I am
fascinated by how language evolves. A word is given meaning by the
people who use it and the culture and context that surrounds it.
People change, culture changes, and context changes - rapidly, in
some cases - and thus words are constantly being pushed into new
areas of meaning. I’m sure you can think of many examples of this
phenomenon. Presently, I am pondering the word “hack” and, by
extension, “hacker”.
A Word Grows Up
The meaning
“to chop or strike at repeatedly and randomly” was transferred by
analogy to define the efforts of a person who attempts to gain
unauthorized access to a computer network. Hacker
is the term that you are familiar with using to describe the
nameless and faceless “bad guy” who is out there somewhere waiting
to pounce on uneducated computer users. This word and concept
gained more respect when said persons began to develop the skills to
“hack” larger and more sophisticated security systems and access the
networks they protect.
Now we come to the part where the evolution of meaning for this word
takes a more interesting turn. Some words we use have been blessed
with the opportunity to come back from the dark side and express
themselves with pride as compliments, terms of respect, and
honorable adjectives.
Consider this progression:
hack - to unlawfully access
a computer network by manipulating its subsystems
hack - to fix a computer
program or system with a solution that is quick and considered
inelegant (patch)
hack - to solve a difficult
problem in computing
hack - to work intimately
and competently in a domain considered highly technical and complex
And finally,
hack - to make modification
to a system (open or closed) to alter its function(s) to achieve a
desired outcome
The Selah
Here’s an
example of this: A few years ago I got a new cell phone. The
manufacturer of the phone stated that the device was capable of
playing MP3 files (yay!), however the company that sold me the phone
had installed software that disabled that feature (so they could
sell me music in their format - boo!). I searched around and found
that many other customers were disappointed about this “feature”,
too! Enter the hacker: a person who was competent in a technical
domain, capable of solving a difficult problem, and able to gain
access to a computer system, had posted a hack - a set of
instructions for freeing your phone. Yay! The hacker is not very
popular with the phone distributor, but a hero among those of us who
felt cheated by the restrictions imposed upon us. A simple example,
yes, but selah.
Consider the
Christian. He is, in essence, a collection of subsystems not unlike
a computer network. The Manufacturer has advertised certain
capabilities of the hardware and software, but someone else has
gotten involved and installed software (malware) that has corrupted
it. What you might expect the system to do (from reading the
Manual) seems impossible because it just doesn’t work that way.
For I know that in me (that is, in
my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but
how to perform what is good I do not find.
Romans 7:18
Hack Thyself
What, then, is
the answer? You must hack thyself. You must make a modification to
how the system works in order to achieve the desired outcome, to
unlock the features and capabilities that God has advertised.
Start with your thoughts: The world and the devil have influenced
the way you think about yourself and your circumstances. In order
to effectively change them, you must understand how they work on an
intimate level. You must be determined to strip away the
superficial layers and ask yourself, “Why am I thinking this way?”
Dig down to find the lie that started the trouble and deactivate
it.
You must hack your faith. Examine what you really believe about
yourself and about God. Burrow in to what you are believing and
why, and put your faith where it needs to be - on God!
Hack your spiritual environments. Be aware of what goes on around
you; discern the work of the enemy and actively oppose it. Use your
authority to rule in the spirit realm and create an atmosphere that
is life and light anywhere you are.
In general, in order to be victorious as a Christian, you must hack
your failures. Find out why the outcome was undesirable and change
it! When trouble comes, when we fall and fail (and we will), we
cannot just hope that we will do better next time...we will not (see
Romans 7 again). We must take the time to learn how the system
should work, understand how it has been broken by our fallen nature
and the enemy, and solve the problem rather than hoping it goes
away.
Not Natural, Spiritual
We are not
able to successfully hack ourselves by ourselves. We require the
wisdom of God and the discernment of the Holy Spirit (our Teacher)
to guide us. God said that if we lack wisdom all we need to do is
ask, and He will give it. Solving the difficult problems of human
existence cannot be apart from the Manufacturer’s instructions. Do
not say that you aren’t smart enough...that thought right there
needs to be modified first! You can do all things through Christ
and His anointing!
The overcomer
is a spiritual hack. He can modify his spiritual existence to be
what God says it can be. He takes the time to figure out why
something isn’t working right, seeks God for a solution, and applies
His instructions. Learn to be one who challenges the restrictions
imposed upon you by the world (and the ruler of it) and exercise
your authority as a King to make the system work for you.