foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
Romans 1:31

Who is the most ruthless person you know?

Who came to my mind was our president. There have been many people, on both the left and the right, who have called Trump ruthless. It’s kind of his thing.

Some would characterize his ruthlessness as a complete and unwavering passion to root out undocumented immigrants, or shrink a bloated government, etc. These folks tend to applaud his ruthlessness.

Others would label him as something akin to Oxford’s definition of the word, “having no pity or compassion for others.”

That’s the definition that Paul seems to employ here at the beginning of Romans. Those four words don’t even cover it. Paul doesn’t just condemn those who rebel against God, he obliterates them.

But then again, Paul has some nasty things to say about all of us. His whole thesis is that we have all done things against God.

Foolish, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. I know I’ve done my share of foolishness. I’ve gone through faith dry-spells. I’ve even said and done some fairly heartless things.

But have I ever been ruthless? Lord, I hope not. Generally, ruthless people are among my least favorite. I think of them as bullies, stretching the limits of—or even exceeding—the power they have.

Paul makes it clear that we are not supposed to judge others (even though he does), because all of us are doomed to turn away from God. It’s a universal problem, and faith in God’s grace is the only answer.

I wonder: Is it possible to be ruthless in faith?

You know—not the cruel kind, but the committed kind? What would it look like to be unrelentingly pursuing a full relationship with our Creator? What would life be like with that singular goal in mind, letting nothing get in the way?

Paul seemed to have developed that mindset in his ministry. But sustaining that kind of focus seems beyond me at this point.

I do know that ruthless pursuit of God is an active, direct rebuttal to those without pity and compassion. It is not a straight line, but rather a path of righteousness that winds through the darkest corners of the world—and my mind.

Am I ready to take up the mantle of Godly ruthlessness? Maybe, but in fits and starts. That’s all the energy I can muster these days. Hopefully, as my faith grows stronger, so will my resolve.

Some things are worth being ruthless about. Many other things are not. If you, like me, have trouble sustaining that “holy ruthlessness,” try praying the “ruthless” prayer. (You may have heard a different version.)

Ruthless Prayer
God, grant me holy ruthlessness to change the things I can
The courage to confront the ruthlessness of evil.
And the wisdom to know the difference.

Have a great week,
Mitch