Hey guys,
I just got back from church and from visiting family at my grandparents' house and now am just sitting in the house waiting for it to storm. things got calm and quiet and I thought, "hey, I want to really read through the Easter story and really feel the effects of it, rather than simply thinking, "Ah yeah, Christ has risen hallelujah-jah-blah." I mean, this is all great and I love seeing everybody wishing each other a happy Easter on here, sharing scripture, and song lyrics. It is awesome that we have this day to really reflect on the events of Easter.
My problem is that often, especially in the confines of a set holiday, I stoically recall all the facts and motions without really digging deeper into what I am hearing and saying over and over. Being raised in a church, the Easter story of Jesus has become flat history to me at times. Honestly, I'm sure you have had this feeling before, where you can tell anybody what Jesus did, how he suffered on the Cross, and how three days later he rose from the dead. You can at least know that by doing this he "paid the wages of sin so that we would be saved..." But how often do we really let that soak in from our brain to our heart and soul? I felt really convicted of this today, that I should really open myself up to really feel it and understand it in a new dynamic. I read some facts and some devotions, which helped a lot. For me, however, I am a mentally inclined person at times and this creates a chasm, separating the stuff I'm taking in from emotion. Emotion is not everything, I understand, but it does help you to really grasp the magnitude of things that really are so overwhelming that we actually had toned them down into something easier to swallow. Emotions are the gateway to the heart, and God designed us to live and love with our hearts, not just legalism of our minds.
Anyway, I went about "opening my heart" by laying down somewhere quiet and playing some instrumental music, so I could then think and meditate to it. I allowed my mind to wander through what all I had been hearing at church on easter, not just today but for every Easter of my life. I believe that God showed me an approach, and that is to imagine being right there when all of the events happened. If you are feeling like I did, then keep reading and maybe what I did/am doing will help you to really put what we hear so often on a tangible field.
I chose Mitt Hjerte by Antestor, which is a great and fitting track (a Swedish ? Christian death-metal band but this ballad is non-metalhead friendly as it is instrumental) but I mean just any music that can help "assist" your emotions a bit is a great option. Next, just imagine the events in vivid detail, but imagine Jesus not as the guy you read about in the Bible, but as somebody you know really, really well. For several, Jesus himself is all you need to imagine, but for others, like myself, I have to picture somebody more "tangible" to me that lives on the earth, like as a physical person, you know? If you have a child, picture this child as Jesus, being whipped with a ninetail whip, spit on and mocked, carrying a cross, being stabbed in the side later. (If you don't have a child, imagine somebody who is innocent and pure in your eyes, or somebody you respect and love so much that your blood boils to imagine them suffering for people who could care less.)
Imagine this person hanging up on the cross, having to hold themselves up by the arms to get their lungs in a position to breathe properly, rubbing their virtually skinless back repeatedly against the wood, pulling the tendons in their hands/wrists looser and looser against the huge rusty nails. Imagine people telling you to get down, asking where your God is, accusing them of insanity. Why are these people talking to your innocent child this way? Why do they want to see him/her suffer like that when he/she has literally doen nothing wrong? You wait until a stoic soldier stabs him in the side, and all you can do is wait until all of his blood runs out along with his last breath. Imagine waiting around so you can bury the body, barely recognizable after such abuse. Watch them be dragged to a dark, dingy tomb and shut in ever so humbly...
God had to endure this pain completely. That was his son, who he created and who he needed to pay the price for so much sin (He is a just God by nature, and cannot NOT kill somebody as the wage for breaking that law is death. If He did, he would not truly be a just and holy God. What makes it worse... imagine every person that spit and laughed and kicked and punched and whipped... turning to you and saying, "we did what you wanted and killed him (her)."
God had to let this happen, and also, we as humans made this happen. It was not the Jews alone, nor the Romans. It was all of us. Every time we do something that we know goes against God, or did what we could to rule and serve ourselves, we were just filling up the pain arsenal that Jesus would have to suffer. If we had never sinned, than Jesus would not have had to die. What if your child had to die because you messed up, or because somebody who could care less about you or them deliberately messed up?
