Are You and Advocate or an Adversary?

I recently proofread a paper for a friend (some of you will get the joke there) where he talked about a certain theological position being less of a positive position and more of a negative reaction against a different theological bent. This struck me as a concerning commentary on our current cultural situation. Inside and outside of the church peope seem to be known more for what they are against rather than what they are for. Politicians opine against other politicians rather than presenting their plan for balancing the budget. Sportscasters react to quarterback decisions and Christians formulate opinions and positions as protest against that which they do not like.

My challenge to you (and to me) is to be an advocate rather than an adversary. Rather than parenting by reaction and explaining what you do not want your children to become, decide what you want them to be and build your parenting around your future hopes and dreams (and ideally a biblical model). Rather than builidng your personal theology against the theology of another (Calvinism, Arminianisim, environmentalism, etc…), work to proactively develop a robust theology of your own. Instead of protesting against the wrongs perpetrated toward children, advocate on behalf of children.

I have found in my life that it is much easier to be an adversary than an advocate. It is easier to determine what I am against rather than what I am for because I can simply sit back and wait for the things I don’t like to rear their ugly head and then protest agasinst them. It is far more difficult to go to God’s word and pursue wisdom and guidance to help me determine a proactive worldview. It’s harder for me to identify what I want my children to become and then teach them and mold them into that view than it is to wait for them to mess up and simply impose negative discipline.

The church needs people who stand for something and not against everything. Stand for something, work for it, own it, and then you will be better equipped to know what you must fight against. If we have not identified a position to fight for, we have a tendency to rebel against nearly everything. What about you, are you an advocate or an adversary?