Crisis of Hearing
When the disciples asked Jesus why he was speaking in parables, he responded by referring to this crisis: an inability to hear, see, or understand. “This people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears and they have closed their eyes” (Mt 13:15). The Messiah was standing among them and despite all their study of Scripture and history, they could not recognize him. Jesus is among us. He is alive. He speaks and we can hear him, but many close their eyes and tune him out.
People who live near railroad tracks, an airport, or a highway understand this. After living there for some time, their ears have learned to ignore the sounds. Our spiritual ears are no different. If we ignore the voice of Jesus often enough, we no longer hear it. The solution is repentance: “Otherwise they might hear with their ears, see with their eyes, understand with their hearts, and turn and I would heal them” (Mt 13:15).
The reflection that accompanies hearing Jesus directly, through Scripture, or through the stories of those around us helps us transition to knowing and experiencing him at a deeper level.
Crisis of Belief
In knowing him, something is revealed to us—his will, insight into ourselves, understanding of our context, an invitation for engagement, a step of God-inspired faith. When we do hear the voice of Jesus and experience and incorporate a deeper knowledge of him, the next obstacle that the enemy throws our way is to ask: “But did God really say?” If the enemy can question the voice of God, he can stop a person (or household or community) from the next step of discerning what God wants her or him to do. For the new believer this obstacle may be the desire to be baptized. Discerning the need for baptism in the physical world as an outward expression of a spiritual experience of new life is often an initial crisis of belief. In some cultures of the world, the act of baptism is tantamount to betrayal or even treason.
Crisis of Faith
When our faith calls us to action, but we find some reason not to respond we face a crisis of faith. Faith is proven by action. James says it most clearly: “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (Jas 2:17). The heroes of the faith listed in Hebrews 11 proved their faith by action. Noah believed God and spent years of his life building an ark. Rahab believed God was among the people of Israel and acted to save the spies sent by Joshua. Abraham believed God and offered Isaac as a sacrifice. The entire Bible is full of stories of people who believed God and acted.
When our faith goes no further than mental assent to a set of truths about God or about Scripture, we face a crisis of faith. All of us can ask the question: “Lord Jesus, from everything I’ve just heard, is there anything that you want me to do?” And then go out and do it. At the beginning of any given day, we can ask, “Lord Jesus, of all the things that could be done today, what do you want me to do?” And then go out and do it. The way to overcome this crisis of faith is through obedient action.
Crisis of Trust
Walking with Jesus in knowing him, discerning his will and obeying him, fills our lives with faith, hope, and love. The fruit of the Holy Spirit emerges. The crisis of trust in God causes a reluctance to tell our story. “What will people think?” “Maybe I should just keep it to myself.” But this is precisely what the writers of Scripture tell us not to do. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the day approaching” (Heb 10:25).
The word for martyr is the word which calls us to testify, telling the story of God’s work in our lives as we listen, discern, obey. “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Ro 10:10). Many of us simply fear being shamed by others which is why Paul goes on to say, “As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame’” (Ro 10:11). When we have successfully moved through the cycle of knowing, discerning, and obeying we need to tell our story, even if we have failed. When we have failed, sharing is our confession and serves as an act of obedience that gets us back into the transformational cycle.
Negative Role of Traps and Closed Loops
If the enemy can’t keep us continuing forward through the transformational cycle, he will try to get us stuck in a closed loop of some kind.
Religious Mode
In the religious mode, we study the Word of God diligently and may even come up with great thoughts of what God might want us to do about it, but somehow never get on with the doing. In this mode, we have Bible studies to learn more about the Bible, gaining more and more knowledge but with little significant subsequent action. The study of the Bible and/or what it means becomes an end in itself. We define an excellent sermon as one from which I learned something that I didn’t know before, rather than one that moved me to action, carrying out the will of God in the world. The Pharisees were excellent at this.
Duty Mode
In the duty mode, we think up more and more things to do to serve God without those ideas flowing out of hearing and knowing God. The idea pops up, and we go out and do it. Then we come back and think up some more ideas. In this mode we are infinitely busy doing ministry and wearing ourselves out, so it often ends in burnout. These are the people of whom Jesus refers when he says, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers’” (Mt 7:22, 23)! Jesus may have been reflecting on the prophesy of Isaiah, “Woe to the obstinate children. . . who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit” (Is 30:1). Plainly, our discernment must flow out of our knowing him and hearing his direction.
Market Mode
Some people are filled with boundless energy, do amazing things, and can tell great stories about what they are doing. These great stories move people to give, to sign up, “to increase in size,” which allows them to do more good things. It may have been years since they have been alone with God to ask for direction, but they keep churning out ministry stories. The amazing thing about Jesus is how rarely he did anything twice or in the same way. He healed one person out of dozens in the pool of Siloam and walked out. He didn’t start healing services or tell the great story to raise more money for his ministry. He fed 5,000 people (which was a great story), and then when he saw that they weren’t interested in spiritual food, he walked away. He was so tuned in to the will of the Father that he never spun in the endless “market mode” loop.
Monk Mode
In the Monk Mode, we keep to ourselves what God has done or is doing, and neglect to share it with others around us for their encouragement and God’s glory. We fail to “bear witness.” Often, in the North American environment we find ourselves in religious settings where we are never asked to share our stories. Many churches used to call on people to give testimony, but that is rarely the case these days. In these settings, we long to hear stories of people just like us telling how they walk with Jesus. We begin to think that it is only the paid staff who have those experiences, and at times do not even hear from them.
Activist Mode
Similar to the “Duty Mode,” in the Activist Mode we are given more and more to do until we simply collapse in exhaustion, but this mode also includes a high level of individualistic and entrepreneurial energy combined with good marketing. Ministry opportunities are endless; the need is bottomless; we just need to acquire more donors through sharing stories and pictures. If we only gauge what we should be doing by what we manage to think up, the only limit is our time and energy and the only rest is burnout. This mode turns its back on the invitation from Jesus to “Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart” (Mt 11:29). This mode can kill.