This is a long-winded post, but so am I. Anyway, I wanted to share this with you because it helped me to get over the barrier from taking in Easter as stale knowledge to a place where I could really feel it and experience it. Adjust my words and do what you can to imagine the magnitude of Jesus' death and what it means. Then you can appreciate even more what all Jesus Christ did for you, for me, and for everybody else. Pray about it, even if it feels weird, because God will give you insight. He gave me an answer through this when I prayed to Him that I basically felt like crap because I didn't feel like my reverence was genuine. Now I feel like God showed me how to personalize what happened 2000 years ago into the truth that changes lives for the better even today.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
We are the body, not the bacteria
Hey guys,
Tonight God really inspired me to share something that has been on my heart and mind for a while but I just hadn't said anything about. I am not perfect by any means, and I am guilty of what I am about to rant about, but it needs to be said.
A dear friend of mine told me about feeling left out among a tight group of Christians and how discouraging that was to her. I have felt the same way and I believe nearly everybody has felt that way before. We all can agree on how imperative it is to make people feel welcome in the church (not just building, but any gathering of believers) that are not usually there. We are told to love our neighbor before ourselves and if we love people, of course we are going to reach out to them. Of course this does not always happen but that's not the issue I'm addressing tonight. What I'd like to touch upon instead is the sneaky little problem that churches in general seem to have. Most people I know do not intend on making anybody feel left out, and of course we are going to naturally like some people a whole lot more than others; it's not a cotton-candy and glitter fairy land. That's the thing though... we are not called to be like the world. This should not stop at trying to "convert the nonbelievers", but should continue to invest into the people who are already there.
There is too much of a clique problem in the church. We are to be the Body of Christ; as different people contribute to fulfilling the Great Commission of spreading the word and love of God to everybody (Acts 1:8) different parts add up for the common good. To have a body, all the cells must operate together to form properly functioning organs, then systems, then, well, the entire body. How can we build a strong unity of Christians when some are alienated among other Christians??
It really is ridiculus, I'm going to go ahead and say. When I was little, I was so left out of my group; as a child, and as a youth group member. I usually hung out with the adults because the kids hardly gave me the time of day for the most part. It is not because they had anything against me, I don't think, just that there were others that were way "cooler" and just more interesting of a person than me. That's okay, I get that, but seriously? When you see one person who is repeatedly picked on or totally neglected, would Jesus have thought, "Ah, I could talk to them, but: my friends may be like "ew.", I would rather talk to this person, they follow me like a lost puppy if I give them too much attention, etc, etc. Even if you are just kind of shy, you know they have to be feeling that way too. I have been on a soapbox lately. After so many years of a wallflower existence, I have recently been coming out of my shell, and people have responded well to my efforts. There are still those times when I feel kind of out of sync though. What really gets to me is when people like my friend, and others I see so often, are ignored or not treated so kindly, or are simply overlooked because that same friend that others see a million times a day happens to be on the opposite side of the room or whatever. I'm good at coming up with the lame reasons because I use those too.
I am changing though. God really has been showing me that I have an eye for people who feel left out and that as I can relate, I need to be hanging with those people. Often, I end up making awesome, genuine friendships with people because I did give them a chance. I have also missed out on many more opportunities because I did not approach them in my own awkwardness or selfishness. In conclusion, we are not simply supposed to focus our energy on infecting people with our Christianity, then leave them there to rot away as soon as the world starts kicking their butt. We are the body of Christ, and as the body, we must help take care of every single part. Our mission of simply loving and encouraging people who have been Christians for hundreds of years already can be way more important at that time than being a missionary in South East Asia. This is why people carry high sentiments about the church; it is not often a place of unity. Instead of focusing so much on spreading out like bacteria, we really need to focus internally. If the body is ill, we won't be going anywhere. And be encouraged, God knows how difficult it is to live with so many people pursuing the same goal. He also gives us that patience with people that clash with us. No matter how difficult a person may be, they are still a beautiful person with a soul worth all the love in the world. Remember that next time you want to dodge that annoying person or Debbie-Downer ninja style and instead go talk to them for a bit and say hey. That gesture is enough to remind them that they belong and that they are loved :D
Tonight God really inspired me to share something that has been on my heart and mind for a while but I just hadn't said anything about. I am not perfect by any means, and I am guilty of what I am about to rant about, but it needs to be said.
