs. 11 – 12:25) We hear the same mantras time and time again;
“Live and let live,”
“Not that I have a problem with that,”
“As long as it works for you,”
“You do what you want and I’ll do what I want,”
“I’ll live as I please,”
“This is my life…”
These statements are made whenever we feel the sting of accountability closing in on us. The moment we hear murmuring or unrest in the lives of those around us, we take our stand. It’s a William Wallace cry for freedom. A statement of the self that stands boldly in opposition to any who may be affected by the stand our self is taking…
Now hear me out. I’m not saying there should be a gelatin relational reality where we move fluidly into and out of each other’s lives with an air of judgment. I’m certainly not saying that we call our neighbor out on the mat and expect them to live as we would have them live. No… that may be fine in the context of a dictatorial establishment (fine for the leaders anyway) but not in loving relations where we see one another’s uniqueness as a reason to glorify God. Accountability only makes sense in the context of relationship where I have the relational room to speak into the life of another… You get the point.
With all of these caveats covered I now feel free to speak to the improper use of trying to live in a vacuum. You see, what we choose to do and not do matters. Our actions ripple out. The sins I commit impact the lives of those around me. The sins others commit can have impact in my life as well. This is important to remember because when we choose to live as we please… and to do so in a way that does not honor God or our neighbor… we may kid ourselves into believing that a vacuum exists… but that only lasts until Nathan rings the doorbell. Nathan was prophet of the living God during the years King David reigned in Israel. He was a good prophet. By that I mean that he loved the Lord. What God thought mattered more than the weight of the king’s gold. Nathan was far more concerned with obeying God than giving lip service to the king.
It took this kind of grit to be Nathan and be effective on behalf of God because when the most powerful person in the land, namely King David, decided to buy into the illusion that he could do as he pleased, God wanted Nathan to speak up in opposition. You see, the king’s decision to force himself on an unsuspecting woman… Bathsheba… and further… the cover up of the whole affair that involved getting rid of Bathsheba’s God-honor husband Uriah… bothered the God of all of creation greatly. So Nathan had to take the rather lengthy walk to the throne of the king and confront him with the startling reminder that nothing ever happens in a true vacuum. God is all seeing. God is all knowing. God is just. God is holy. God is loving. Most of all, God cares about the Uriah’s and Bathsheba’s that our sinfulness so easily takes and uses.
When King David was brought back to his senses by Nathan’s rebuke… maybe he spotted the royal Hoover or Oreck sitting in the corner of the royal palace. When he did, he must have concluded that the only true vacuum is the one that cleans the rug.
Personal and/or small group questions:
Why is accountability so critical in our life with God and one another?
Taking ownership of our “stuff” isn’t easy. But why does it matter in the context of repentance?
Do you believe that we live in a vacuum? If so, why? If not, why not?
Where should the Church stand in relationship to sin and accountability in our culture and communities?
How can we best honor God and others in the following areas: money, sex, use of power?
Read Psalm 51. This is the confession of King David after Nathan’s rebuke. What’s this Psalm say about God? What’s it say about people?
Scripture Memory Verse: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you” (Psalm 51:12, NLT).
