A pastor's perspective on the DNA-factor - how it controls us and the possibilities for our future

It is intriguing this phrase out of Psalm 128 – “You will eat the fruit of your labor.” Or, within a different context, Galatians 6:7 – “You will reap what you sow.” It is intriguing because we know this as a reality, but live in the hopes that it won’t be true … at least for us … that somehow we can escape this fact of life … maybe this time reality will simply pass us by.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on the problem and neither could many of the leaders of the church. We were right on the edge of great possibilities, but could never reach the horizon. We would get close, but something always erupted to hold us back … and when I say, “erupted” I mean erupted like in a volcanic eruption. This shouldn’t have come as a surprise to any of us since we had discussed the fact that after every board meeting the discussion continued out in the parking lot as the board divided into 3 separate and distinct groups. One of the groups would be against whatever we just passed in the board meeting and would request that the issue be revisited the following month. Were they reaping what they had sown? Were they eating the fruit of their labor … a bitter fruit that would set anyone’s teeth on edge?

And then we had our 25th Anniversary. We invited the founding pastor back to preach on Sunday, but we also had a celebration dinner the night before where some of the charter members told funny stories about the church’s beginning and kind of “roasted” the founding pastor in the process. In his closing remarks, this pastor turned on a light of understanding for all of us leaders. He stated, “I knew that this church would always be a strong church because we never did anything without a good fight!” BINGO … there it was … he had established a negative DNA-factor that was negatively affecting us 25-years later.

We cannot change our personal DNA and I doubt, without a tremendous amount of work and a very long pastorate, can a church change its DNA. The challenge is how can we take what we are given to make it work within the context of our life … that is the “tremendous amount of work” that I was referring to.

After the 25th Anniversary celebration the leaders and each of the pastors that have followed have slowly – often painfully – began the process of learning how to live and work within the DNA that they were given. Twenty-five years later they are still working with it. At times they have become dispirited and discouraged, but they have hung in there, the faithful and committed few. It has helped that there have been a few timely deaths and several of the groups have disbanded, as well as certain members have moved on to other churches. But the struggle continues because the DNA gets past on to the next generation.

Galatians 5:15 states – “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” It is hard not to get caught up in all of the “pot-stirring” as one member of my present church shared during our share group, especially when one of the “pot-stirrers” is a spouse of a staff person. All of this just reinforces the DNA-factor of our heritage.

The key is that at all times and in all places to allow Love to reign.

The couple sat before me. Their home, the evening before, looked like a battlefield from WWII. Everything and anything that could have been thrown and broken was scattered across the floor. A truce was made … at least until they could meet with me the next morning, after all it was after midnight and it had been a long day. Besides I didn’t think sitting in the middle of all the rubble was conducive to a good discussion on how to make their marriage work. So here we sat facing each other. Gradually their stories began to emerge of their upbringing, experiences, and background. They had been given bad DNA and their needs were well beyond what little skills I had as a pastoral counselor.

The recommendation was made for them to see a particular counselor in the area. Why this counselor? Well, I had heard about the personality-interpersonal DNA that she was given and saw what she was able to do with it. This couple needed her skills. The result was successful because the counselor shared with them what had worked for her in overcoming negative/destructive DNA.

It requires a tremendous amount of work, tons of patience, a willingness to admit ones failings, a desire to change and truck loads of forgiveness from others … but paying the price of hard work it is possible both as individuals and as a church to begin to reap the fruits of our labors as the DNA changes by the power of the Holy Spirit.

A hymn from the pen of Charles Wesley speaks to this reality: Forgive My Foes? It Cannot Be:

Forgive my foes? it cannot be:
My foes with cordial love embrace?
Fast bound in sin and misery,
Unsaved, unchanged by hallowing grace,
Throughout my fallen soul I fee
With man this is impossible.

Great Searcher of the mazy heart,
A thought from thee I would not hide,
I cannot draw th’envenomed dart,
Or quench this hell of wrath and pride,
Jesus, till I thy Spirit receive,
Thou know’st, I never can forgive.

Come, Lord, and tame the tiger’s force,
Arrest the whirlwind in my will,
Turn back the torrent’s rapid course,
And bid the headlong sun stand still,
The rock dissolve, the mountain move,
And melt my hatred into love.

Root out the wrath thou dost retain;
And when I have my Savior’s mind,
I cannot render pain for pain,
I cannot speak a word unkind,
An angry thought I cannot know,
Or count mine injurer my foe.