A dear friend of mine told me about feeling left out among a tight group of Christians and how discouraging that was to her. I have felt the same way and I believe nearly everybody has felt that way before. We all can agree on how imperative it is to make people feel welcome in the church (not just building, but any gathering of believers) that are not usually there. We are told to love our neighbor before ourselves and if we love people, of course we are going to reach out to them. Of course this does not always happen but that's not the issue I'm addressing tonight. What I'd like to touch upon instead is the sneaky little problem that churches in general seem to have. Most people I know do not intend on making anybody feel left out, and of course we are going to naturally like some people a whole lot more than others; it's not a cotton-candy and glitter fairy land. That's the thing though... we are not called to be like the world. This should not stop at trying to "convert the nonbelievers", but should continue to invest into the people who are already there.
There is too much of a clique problem in the church. We are to be the Body of Christ; as different people contribute to fulfilling the Great Commission of spreading the word and love of God to everybody (Acts 1:8) different parts add up for the common good. To have a body, all the cells must operate together to form properly functioning organs, then systems, then, well, the entire body. How can we build a strong unity of Christians when some are alienated among other Christians??
It really is ridiculus, I'm going to go ahead and say. When I was little, I was so left out of my group; as a child, and as a youth group member. I usually hung out with the adults because the kids hardly gave me the time of day for the most part. It is not because they had anything against me, I don't think, just that there were others that were way "cooler" and just more interesting of a person than me. That's okay, I get that, but seriously? When you see one person who is repeatedly picked on or totally neglected, would Jesus have thought, "Ah, I could talk to them, but: my friends may be like "ew.", I would rather talk to this person, they follow me like a lost puppy if I give them too much attention, etc, etc. Even if you are just kind of shy, you know they have to be feeling that way too. I have been on a soapbox lately. After so many years of a wallflower existence, I have recently been coming out of my shell, and people have responded well to my efforts. There are still those times when I feel kind of out of sync though. What really gets to me is when people like my friend, and others I see so often, are ignored or not treated so kindly, or are simply overlooked because that same friend that others see a million times a day happens to be on the opposite side of the room or whatever. I'm good at coming up with the lame reasons because I use those too.
I am changing though. God really has been showing me that I have an eye for people who feel left out and that as I can relate, I need to be hanging with those people. Often, I end up making awesome, genuine friendships with people because I did give them a chance. I have also missed out on many more opportunities because I did not approach them in my own awkwardness or selfishness. In conclusion, we are not simply supposed to focus our energy on infecting people with our Christianity, then leave them there to rot away as soon as the world starts kicking their butt. We are the body of Christ, and as the body, we must help take care of every single part. Our mission of simply loving and encouraging people who have been Christians for hundreds of years already can be way more important at that time than being a missionary in South East Asia. This is why people carry high sentiments about the church; it is not often a place of unity. Instead of focusing so much on spreading out like bacteria, we really need to focus internally. If the body is ill, we won't be going anywhere. And be encouraged, God knows how difficult it is to live with so many people pursuing the same goal. He also gives us that patience with people that clash with us. No matter how difficult a person may be, they are still a beautiful person with a soul worth all the love in the world. Remember that next time you want to dodge that annoying person or Debbie-Downer ninja style and instead go talk to them for a bit and say hey. That gesture is enough to remind them that they belong and that they are loved :D
A way to understand forgiveness
On Wednesday nights, I work with a youth group at a church plant about ten minutes away from my college campus. Last night we were discussing forgiveness and how that looks in society. You all know as well as I do that there are many things that are sooo much easier to forgive people, and ourselves, for than others. Personally, if somebody tells me a white lie to protect my feelings, rather than tell me that the shirt I'm wearing is better suited as a garbage bag instead, then I will be able to "forgive" that person pretty easily, even when somebody else says "Eww, why are you wearing your great-grandma's gardening shirt?" later on. This is extremely different than if somebody murdered a family member... I don't know about you, but there are some things on this earth that are extremely difficult for me to forgive. I have a difficult time forgiving people who haze others, particularly "misfits" to society. When I think of men at truckstops and strip clubs that sell women's bodies like a rental DVD, my blood boils. How about the people of the Westboro Baptist Church, that torment the grieving families at a soldier's funeral and make people who struggle with homosexuality feel like skum of the earth? Those people make me go on angry tangents. Then there are people who have raped or molested a child... I believe almost everybody can agree that that is about as heinous as it gets.
