Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Wednesday January 10, 2007

Any endeavor in life will hopefully bring success in harmony with the stated purpose of the endeavor and it will also bring a certain amount of criticism. Such is life and to think differently is to set yourself up for a bushel of grief.

A few days ago I did two lead pieces for a series of articles that hopefully USA Today or another major media outlet will pick up. It is a series that will unmask the crime of ministers within the professing church who refuse to obey the law and support their children as ordered by a court, to say nothing of clear biblical commandments.

One man wrote to me and thanked me, not only with word, but a nice offering. He has been through a gut wrenching divorce and while he has paid the ordered dollar support, he, by his own admission has been so consumed by bitterness as to be totally derelict in providing any kind of spiritual contribution. I offered him advice on the how of this.

May I say in passing that I do not have a bias against men who have been through breakups. I think of one dear man who worked on my staff for around 12 years. His wife left him when he was only 19 years of age. There was a child. This dear brother did all that he could for the girl, and like clockwork, laid a receipt of payment to the family on my desk each pay day. I would have required this, but I never had to. He understood that doing this was a matter of character.

To those who criticize I only offer that children are not responsible for the problems of the parents and their suffering should not extend to the denial of basic human decency. It was hoped that my readers would apply the principles of the articles, and ask themselves if there is any way they can improve their service to those who look to them for supply of financial, emotional and spiritual needs. All biblical principles carry this soul searching emphasis. I am happy for the many comments concerning the fact that more clergy should follow my lead and help take some of the load off of communities that are overburdened with the care of non-professing men who become known as deadbeat dads. It is a travesty against Christ when Bible carrying men enter the same class.

To my few critics I offer the profound wisdom of Dr. Samuel Johnson, often referred to as the father of English literature:

"A fly may sting a stately horse and make him wince, but one is but an insect, and the other is stately horse still."

My prayer is that Jesus will saddle me up and ride me in His service today. Yes, yes I do know what beast Jesus rode into Jerusalem, but as long as He is the rider, I care not what I am, the stately horse or the lowly….

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2007 Use with credit.

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