Stan's Thought Letter

In today's society, we're not a Union. We're 326 million+ individuals interested in almost nothing but what sets us apart from each other. It's all about what makes us unique and interesting rather than what holds us together and makes us one.

I'm not saying our founding fathers were perfect in this regard. But I am saying we are a nation only thinking of our individual needs and special interests. Politics, ethnicity, education, religious affiliation, economic status, and gender have become points of division. If treated properly these areas of uniqueness could actually present opportunities for us to join and support one another, but instead people use their differences as a means to isolate themselves from other groups and cast judgement on those who are different from them.

Whether we embrace it or not, we are one. We're all made in the image of God. And in our case, we're all Americans.

As flawed as it is, the system we live under is a democracy. The system is only flawed because it is ran by people; people are flawed. Republican or Democrat, bipartisan or otherwise, we all make mistakes. None of us have the right to throw stones. Put your rock down.

Envision the number 76. On the other hand, think 6,000,000. The two seem so far apart, but I know one thing that brings them close together—crime. Here's why. If most major U.S. highways top out at 75 MPH, then driving 76 MPH would be a transgression of the law. By breaking the law, we've committed a crime. Here's where the 6 million comes in. From 1933-1945, Adolf Hitler was responsible for ordering the deaths of over 6 million Jews.

Now take a deep breath. I'm in no way equating genocide with violating the speed limit. I'm just bringing out once again that we're all flawed.

My point is simply that if I violate the speed limit, I'm still missing the mark. And in that sense, I'm no different than Hitler, other than degree. Sin starts with a corrupt heart. Without the Spirit of Christ to empower us, we have a nature that bends us toward breaking the rules.

But even when we've been saved by Christ, we can still choose to ignore Him.

We rationalize our behavior and convince ourselves that the things we do wrong aren't really "all that bad."

You may have even used Hitler to rationalize your own breaking the speed limit or what I call sinful behavior in the past. Have you ever said something like, "Hey, I probably shouldn't have done that, but I'm no Hitler?" We think we can shake off what we do wrong and not pay for it because we did not get caught, or because it didn't seem as bad to us as something someone else has done, but that doesn't mean you and I did not break the law.

No one ever said you were like Hitler, but few ever follow their bent heart down a path that dark. The point I'm making is we could all do things we'd never believe we're capable of because we've never been presented with the opportunity, reached the right level of desperation, or felt angry enough.

Here it is, folks. We all break the law. We all know we can beat the system. So we all conclude and rationalize and mitigate God's law because we think we escape the law. We're not all that different from the Israelites of the Bible in American today. All have sinned and come short of His glory.

We are in a climate paralleled to the culture we read about in the book of Judges. "Every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25b).

We start with the Ten Commandments. But remember that when Jesus came to fulfill the law, He gave us the two on which all the others rest. Firstly, "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind". And secondly, "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:35-40).

It all starts and ends with God's love. Stop judging others. Stop justifying your sin, bend your knee, and repent. We're all in unity as we all break laws, but it's good to know we all have the same solution.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am praying with great fervor that the Lord will extend his mercy to our 326 million Americans—as well as the other 7.56 billion across the world.

Let us all turn to God and unite in Christ's love rather than the judgement of sin.

—Stan Bower is the CBMC Director for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Prior to graduating at the University of Texas–Austin with a bachelor in Business Administration, he played basketball at Texas Tech. Starting as an accountant for Pennzoil, Stan spent most of his professional career in Houston as a commercial real estate broker. Stan Became a successful business man, operating his own Commercial Brokerage Firm, Bower Interests. During his real estate career, Stan began to get involved with CBMC in the Houston area. Dave Rathkamp, CBMC Area Director in Houston, built a relationship with Stan and discipled him for over a period of 13 years. After those tremendous years of spiritual growth under Dave's leadership, Stan entered full-time ministry with CBMC. In 1997, Stan moved his entire family to St. Louis, where he served as the Area Director for 20 years.

In 2017, Stan and his wife Laura followed Christ's leading back to Texas in a joint venture to facilitate the movement of CBMC in the Greater DFW area. Coupled with winning the lost and discipling the saved, Stan's heart and ministry is that of one-on-one discipleship.