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By Paula Marolewski, December 28, 2009 8:46 am

We think of indoctrination or brainwashing as a horrible, negative event. And, oftentimes, it is. But in many circumstances, indoctrination can be extremely pleasant.

Consider Daniel – a Hebrew captive in Babylon:

“Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding, and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service. Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abednego” (Daniel 1:3-7).

Don’t kid yourself – the king, Nebuchadnezzar – had in mind one thing: to indoctrinate these Jewish lads into Babylonian (Chaldean) culture so that they would be useful to him. What did it look like to Daniel and his friends?

• A new name.
• Good food. 
• Shelter.
• Education.
• Authority.

If you were a captive in a foreign land, fully expecting a life of menial and perhaps painful slavery, this list would sound heavenly.

But Daniel saw immediately that this was a program of indoctrination. He was fully willing to serve in his new home and to honor his new king, but he would not compromise his convictions – and that started with protesting the food, since it had most likely been offered to idols on an altar prior to being set on the table as dinner.

His convictions carried the day … as they did throughout his life, culminating in a night spent in the lions’ den for refusing to worship anyone other than the LORD God.

Of all the many, many lessons we can learn from Daniel, spend some time considering this one today: is our culture and are the people around us trying to give us a pleasant indoctrination into beliefs, attitudes, and actions that are contrary to our convictions? (Phrases like, “Appearances are everything,” “The one with the most toys wins,” and “If it feels good, do it” come to mind …)

Remember – indoctrination can be a very enjoyable experience. It’s the final exam that can prove fatal.

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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• Good vs. Evil: The Discipline of Discernment
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By Paula Marolewski, November 11, 2009 5:23 pm

Evangelism. We’re all supposed to share the Good News with the people around us, but we often fail to do so. We’re afraid of rocking the boat, afraid of being inadequate to the task, afraid of rupturing the relationships we have with others.

But I wonder … is the real problem on occasion actually a matter of the heart? That we have lost our love for the lost?

If we really love someone and want to see them saved from an eternity in hell, isn’t it a measure of that love that we are willing to rock the boat to give them the opportunity to gain that infinite reward? Isn’t it worth stumbling for the right words, even opening our mouth and putting our foot in it, if it will give the true Word of God the chance to be heard? If our relationship with someone is really of value to us, don’t we want it to continue – forever?

Have we lost our love for the lost? “For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son…” (John 3:16).

What are we willing to give?

How much do we truly love?

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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By Paula Marolewski, October 27, 2009 9:58 am

I’ve been considering forgiveness lately. Not forgiveness of the little slights and sins that come every day from rubbing shoulders with the rest of humanity. But forgiveness of the really egregious sins … forgiveness when real pain has been inflicted and real harm has been done, perhaps with malice aforethought.

The pain, the hurt, the grief that is caused by such acts as flagrant adultery, peddling drugs, physical abuse, etc. The list is a long one, highly individualized, and added to every day.

As I considered sin and our call to grant forgiveness, I was struck anew at how hard it is to forgive. And I believe that is, actually, appropriate.

After all, in order to offer true forgiveness, we have to come to grips with true evil. If we just flippantly say, “Yes, I forgive you!” but we have not truly understood either the corruption of the human heart or the pain such evil has caused another, our words are devoid of meaning. It is only after we have felt the horror of evil that our offer of forgiveness can be real.

Too often, however, we stop there. We are paralyzed by the evil, and so we cannot offer the balm of forgiveness.

It is vital to take the second step: to grasp the infinite love, grace, and forgiveness of God. Love that is greater than the horror of true evil. Grace that reaches to the unbelievable depths of corruption in the human heart. Forgiveness that calls the foulest sinner into perfect and intimate relationship with a holy God.

Only then – having truly comprehended both the nature of evil and the triumph of the Cross – can we then begin to extend fully the forgiveness of God to a needy world.

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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• Wasteland

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By Paula Marolewski, September 22, 2009 9:09 am

Too often, I think we minimize or brush off our own hurt. Someone offends or wounds us, and even if they ask us about it we say dismissively, “It’s okay.” But it’s not okay. We’re bleeding inside, and our relationship with the other person has been damaged.

I believe we do both ourselves and the other person a disservice when we aren’t honest about the hurts we receive. Honesty is, in fact, a prerequisite to forgiveness – and forgiveness is the healing balm for both our wounded soul and the wounded relationship.

But being honest can be a tough proposition! So here are four guidelines to help practice healthy honesty:

• First, don’t assume the other person realizes that they hurt you. The truth is, we sometimes mis-communicate or are ignorant of the effect of what we said or did.
• Second, don’t point fingers. Honesty isn’t about lashing out and hurting or condemning the other person. Simply state what happened and how it made you feel.
• Third, keep to the point. Don’t bring up past wounds or mask the present problem with specious arguments. Keep to the current issue and deal with it.
• Fourth, don’t demand that the other person ask your forgiveness. Forgiveness must be freely asked for and freely given. Just do your part: be honest.

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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• Forgiving from the Heart

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By Paula Marolewski, September 1, 2009 10:02 am

Let me share one of the many items on my personal list of “things I have learned the hard way.” Ready? Here it is:

If everyone tells you that you’re wrong, you just might be wrong!

When I think of the trouble I could have avoided, the pain I could have been spared if only I had taken it to heart when people warned me I was making poor choices, it staggers me. So today, I simply want to pass on this hard-won bit of wisdom: if you are set on a certain course and people who know you and love you are concerned about the choices you are making, make absolutely certain to:

1. Listen carefully to them.

2. Examine in detail your reasons for making the decision(s) you are making. Be on the lookout for:

• Intellectual errors. I.e., Did you make a logical misstep somewhere? Are you making an unwarranted assumption?
• Emotional errors. I.e., Are you so emotionally wrapped-up in the decision that you refuse to consider that it might be wrong?
• Spiritual errors. I.e., Is your relationship with God on the downward spiral? Do you want something that is clearly outside of God’s will?

3. Share those reasons with the people who were giving you the warnings.

4. Listen carefully to them again!  

Sure – sometimes people can think you’re making a mistake, and they themselves can be mistaken. But, that being said …

If everyone tells you that you’re wrong, you just might be wrong!

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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By Paula Marolewski, August 27, 2009 7:05 am

When it comes to giving and receiving forgiveness, “I’m sorry” is not the same as “Please forgive me”:

• “I’m sorry” focuses on me instead of on the person I hurt. “Will you please forgive me?” puts the focus appropriately on the injured party.
• “I’m sorry” can be said in a vacuum and requires no response. “Will you please forgive me” and “Yes, I forgive you” are lifelines thrown across a broken relationship.
• “I’m sorry” has become cheap. Do we really want to use the same word for everything from “sorry that I missed your phone call,” to “sorry that I can’t make the dinner engagement we had,” to “sorry that I murdered your son”?
• “I’m sorry” may or may not acknowledge wrong-doing. I may just be sorry that you took offense at what I said or that I got caught red-handed in sin. “Please forgive me,” on the other hand, clearly acknowledges moral guilt.  
• “I’m sorry” doesn’t necessarily require that we come down from our high-horse of pride. “Please forgive me” is by its very nature humbling: with the best kind of humility. It reinforces the fact that we are sinners, dependent on God’s grace, saved by faith, and working out our sanctification each day of our lives.

© 2009 Paula Marolewski, www.SinkYourRoots.com

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