Smart?


I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4-6

Some parts of the Bible frankly cause me to be very uncomfortable. The idea of having my head cut off because of my testimony for Jesus is not a pleasant thought. I’m told there are videos on the internet of beheadings. I have not even considered the idea of looking at one. So when I read that there will be Christians who will have their heads cut off for Jesus I have great difficulty embracing the concept.

Another uncomfortable idea is in the same verse as the beheadings. It says that these dead people will come back to life and reign with Christ for a thousand years. I have never met a person who died and came back to life. The headline might read “Beheaded Christians Alive again and Reigning with Jesus!” The world’s perspective on that might be called “Spooky!” When I try to imagine a context of a bunch of dead people coming to life and “reigning” for a thousand years, it just doesn’t compute.

So what is my problem? Am I not “spiritual” enough to grasp these truths or is there something else?

All parents take pride in how “smart” their child is. We brag about how early a child can talk. Being smart is something in which we all take pride. I remember as a child the sense of accomplishment when my score on an “achievement test” indicated that I was able to function at a level beyond my current grade and age. I still take pride in being able to analyze a situation and come to an understanding of what is the truth about a matter. But that is exactly what Adam and Eve did. Before their sin there was evil and there was good but Adam and Eve were oblivious to those facts. Then with the sin came their ability to know the difference between good and evil. Our First Parents had not been involved in the struggle between good and evil, but with one quick rebellious decision they jumped right in to the middle of the War!

Sadly, I still judge people by how smart they are. God has been trying to teach me not to do that. My oldest daughter’s first child was born with Down Syndrome. If I value my nineteen grandchildren base on how “smart” they are he will never be number one. But God does not place value on our lives according to our mental agility or I.Q. When I take pride in my own ability to understand, I consider myself better than others. I am simply ordering my steps according to the rules of the world.

Now, let’s go back to heads being chopped off and dead people coming back to life. I don’t have to understand it. All I must do is trust God to take me through whatever life may bring! Trusting God will not cause the world around me to declare how smart I am, but trusting God will give me peace to face whatever life may bring.

Love  (not intelligence) is the yardstick to judge others. I must judge and value you based on God’s love for you. Jesus died for and loves men and women across the entire I.Q. spectrum. Praise God that includes me!