Some of the girls in our group are at the point of really getting the grasp of God's all encompassing forgiveness and that Jesus died on the Cross to take care of all of our sins, not just white lies or stealing candy bars. A few were bringing up the really tough stuff too, like how they do not see how God can do it. How does such a pure and holy God simply forgive and forget this kind of madness and evil? Because he LOVES those people and does just as much as He loves St. John, Mother Theresa, and every rosy-cheeked baby on the planet! He loves all of us equally and would have died for any of us if we were the only person on the Earth...
How do we picture this completely selfless, unconditional love? An interesting way to look at it is to think of any person you find yourself judging or growing bitter towards and think, "What if that was my child?" I don't have children but I sometimes think of my parents or my sister or a baby cousin. Seriously think of your child, or given loved one, as committing the action you get ticked off about. Changes the context doesn't it? This is a new approach I seriously want to implement. When I see a show about some middle school brat who victimizes one of her best friends, I think, "What if that was my child, or younger sister even, who was feeling so insecure and socially focused that she was resorting to cruel things to make herself feel better? Of course I'd still be upset and never condone the behavior, but I would, with love, try to help her change that action, rather than ridding her off. That's easy enough right? How about homophobic protesters? I get very passionate about that as I know gay people who have struggled greatly, only to feel alienated, especially by Christians. It is so easy for me to side with them personally, but others it isn't. Imagine if that was your child, not some obnoxious, super-open-inyoface type who is an adult and can handle himself. Suddenly you see that internal battle and the resulting depressed child who feels like a freak... And how about the protesters? Think, what if my child believed he or she was doing everything they believed to glorify God and in some odd thinking they have well-meaning motives? I'm not sure, and that's a huge pill for me to swallow, but I am already feeling shame for the awful things I have said about the protesters as I type this.
Then if you look at major things that nearly universally are so evil and angering to see. How can anybody easily imagine their own child raping a young girl or beating up an infant? I apologize if I am upsetting you; I am feeling ill just typing that and I completely understand. But even if they commit terrible things, would you not always hope that they would come around, and that they would have a change of heart and want to live a righteous life that would honor you and show you love as a parent?
God wants this for all of his children. He did not only create our bodies biologically, but he developed every little trait, form our personalities to our fears and dreams, to what kinds of foods we like and what makes us smile and laugh and cry and just sit around.... He knows every fiber of our being. How can He not love his children?? While we are limited in our humanity by what we can and can't forgive, God has to deal with the intense pain constantly of having children that do abominable things. And to Him, there is no compromise. A white lie is jsut as painful to Him as what is most painful to us. Since we also sin, we don't have to completely collide with our beloved child when they do. God does by default, because we all do things that directly repel His love and who He is. The pain is so much worse in that case! Yet, He still will forgive us at the drop of a hat (pride, really), waaayyy quicker than our grudges will dissolve. Next time forgiveness is difficult, think, "what if that were my child?" and then remember the intensity of how God feels; the same times 100000000000000 to the 100000000000000000000000th power times a whole bunch more!
Some of the girls in our group are at the point of really getting the grasp of God's all encompassing forgiveness and that Jesus died on the Cross to take care of all of our sins, not just white lies or stealing candy bars. A few were bringing up the really tough stuff too, like how they do not see how God can do it. How does such a pure and holy God simply forgive and forget this kind of madness and evil? Because he LOVES those people and does just as much as He loves St. John, Mother Theresa, and every rosy-cheeked baby on the planet! He loves all of us equally and would have died for any of us if we were the only person on the Earth...
