Stuck on Stupid

During church this morning, the pastor admonished the congregants to not be “stuck on stupid.” He was making a point about the human tendency to focus on the wrong thing; to not see the forest for the trees, if you will.

He was also making a special point about Christians and how we sometimes become frustrated about the fallen state of the world and in so doing become preoccupied with righting wrongs instead of accepting wrongs as evidence of Jesus’ truths and keeping our eyes on him.

Which isn’t to say that Christians shouldn’t be concerned with justice. We should. But I get the pastor’s point that sometimes the way our concern manifests itself (in complaints and griping and unrighteous anger masquerading as righteous anger) isn’t very helpful and doesn’t glorify God. And in so doing we forget what we’ve been taught about the way the world works and what should be our response to it.

Well, let me stop beating around the bush.

A lot of people are not happy that George Zimmerman has been acquitted of all charges concerning the death of Trayvon Martin. Some are calling the trial a travesty and pointing to  the jury composition and the performance of the prosecutor as evidence.

Others are saying this case should never have made the national news and that it was propelled solely to satisfy the agenda of the liberal media and other special interest groups.

I’m not offering an opinion on any of that today. However, I will offer my condolences to the Martin family, because a child is gone and a family is hurting, I’m sure of that.

And to Christians who may be angry about the verdict, I’ll offer the advice of the pastor, because I think it’s good advice.

We’re in a constant war of good versus evil. The war began even before the serpent entered the garden, and it reveals itself daily. We can get swept up in this battle or that battle, but if we don’t keep our eyes on the Lord, we’ll get tied up in knots, fighting the same way the world fights, and that’s no good.