Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

 

“Criticism is an indirect form of self-boasting.” Emmet Fox

 

  No doubt we embarrass our children, but when certain songs are played, we step back in time and start acting like giddy teenagers. All of us have “our” music. There were those we sang or danced to during our youth that has a special place in our memories. 

  I loved the music of B.J. Thomas. When I learned that he passed away at the end of May, immediately one of his top songs, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, starting playing on the jukebox of my mind. 

  Thomas married singer-songwriter Gloria Richardson in December 1968 and they had three daughters. But shortly after his career began, he became dependent on drugs and alcohol, which led to his marriage nearly ending. 

  Wonderfully, on January 28, 1976, B.J. committed his life to Jesus Christ. A month later his wife, Gloria did, too. Because of his newfound faith, he began recording gospel albums. His was the first Christian album to go platinum and he became the biggest contemporary Christian musician of that time. He put out a massively successful album of Christian music yet found himself confronted by an evangelical culture eager for stars but instantly, angrily critical of them. His biggest critics were fellow believers. Hailed as a new evangelical icon but then heckled, booed, and berated by born-again fans who didn’t think he was performing his Christianity right. 

  “I think it’s a really sad commentary when people who want to refer to themselves as quote-Christians-unquote would want to come out and hear someone just to boo them,” he said in a 2019 interview. “That to me was always tough to deal with, and I just stopped making 100 percent gospel records.” 

  His most public clash came in 1982 after he’d won his 5^th Gospel Grammy. He sang a string of his secular hits to an Oklahoma audience and a woman started shouting at him to talk about Jesus. He told her he wished Jesus would make her be quiet and then said, “I’m not going to put up with this” and walked off stage. Someone shouted, “You’re losing your witness, B.J.,” and there were scattered boos. He returned to the stage and continued the show, but not before critiquing the fans. “You people love to get together with your gospel singers and talk about how you lead all the pop singers to the Lord. But when you get them in front of you, you can't love them, can you? I've got Jesus, but you can't love me.” He complained that Christians “can’t seem to hear somebody sing. It’s always got to be some kind of Christian cliché or Bible song, or they feel it’s their right before God to reject and judge and scoff.” 

  Isn’t that heartbreaking? We who are brothers and sisters in Christ are often the most critical and even vicious with each other over non-essentials. We’re rightly appalled by “cancel culture,” yet Christians have their own version of “cancel culture.” Frequently, it’s because we’re ignorant of Scripture. The Bible teaches soul liberty over non-essentials and non-biblical issues (Romans 14 & 1 Corinthians 9). At Grace Church, we’re committed to the great quote by Augustine: In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity. While we dare not compromise where the Bible is clear, i.e., doctrine or what are referred to as the fundamentals of the faith, many want to criticize and divide over personal preferences. Why can Christians be so critical? 

  We’re so focused on the negatives of sin, we overlook the positives of salvation. When God repeated the Law for Israel, He gave them both blessings and cursings. We tend to focus on the one prohibited tree in the Garden overlooking the countless ones God encouraged and freely gave. The fourth chapter of Ephesians is a wonderful example of sinful behaviors to abandon, yet godly, fulfilling ones to replace them with. We foolishly tend to look for what’s wrong in God’s world rather than all that’s right. 

  Our thinking is contaminated by a lost world rather than transformed by the gospel. This world is negative, critical, and hopeless. Take a 24 hour period and mark down how many negative or critical things you see, hear, or are told. Tabulate that against how many encouraging or positive ones. Believers are commanded to be in the world but not of it. Even our thinking which will bear fruit in our behavior is to be encouragingly different. Philippians 4:8 commands us: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” 

  Pride and pettiness are enticing. The Pharisees who crucified Jesus believed they were more spiritual because they had the highest standards and the longest list of “don’ts.” That was brought home to me recently as I read criticism of The Chosen, the new multi-season TV show about the life of Christ. It’s truly seeking to honor God’s Word and the Lord Jesus. But if you Google it, you’ll find Christians who object to it because the series invents dialogue and backstories for Bible characters. Others are offended by on-screen depictions of Jesus based on the 2^nd Commandment. 

  Pride tempts us to judge things as wrong where Scripture is at best very vague. This habit of censuring other’s preferences is found in every sphere of life from entertainment to music to career to diet choices to vaccines to political affiliation to dress, ad nauseum. While there are clear biblical boundaries, yet what’s frequently labeled biblically wrong is usually a personal preference. When we have “higher standards” we easily succumb to the repugnant sin of pride, becoming petty and critical. God’s Word is clear that those who are truly righteous are humble and gracious. 

  As much as possible, Christians are to be the Yes People. Our focus and mental diet must be on what’s right in God’s creation and His countless blessings. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:19-20, “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you…was not Yes and No, but in Him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him.” While we must not close our eyes to sin and evil, that is not where we are to mentally dwell. Instead, we’re to think and live as Heaven’s citizens now. As we do, a pessimistic world is attracted to the grace and goodness of our Heavenly Father! 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.