Heaven’s Heartbeat - No More Mr. Nice Guy
Standing in front of the large sign, I had to laugh out loud. And I have to admit that my laughter was just a tad cynical.
It was a pot shop, boasting a full menu of all your favorite smokes and snacks.
After snapping a couple of photos, I had to check out their web page. Was this Mr. Nice Guy as nice as he claimed to be? I was somewhat astonished at this statement of their “Eight Internal Values.” (I’m asking myself, “A pot shop has a mission statement?”)
Here is how it read:
Make the world a better place.
Team makes the difference.
Speed in everything we do.
Consumer first.
Play to win.
Be a great partner.
Innovation—think forward & think big.
Do the right thing always.
As much as that might sound like a mission statement from some of the churches I have visited, marijuana and ministry do not go together—no matter how tasty the loaded munchies might be, or how pleasing killing off one’s brain cells might seem.
But what about this Mr. Nice guy thing?
I’ve lived my whole life with cultural messages telling me to be a nice guy, live in a nice neighborhood (with nice weather), find a nice job, attend a nice church, marry a nice girl (I really did!), and have a nice family. If I checked all of those boxes, I would have a “nice life.”
Nice is our American go-to adjective.
But let’s consider that. Did you know that the origin and the root word of “nice” come from the Latin word “nescius,” which means “ignorant” or “not knowing”? And while you’re at it, you can throw in silly, foolish, careless, senseless, and frivolous. In other words, it is very different from the way we use it today—as a synonym for being pleasant or agreeable. Over time, morphed by the shifting sands of culture and society, nice changed its appearance, but it hasn’t changed its heart.
Nice says to “make the world a better place.” Jesus says to go into all the world and proclaim His good news. He came, lived, died, rose again, and promised to return. And He is the only way to the Father and salvation.
Nice says the team makes the difference. Jesus prays for His people in John 17 to be one as He and the Father are one, so the world will believe that the Father sent the Son.
Nice says to be driven by speed. Jesus says that by patience, you will possess your soul, your very life.
Nice says people are consumers. Jesus says you are witnesses for and worshippers of the true God.
Nice says play to win; Jesus says the greatest among you will be the one who serves others.
Nice says be a great partner. Jesus says lay down your life, take up your cross, and follow Me.
Nice says to think big. Jesus says to pray big, have great faith in God, and greater works you will do.
Nice says, do the right thing; Jesus says you can’t do anything apart from Me.
If you follow Jesus, you have a life mission to accomplish. Nice is a false and dreamy sense of security that will not get you across the finish line of life.
Like a drug, Nice will medicate your feelings and control your movements, but it will be a major distraction. Nice will drain your energy, ultimately weakening your will to follow Jesus.
Nice will put you to sleep.
The Holy Spirit doesn’t need any more nice Christians. He needs mature believers who love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly with their God.
So, stay awake and alert, clear-eyed and focused. Let’s position ourselves to say with the Apostle Paul:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”
(2 Timothy 4:7-8 NLT)
Is that nice? You tell me. All I know is that it is true.
- Micah
