Do You Have Skin in the Game?

2 Timothy 1:7-12, NIV -So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.  He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.  And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.  That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

As we have noted in previous days, as Paul writes this letter to Timothy, he is in prison – again.  Most scholars believe Paul was imprisoned at least three times, maybe more.  For many of the churches he had served, this was an embarrassment.  Anyone who has had a close friend or relative who just can’t seem to stay out of trouble with the law can relate.  It is possible the Timothy, Paul’s mentee, was dealing with this kind of embarrassment.  In any case, Paul feels the need to address it in his second letter to his protégé.  Not only does Paul defend his being imprisoned, he encourages Timothy to join him in getting into what the civil rights icon John Lewis called “good trouble.”

My default is to avoid any kind of trouble, even “good trouble.”  If I’m honest, it’s about a fear of loss.  When I got into trouble as a kid (not the good kind), I lost privileges and freedoms.  As an adult, I’ve seen social justice warriors get themselves into good trouble and lose their freedom temporarily, be fined, and lose their jobs as a result.  I’ve seen good trouble cause rifts in family relationships and friendships.  Sometimes good trouble is glamourized in the movies/TV, but in real life, it’s usually costly.  This is why most of us steer clear of it.

It begs the question, “are there issues that we would put ourselves in jeopardy in service of a cause bigger than ourselves?  What would we be willing get into good trouble for doing?  I’m not talking about being martyred like virtually all of Jesus’s earliest disciples.  I’m just talking about putting some “skin in the game.”  What are we willing to risk losing a little something for?

Paul contends that one such thing should be the gospel.  God called him to preach it regardless of whether or not it was safe to do so.  In the early Roman Empire, it was not safe to do so.  Hence, Paul couldn’t seem to stay out of jail.  Paul boldly calls others to follow his lead.  He doesn’t claim to understand all the reasons why God calls us to take risks for the gospel, but he is absolutely convinced that responding to God’s call is not a safe move.  Paul says respond anyway, knowing that regardless of what you lose, you will gain more in the end. 

In our own country, it is relatively safe to be a Christian.  While we are a shrinking majority, Christians in America in the 21^st century are rarely thrown into prison for religious reasons.  There is not a lot of violence perpetrated against Christians for their Christianity here in the US.  However, we do live in a time that needs good people to stand up for causes linked to the gospel that challenge the status quo and stir up some good trouble. 

When children face danger because of the policies of our government, people of the gospel should stand against those policies.  When people are denied access to adequate health care, people of the gospel should demand that access be granted.  When the minimum wage doesn’t allow families to live above the poverty line, people of the gospel should work to get the minimum raised.   When big corporations take advantage of their workforce to the point that work conditions are unsafe, people of the gospel should call attention to the injustice.  If we’re serious about what we believe about Jesus, it almost certainly will, at some point, cause us some discomfort, embarrassment, or even get us in some trouble sometime.  This is because there is a clash of kingdoms going on right now that began the moment Jesus set foot on this earth.  The question is for which Kingdom do you have more skin in the game?

Questions:  What, if anything, has it cost you (not money) to be a disciple of Jesus?  What would you be willing to get into good trouble for in service to the Kingdom of God?

Prayer: God, while we don’t wish for trouble to come our way, capture our hearts in such a way that we are willing to take risks for our faith.  Amen.

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people in places around the world whose lives are in danger every day simply because they identify themselves as a follower of Jesus. Amen.

Song: I’m Not Ashamed – Brooklyn Tabnernacle