Crazy for Christ

I’m reading a wonderful book called 12 Christian Beliefs That Can Drive You Crazy: Relief From False Assumptions by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. These guys are some of my favorite authors, who also wrote When to Say Yes and When to Say No to Take Control of Your Life. In the aforementioned book, Cloud and Townsend really help us to understand where we go wrong in our thinking patterns as related to Christianity. One of the best points they make, is that not all negative feelings are sin. They point out that pain, grief, anger, sadness, and fear often result from childhood sexual, physical, or even emotional abuse. They also point out that these negative feelings can occur when we are sinned against at any time in our lives. They claim that some in the church say that to still suffer from these things indicates unrepented sin of the victim and that the sufferer is accordingly condemned for having these negative feelings. They also point out that this was the exact same message Job got from his friends. But contrary to their beliefs, Job was simply a victim of circumstance and some malice. Cloud and Townsend purport that sin did not cause Job’s suffering, but enormous loss did. They further state that no where in the Bible does it say that a sin against you that causes you pain and suffering is caused in any way by your own sin.



Cloud and Townsend write that to blame the victim for their pain and suffering is a sin against the wounded, against the brokenhearted, against the oppressed, and is ultimately a sin against God, whose heart is with those who hurt (Psalm 34:18). God always sides with the wounded victim and commands us to heal the brokenhearted, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone (I Thess. 5:14). We are not to blame or even admonish a victim for some supposed sin, but to love and encourage them. Job 6:14 states that “There should be kindness for a person in despair, or they might forsake the fear of the Almighty.” Cloud and Townsend believe, and I would also support this, that too often the church confronts hurting people about their pain, instead of treating them with the kindness and compassion they need.



As a very personal example of this, I myself have often suffered further, from those who would place the blame on me for staying in an abusive relationship for so long, even when I was following the advice of trusted pastors. I have been called crazy, and been accused of neglecting my children for not leaving the relationship sooner than I did. And I have been looked down on by many in and out of the church for choosing to remain married, though I do not live in the same household any longer. Divorce is just not in my vocabulary. It is against everything in my belief system. I believe children need a mother and a father, even if he’s not the best father in the world. My hope and prayer is still for reconciliation at some point (All things are possible with God). By remaining married to my husband of 29+ years, my children did not suffer further, by being forced to accept step mothers and step fathers, who may have even abused them, nor did they suffer the loss of their father, though the relationship may be somewhat limited.



Recently, I’ve been called crazy again. For what reason, I’m not sure, but I would like to reply to that accusation in this way. Jesus said, “Whoever is without sin, cast the first stone.” I, for one, am certainly not without sin, but I do not believe I am crazy. Some may beg to differ on that opinion, and I would say it’s just that, an opinion. The Word of God says, we should be very careful about calling people crazy, (or a fool, in KJV terms). Christ tells us, “that whoever is angry with another without cause will be in danger of judgment: and whoever says to another, ‘You’re crazy,’ will be in danger of being sued at law: but whoever says, ‘You’re crazy,’ will also be in danger of the Hell fire.” And I would say that I’m in good company, as Jesus was thought of as crazy by his own family, and Paul the apostle was called crazy, as well. “And when Yeshua’s own family heard it, they went out to take the Christ, because they thought that Yeshua was crazy” (Mark 3:21). So there was another disagreement among the Jews because of these stories. And many of them said, “Yeshua has an evil spirit, and is crazy; Why do you listen to that One?” (John 10:19-20).



In the words of Paul the apostle, one who I relate to much in scripture, “So knowing the fear of God, we try to change the minds of others; and though it’s clear to God who we are; I trust also that in your consciences we are made clear. And we don’t approve of ourselves again to you, but we want to give you a chance to be proud of us, so that you can have something to answer those who take pride in appearances, but not in the heart. And if we’re crazy, it’s for God’s sake: or if we use good sense, it’s for your sake, because the love of Christ makes us believe that if One died for all, then all are dead: And Christ died for all, so that those who live wouldn’t ever live for themselves again, but for Christ who died for them, and rose again. So now, we see no one as they are in the body: and yes, though we’ve known Christ in the body, still now we don’t know the Christ that way any more. So then, if anyone is in Christ, they’re a new creature, putting their old ways in the past until everything becomes new to them. And we are brought back to God, who has done all this by Yeshua the Christ, and has given to us the ministry of bringing others back to God; That is, that Yahweh God was in Christ Yeshua, bringing the world back to a relationship with God, not counting their sins against them; and has trusted to us the New Word, which brings others back to God. Now then, we’re spokespersons for Christ, and as though God was begging you through us: we beg you in Christ’s stead, to come back to God, who has made Christ to be sin for us, who knew no sin; so that we might become the goodness of God through Christ.” II Corinthians 5:11-21