How do we picture this completely selfless, unconditional love? An interesting way to look at it is to think of any person you find yourself judging or growing bitter towards and think, "What if that was my child?" I don't have children but I sometimes think of my parents or my sister or a baby cousin. Seriously think of your child, or given loved one, as committing the action you get ticked off about. Changes the context doesn't it? This is a new approach I seriously want to implement. When I see a show about some middle school brat who victimizes one of her best friends, I think, "What if that was my child, or younger sister even, who was feeling so insecure and socially focused that she was resorting to cruel things to make herself feel better? Of course I'd still be upset and never condone the behavior, but I would, with love, try to help her change that action, rather than ridding her off. That's easy enough right? How about homophobic protesters? I get very passionate about that as I know gay people who have struggled greatly, only to feel alienated, especially by Christians. It is so easy for me to side with them personally, but others it isn't. Imagine if that was your child, not some obnoxious, super-open-inyoface type who is an adult and can handle himself. Suddenly you see that internal battle and the resulting depressed child who feels like a freak... And how about the protesters? Think, what if my child believed he or she was doing everything they believed to glorify God and in some odd thinking they have well-meaning motives? I'm not sure, and that's a huge pill for me to swallow, but I am already feeling shame for the awful things I have said about the protesters as I type this.
Then if you look at major things that nearly universally are so evil and angering to see. How can anybody easily imagine their own child raping a young girl or beating up an infant? I apologize if I am upsetting you; I am feeling ill just typing that and I completely understand. But even if they commit terrible things, would you not always hope that they would come around, and that they would have a change of heart and want to live a righteous life that would honor you and show you love as a parent?
God wants this for all of his children. He did not only create our bodies biologically, but he developed every little trait, form our personalities to our fears and dreams, to what kinds of foods we like and what makes us smile and laugh and cry and just sit around.... He knows every fiber of our being. How can He not love his children?? While we are limited in our humanity by what we can and can't forgive, God has to deal with the intense pain constantly of having children that do abominable things. And to Him, there is no compromise. A white lie is jsut as painful to Him as what is most painful to us. Since we also sin, we don't have to completely collide with our beloved child when they do. God does by default, because we all do things that directly repel His love and who He is. The pain is so much worse in that case! Yet, He still will forgive us at the drop of a hat (pride, really), waaayyy quicker than our grudges will dissolve. Next time forgiveness is difficult, think, "what if that were my child?" and then remember the intensity of how God feels; the same times 100000000000000 to the 100000000000000000000000th power times a whole bunch more!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Why do Christians seem so boring? Just a thought...
This is a random musing that popped up in my head while sitting outside this evening. I think we can all agree that, especially from the outside looking in, Christians seem to be boring people. Of course, the most common response to that statement is that, well duh, partying, getting trashed or high or whatever, running into the law, random hookups, and whatever else are kind of off-limits for us perfect little Christians.
:I Seriously. While some Christians really are taught at a very young age to avoid stuff that's of the world, in this sense the parties and such, following rules is not the true reason that Christians do not indulge in the lifestyle. Whether we should look at these "do nots" as such, rather than, "To be more like Christ, I should avoid these things because...." is an issue itself, as perception goes a long way and that thanks to these "perceptions" Christianity can appear to be all about following rules rather than the real gist of what's going on.
Rarely do we ever look at the big WHY of the "worldly, sinful behavior". What's the appeal in dancing with the devil? Why are so many people deciding that they would love to go to that keggar on the weekend, or that an abstract badge of pride is how many girls or guys somebody can seduce. Cheesy way to put it, I know, but admit that there is truth to this stuff. Seriously, why do people resort to things that can be agreed upon as unsafe, unethical, or dangerous? Why do people get to that point where they will hire a prostitute for favors? Why do people, knowing the dangers, light up that first dose of crank? What drives people to this.
I am NOT going to say, "well, these things are sins, and people that aren't saved are still sinners...." That's an extremely lame and inadequate answer for that. Yes, these things are sins, but why? and what is the appeal? What I believe is that, this will sound so obvious but people seem to overlook this truth, people want to fill that God-shaped void, and will do whatever they can to either fill it or pretend it isn't there (could explain the meth, right?) Christians have the void return too, but that is why they need to depend on God and remember that He is there to fill that hole back up when we start shoving other junk into it.
