“Christians are not called to manipulate, but to motivate.”

Guest (Male): Christians are not called to manipulate, but to motivate. Let's talk about it on Key Life. The deepest message of Jesus and the Bible is the radical grace of God to sinners and sufferers. That's what Key Life is all about. So if you're hungry for the hopeful truth that God isn't mad at you, keep listening. Steve Brown is a seminary professor and our teacher on Key Life.
Steve Brown: Thank you, Matthew. If you were listening yesterday, I took some time to go down a side road, which was a disclaimer. We all either motivate or manipulate. And I gave you Fred Smith's quote, which I love. He said, "Manipulation is for me. Motivation is for us." And so I do not want us to go down some kind of guilt trip road when we try to motivate other people. So I spent time with that disclaimer. Now, let me show you some things I've learned about manipulation. We live in a world of manipulation. So we should first talk about the cultural, economic, and political forms of manipulation before we turn to the far more important and dangerous phenomenon of religious manipulation. All manipulation is dangerous, and the source of guilt and shame and fear and regret. But spiritual manipulation is manipulation on steroids. A bit of realism and cynicism is in order when we consider this subject. That is what Jesus meant when he said, "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men." That is Matthew 10:16-17. His words are wise and apply everywhere we encounter manipulation. Among other things, Jesus is saying that most people we meet have their own agendas. And that ignoring that fact can be dangerous. We all, all of us need to be wary of commercials, talking heads, and free products. I suspect you get the same spam emails I do. They tell me that I have won a Publisher's Clearing House lottery, which I didn't even enter. That I have a package at UPS when I didn't order anything. That my subscription to Peacock has expired when I didn't have a subscription. I can get free gifts when I don't want their free gifts, etc., etc., etc. You also probably have an option on your email server to block those emails. I do too, but I don't use that option very often. You know why? Because I get kind of a perverse pleasure in deleting them. Generally, I say after deleting them, "Do you think I'm that stupid?" It would be nice if all manipulation were that shallow and easily identified. But unfortunately, that's not the case. Political narratives, for instance, are often designed to make us angry and to persuade us to give money and power to one side or the other. In the case of talking heads, the angrier we get, the more we watch or listen. And the more that brings them commercials and money. Then there are commercials that seem to inform but are emotional tools of manipulation. Since I'm bald, I must be careful about hair growth products. Those struggling with their weight are likely drawn to weight loss programs and products. If we struggle with relationships, they say that whitening our stained teeth will change our lives. Health benefits sell products. Car commercials are sexy reminders that we can be sexy too. I've never understood why the gold and silver sellers tell us that we'll lose the value of our money if we don't buy more gold and silver, and then charge us money for it. The very thing they say is dangerous to have, except when they have it. Now, I don't want to belabor the point. You know all of this. In those cases of manipulation and a thousand others like them, as in poker, Christians need to learn when to fold them, when to walk away, and when to run. The secret is to learn to identify agendas and set aside powerful emotions. Be aware of the difference between need and desire and question almost everything. That's just common sense. However, when we move from manipulation we encounter all the time in our culture, to manipulation that pulls God into the mix, we move into some very dangerous areas that are often the cause of our guilt and shame and fear and regret. I have a close friend who served on a prominent and large Christian ministry board. The head of that ministry asked my friend for his vote on a particular issue, and as an aside, said my friend should pray about it. My friend voted against the issue. And when the head of the ministry got angry at him, my friend said, "It's your fault. I understand politics and your request for my vote, and I would have given it. But you brought God into the mix, and when you told me to pray about it, that's different." It is different. We recently interviewed Philip Plymley, the Dean of Durham Cathedral in England, about his book, "Being Real: The Apostle Paul's Hardship Narratives and the Stories We Tell Today." During that interview, Philip pointed out that the Apostle Paul was honest and open about the suffering and the hardships he faced. But he was short on details. And Philip said that one has to be careful about people who tell you everything about their life because it's easy to move from information to manipulation. He was right in pointing out the danger of manipulation in Christian circles. Sometimes even authenticity can be a kind of manipulation. When we consider the power of words in sermons, blogs and podcasts and books, including the one that I am teaching from right now that was released this month, there is a biblical caution sign that the wise will heed. Paul was especially hard about the manipulation of those at the church in Galatia. This is what he said: "There are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." That's Galatians 1:7-8. And later in Galatians, in a rather earthy comment, Paul says, "I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves." That's Galatians 5:12. It's interesting to note that the book of Galatians is about the true gospel. It's a book of freedom. Martin Luther called it, "My Katie," referring to his wife, a compliment both to Katie and to Paul's writing in Galatians. It's a wonderful book of great comfort and forgiveness and freedom. So it should be kept in mind that Paul was very disturbed when he saw how those who had come to the freedom and forgiveness of Christ rushing back to spiritual slavery. Listen to what he said. He said, "I'm astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel." Galatians 1:6. And a verse that stands up and sings the Hallelujah Chorus, he writes, "For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm therefore and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1. Note that the mark of the Christian is the freedom of forgiveness and the experience of God's unconditional love. It should be a red flag when one doesn't see and feel that truth. It's time to stand firm. And if you're into poker, to fold them. You think about that. Amen.
Matthew: Thank you, Steve. That does it for this week in our current teaching series. Hey, thanks for being with us all this week as we've been celebrating the launch of Steve's new book. You can get more details and order your copy at keylife.org/notmadbook, or of course, you could just find it at Amazon. And do join us again tomorrow for Friday Q&A with Steve and Pete.
Guest (Male): Dysfunctional family traits ran deep inside me. I was much more like my mother than I wanted to admit. I even became an alcoholic just like her. I blew up my marriage and I wounded my kids. That could have been the end of the story, but it was not. God, who began pursuing me all those years before, was not finished with me. Jesus did not give up on me.
Matthew: Well, that's from an article by Barry Smith, and you can find it in the latest Key Life Magazine. This edition features articles from Barry, Matt Hurd, Steve, and Justin Holcomb. It's yours when you call us at 1-800-KEY LIFE. That's 1-800-539-5433. You can also email Steve at keylife.org to ask for that magazine. Or to mail your request, go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses. Just ask for your free copy of Key Life Magazine. Finally, would you join in the work of Key Life by giving? You can charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope, or give safely and securely by text. Just take out your phone and text Key Life to 28950. That's Key Life one word or two, it doesn't matter. Text that to 28950, then follow the instructions. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and FORCI in Canada, and Key Life is a listener-supported production of Key Life Network.