So I will defend my person against the accusation that I am crazy with Paul’s argument, “I say again, let no one think of me as crazy; but if otherwise, still accept me as a crazy person, so that I can talk about myself a little. What I speak, I don’t speak for God, but as in stupidity, in this self-confident bragging. Seeing that many brag about their earthly lives, I’ll brag also. And you gladly accept thoughtless ones, seeing that you yourselves are wise! And you even allow it, if they control you, if they use you, if they take from you, if they say they’re better than you, or even if they hit you on the face. And I speak about our own dishonor, as we had been weak in this way, too. Just the same, whatever anyone wants to brag about, though I speak stupidly, I will brag about it, also. . . Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a crazy person, but I am more! I have worked harder; I have been beaten more times than I can count; I have been locked up more often; I have escaped death more often. . . in danger of my own people, in danger of other people, in danger in the city, in danger in the countryside, in danger in the sea, in danger among false Christians; I have been tired and aching, often with no sleep, hungry and thirsty, often willingly going without food, cold and going without clothes. And besides all this, my daily concerns, which is the care of all the churches. Who is more weak than I am? Who is offended, and I am not burning with anger? So if I need to brag, I’ll brag about all my weaknesses. The God, who Yeshua, our Christ is from, which is blessed forever, knows I’m not lying. II Corinthians 11:16-31



I will end this discussion of whether or not I am crazy with Paul’s further arguments that any weaknesses in me will eventually lead others to Christ because they will see the grace of God on my life. Paul stated, “And Christ told me, “My grace is enough for you because My strength is seen in your weakness.” So most gladly, I’ll brag about my weaknesses instead, so that the power of Christ can be seen by all. So I have joy in my weaknesses, in accusations, in times of need, in discriminations, in all kinds of troubles for Christ’s sake, because when I am weak, that is when I’m really strong. . . I am crazy for bragging like this; but you’ve made me do it because I ought to have been approved of by you. I have followed not the least bit behind the very first followers, though I’m nothing. . . And I’ll very gladly use up all that is mine and even be used up myself to save your souls; though the more greatly I love you, the less I am loved. . . What we say, we say before God in Christ, and everything we do, dear loved one, is to help you. I fear that when I come, I won’t find you as I want to, and that I’ll be found by you as you wouldn’t want me. I’m afraid that there’ll be arguments, jealousy, anger, making fun of me, bad-mouthing, gossiping, arrogant pride, or chaos. And in case, when I come back, my God will humble me among you, and that I’ll be upset by many who have sinned, and haven’t changed from their evil ways, sexual sins, and filthiness. II Cor. 12: 9-21



So if I am to be called crazy, then I will pray to take that with humility and grace as Paul, the apostle once did, who stated, “But I think that God has put us followers last, as if we were chosen for death because we’re made an example to the world, both to angels, and to human beings. We make ourselves as crazy people for Christ's sake, but you’re wise in Christ; We're weak, but you’re strong; You’re respectable, but we're disrespected. Even to this day, we hunger, thirst, and are poorly clothed, and are beaten, and have no real home; And we work, working with our own hands; being hated, we bless; being abused, we suffer it; being defamed, we plead. And we’re made as the filth of the world, and are the trash of all to this day.” I Cor. 4:9-13 So if I am to be judged in such a harsh manner by those, who call themselves Christian, then I would say to those who might listen to their lies and exaggerations, that you consider who I am as a person and who the message is coming from. I, myself, have lived a lifestyle consistent with my Christian beliefs, which are strongly pro-life, no divorce without Biblical grounds, (though divorce is not required even in that case), and living a godly lifestyle that promotes no addictive use of substances. I did, in fact, commit adultery once, but I have not made that a lifestyle choice, even though the temptation to find another mate has been unbearable at times after so many years of abuse. I have never once drank alcohol, only smoked one cigarette in my life, have never done drugs of any kind, loved my eight children dearly, nursed them all, disciplined them when necessary (probably went overboard with that a few times), tried to be a good wife, even while being abused, have been in church most all my life, have studied the Word probably more than most, and have always tried to be a good person. And these works of mine are but filthy rags to God, but for the grace of Jesus Christ. I have suffered being beaten, cursed at, had a gun put to my head, been put in jail through no fault of my own, been locked up for three days because I stood against others in my family who pulled my fathers food and water when he was dying, and many other trials. Those who would accuse me of being crazy have likely not led as godly a life as I have tried to, though I can’t say that for sure, because I don’t know their hearts. But I do know that some of their actions have seemed to me to be not very consistent with the Christian Faith they claim to have or their own professed self-godliness. Some of these people have no problem with euthanasia of the young or old, have been less than careful with their children, and have not recognized when their own children were using drugs. They are certainly not without sin either, and shouldn’t be throwing stones at me. Nevertheless, they have called me crazy, so if I am crazy, then I am Crazy for Christ!!!