Drama

I see so many lives that are shaped by drama. They are consumed by confusion and they love it that way.  We deal with it, but we don’t have to dwell on it. Too many lives are ruined by drama and its power. Too many people worried about looking perfect for others or too many worried about someone else and not their own issues. Many treat life like a game or a play but in reality, it’s very different, the stakes are higher, the players are real, and the consequences can’t be cruised over or ignored. The word drama comes from the Greek meaning a performance and that’s exactly what drama is, a representation of something that could or could not be true.

Think about how much drama impacts the lives of others, it fuels television and magazines, it interferes in our lives at work and at home. The drama that I talk about is the problems that we cause or others cause that creates issues of worry and anxiety that isn’t necessary. Lots of drama is caused by gossip or perceptions of people that could cause fights, abandonment, or helplessness. We see so many people caught in the throws of drama and can’t get out of it. They seem to be in the pits and stay there wondering how to get out. We’ve been there too. Where the problems orbit us like a moon and cast shadows of doubt and discouragement along the way. We wonder, where is God? Where is He in the time of my troubles? He is there but are we willing to let Him get us out or are we comfortable living in the stress that we’ve created by letting it get to us?

Drama cannot be avoided all the time, we mess up, things will be said or not said, things will be misconstrued but we, as individuals have a choice, to let it gnaw at us or to deal with it and move on. As one of my favorite movie quotes goes, “Honey, folks are gonna talk about you ’til the day you die, and ain’t nothing you can do. Let folks talk! It ain’t about what they call you … it’s what you answer to. — Mabel “Madea” Simmons (Tyler Perry).” They talked about Jesus, they are going to talk about you no matter how perfect you try to live your life.

Want drama? Look no further than David. He was anointed by God to be king at a young age. He defeated a giant with a sling and a stone by God’s help. He did so much for God, but the drama of his own making was his and his family’s undoing. It started off simple enough but then snowballed into an experience he wished he could’ve taken back. “And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.” David was supposed to go but didn’t and it cost him dearly. The devil knows how to trick us up when we decide to not listen to God and to do our own thing. David had a weakness and the devil used it. “And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.” And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” David was told she was married. David could’ve just forgotten about her and went on about his business but didn’t. He was king and the king got what the king wanted. “And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child. 2 Samuel 11:1-5.” David committed adultery that night, something that God commanded people not to do. It causes unnecessary heartache and drama, even if they didn’t get caught. It didn’t matter God knew. David now had a bigger problem; the mistress was pregnant. David was cunning and thought of the husband who was a soldier in David’s army. The scripture tells us, “And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.” Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband was a dutiful soldier and protected the king. He didn’t go home. David wanted Uriah to think the baby was his but Uriah wouldn’t go home so David tried another way .And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.” Uriah didn’t want to feel guilty about spending time at home with his wife when his fellow solderis couldn’t. He had a job to do and wanted to do it. He knew nothing about David’s ulterior motives. “And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house. “David tried to get Uriah drunk and go home but this didn’t work either. David thought that desperate times call for desperate measures. David never consulted anyone, he was trying to cover up his sin and failing miserably. So, he did one last thing, “And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. 2 Samuel 11:6-17.” Not only did David steal someone’s wife, covet after her, commit adultery with her but he then murdered the husband! Talk about drama! When God sent a prophet to deal with David about the matter, David knew he had done wrong and wanted it set right but he still had to pay for what he did and sadly his family did as well. Nathan told David about a rich man and his poor neighbor. The rich man had much and the poor man had nothing except a little lamb which he had like a pet. The rich man had many flocks of sheep. A visitor came to the rich man and the rich man took the little lamb of the poor man and killed it! David responded, “And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.” Talk about a bomb being dropped on you. Nathan was fixing to lower the boom with the proclamation of the Lord in judgment, “Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.” How many times has God blessed us richly and yet we go about wanting the things of the world and causing havoc because someone else has it better, we think. We cause drama where God wants peace. Nathan continues, “Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.” David’s punishment was severe and long lasting, “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. 2 Samuel 12:5-14.” God judged David and his family because David was a ruler, he knew the commandments of God, he knew how God felt about these things, but he disregarded them and did them anyways! David could’ve stopped at any time. He didn’t have to kill Uriah, but he did. He didn’t have to stay at home from battle, but he did. He made these conscience decisions that reaped consequences. The Bible says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Galatians 6:7-8.” David mocked God by going against Him even after God did for David, David threw it all away for the desires of the flesh. We see it almost daily on the news, someone has lost their job, their family, their reputation for following their fleshly desires. This wreaks havoc and chaos. When we feed our flesh, expect the product of the flesh. When we feed the spirit expect the product of the Spirit. Whatever you plant, you will grow. You plant an apple tree, you won’t get oranges. You will get what you planted. Whatever you plant in your life, you will get out of it. If you go after spiritual things, God will bless you. If you go after worldly things, Satan will bless you.

Drama can be caused of our own doing and most of the time it is. There are times when it is caused by outside forces, maybe people starting rumors and gossip but the peace disturbance they are trying to cause doesn’t have to affect you. Let me say that again, that the peace they are trying to destroy, that peace that God placed in your heart, doesn’t have to be stolen from you. Jesus tells us some important things we need to follow, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:19-21.” If we find satisfaction in tearing others down with our words, our looks, or our actions, our treasure is of this world. If we shut people out, if we exclude people, if we call people ugly names or if we act anything but like Jesus would to them, we are not being an example of Christ. Our treasure will rot and be easily stolen. If we have our treasure placed in Christ, like our joy, our peace, our purpose, no one can steal that away. The devil may try, but it is up to us if we let him succeed because Christ has us. As the scripture reminds us, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:1-5.” People are going to talk. No one is perfect and the only one that ever was perfect they put Him to death! So, we will have troubles, we will have issues but God can see us through it and above it. Just because we find ourselves in a valley of drama doesn’t mean we have to stay there. Just because we may find it hard to make ends meet today doesn’t mean it has to be that way forever. Just because we find ourselves in a bad situation doesn’t mean we’re stuck there. God can help you and wants to help you but are you wanting God to help or are you enjoying the misery? Sadly, people feel like that is the only way they get attention and recognition and will stay in the pit of despair because they see no way out or feel like they are trapped but God doesn’t see it that way. You can have a life of peace no matter what storm is going on around you. Right now, our power is out, the wind is whipping at the trees and my body is telling me that there is a change in the weather. Sure, it’s all inconvenient, but it doesn’t mean God has forgotten about me or doesn’t love me. It’s just how it goes sometimes.  Roll with the punches, so people say. I can tell you it’s easier to roll with a punch than to take it. This woman was ready for her punches. She was fixing to take a beating for her wrong doing. She caused lots of drama and was going to pay for it. “Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.” This woman was in the wrong. She was caught. She had nowhere to turn to and was facing the death penalty (imagine if that was still enforced, there would be a lot less people in the world!). The scribes and Pharisees wanted to see what Jesus would say. “Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.” They heard Jesus preaching grace and forgiveness but wanted to see it with an actual case. They wanted to stir the pot so to speak but Jesus knew their tricks. “But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” They are continually asking Jesus, “What should we do? Stone her? What are you going to do, Jesus? What are you going to say? If you say stone her, you go against what you preach, but if you forgive her you are going against the commandment of God!” Jesus just wrote on the ground. We don’t know if he wrote the men’s sins or if he was doodling, nevertheless, the point was made. “And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?” Jesus didn’t have to say a word. The accusers left with their accusations. Jesus stopped them in their tracks. “She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.  John 8:1-11.” Jesus forgave her, and we should do likewise if we are Christians. People sin and make mistakes knowingly. Don’t give into their sin and don’t let it get to you. Let Jesus handle it and let it go. Holding on to something someone did to you in the past isn’t hurting them. You’re the one holding on to it! You’re the one causing drama for a reason long forgotten. Jesus gave us some excellent points to live by and He was the ultimate example. “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” Um…Jesus? That isn’t easy! Newsflash, Christianity isn’t “easy” but it’s worth our while. It’s not worth it to have enemies because of petty issues when we have a mission field to show the love of Christ to. Why should we love people who don’t love us back? “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Things are going to happen to us whether we are with God or against Him. Christians aren’t always successful, rich, or happy. Christians aren’t always surrounded by rainbows, in fact in order to have rainbows you must have the rain! For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48.” It’s easy to cause drama, it’s harder to keep things private and to help and heal not hurt and harm. Yet Jesus wants us to love each other and that means we need to keep our opinions of folks to ourselves and share information that lifts up and doesn’t tear down. The scripture outlines what a person should and shouldn’t do and this is definitely a should not. Let us pay attention that we don’t duplicate the same issues. “A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Proverbs 6:12-19.” We’ve probably fallen into one of these categories some time in our life. God doesn’t like it when we do these things because it hurts His most prized creation—humans! God doesn’t like it because He created us all in His image and hurting each other is not what He had in mind. Our words hurt and dig deep wounds and should be realized as such. We shouldn’t say them because God has warned us what will happen and how we look in His eyes, “An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good. He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass. Proverbs 16:27-30.” Things happen and people get upset, we should be ready and willing to apologize for any wrongdoing we’ve done and forgive others (even if they don’t apologize!) This cuts down on the drama when you don’t let it bother you and you just let it run off you. Just like Jesus with the woman caught in adultery, it could’ve been a fiasco, but instead Jesus used finesse and a diversion. Focus on the good in people, even the people who have caused you the most pain because Jesus died for them too!

When drama arises don’t let it consume you and hold you down in chains of burden. Remember Christ came to set us free from the world and its trappings. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Galatians 5:13-17.” We can let drama starve while we let grace abound. We can let love win while we let hate go underground. We must turn our lives over to the one who made peace possible by His life and His death. You and I are responsible for our actions and our reactions, so let us be in tune to God’s will. We should care and be concerned for others but don’t let them drag you down, go to them by the power of Christ and lift them up. Pray for them, show them the love of God but don’t let them anchor you down. Leave the past where it belongs, learn from it, grow and move on! Drama will consume you and burn you. But you don’t have to let it, you can get it taken care of by confessing it and conquering it by the power of Christ. As Paul tells us, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. Philippians 3:13-17.” Keep your eyes, ears, mouth, heart and mind on Jesus and you won’t go wrong. The world may not like it, people may not like it but you are answering to God Almighty not the crowd. Learn to love the hard headed as much as the friendly and look at people the way Jesus does, in need of a Savior and worthy of love. Don’t let drama ruin your life or anyone else’s, stop the cycle today and every day by looking toward the high calling of God. People gonna talk, let them but know God has the final say in your life! “For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life. But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake. Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave. Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Psalms 31:13-19.” Lord help us as we deal with others and may God be our strong tower in times of trouble and tough seas. May we understand that we won’t understand it all, but that Christ is our all in all. May we lean upon His everlasting arms and rest in the comfort of His grace. May we seek peace instead of strife and may we cease from hurting and keep on keeping on in the faith!