As for the party aspect, or thrill seeking, or what have you, this is a very common and simple enough way to seek what is missing. On the other hand, look at the boring Christians. What do they do, go to church a couple of times a week then sleep and watch Spongebob the rest of the time? (I've done this the past several days, btw) We could either look at is as they trying hard not to break rules, or, what is more applicable to genuine God-seeking Christians, they are content and at peace in life, thus do not try as hard to always have something fun or exciting to do. Just remember that Christians look pretty boring in general, but that is because, in a worldly sense, we are not as apt to thrill-seeking and flirting with danger in that sense because God is there to fill those needs. He provides excitement and joy in those who will let Him. God's plan for our lives is not a boring one that involves dodging "bad things", but one that is full of thrills in an entirely different sense; one that sticks with you through life. That is alot to explain right there, but hey, stay tuned, because that will come up again :)
:I Seriously. While some Christians really are taught at a very young age to avoid stuff that's of the world, in this sense the parties and such, following rules is not the true reason that Christians do not indulge in the lifestyle. Whether we should look at these "do nots" as such, rather than, "To be more like Christ, I should avoid these things because...." is an issue itself, as perception goes a long way and that thanks to these "perceptions" Christianity can appear to be all about following rules rather than the real gist of what's going on.
Rarely do we ever look at the big WHY of the "worldly, sinful behavior". What's the appeal in dancing with the devil? Why are so many people deciding that they would love to go to that keggar on the weekend, or that an abstract badge of pride is how many girls or guys somebody can seduce. Cheesy way to put it, I know, but admit that there is truth to this stuff. Seriously, why do people resort to things that can be agreed upon as unsafe, unethical, or dangerous? Why do people get to that point where they will hire a prostitute for favors? Why do people, knowing the dangers, light up that first dose of crank? What drives people to this.
I am NOT going to say, "well, these things are sins, and people that aren't saved are still sinners...." That's an extremely lame and inadequate answer for that. Yes, these things are sins, but why? and what is the appeal? What I believe is that, this will sound so obvious but people seem to overlook this truth, people want to fill that God-shaped void, and will do whatever they can to either fill it or pretend it isn't there (could explain the meth, right?) Christians have the void return too, but that is why they need to depend on God and remember that He is there to fill that hole back up when we start shoving other junk into it.
As for the party aspect, or thrill seeking, or what have you, this is a very common and simple enough way to seek what is missing. On the other hand, look at the boring Christians. What do they do, go to church a couple of times a week then sleep and watch Spongebob the rest of the time? (I've done this the past several days, btw) We could either look at is as they trying hard not to break rules, or, what is more applicable to genuine God-seeking Christians, they are content and at peace in life, thus do not try as hard to always have something fun or exciting to do. Just remember that Christians look pretty boring in general, but that is because, in a worldly sense, we are not as apt to thrill-seeking and flirting with danger in that sense because God is there to fill those needs. He provides excitement and joy in those who will let Him. God's plan for our lives is not a boring one that involves dodging "bad things", but one that is full of thrills in an entirely different sense; one that sticks with you through life. That is alot to explain right there, but hey, stay tuned, because that will come up again :)
Philippians 1: 5-6 - Be encouraged!
Hey! It's been a while since I last posted. I told myself "Ooh, Spring Break! I'm going to put sooo many posts blah, blah, blah." Well, so much for that, as it is Thursday of my Spring Break. Frankly, God has been teaching me plenty of things. The problem is that I have not been listening very well. Do you ever get in that circumstance where you really want God to transform you and you know He will, but the challenge seems so daunting that you almost avoid God because you are so overwhelmed? If not, and I'm the only one, then fine, but I'm sure at least one other person has had this feeling. It's not exactly that you are guilty or hiding something from God (trying to at least), but that in actuality, faith is running a little small in your heart right now. I have been feeling that way. It has not necessarily been lack of faith that God is working on me and helping me deal with unresolved issues, but lack of faith in myself paired with overassumption of my own power compared to God's.
It's easy to believe in our "era of perfection" that following God's will and letting him take the reins in our lives requires all of this perfect "seeking" on our parts. I feel like if I'm not praying hard enough or reading scripture enough or acting on faith enough or whatever (!) that I will miss out on what God has in store. He gave us free will, so if we just happen to avoid His plan, we can skip it altogether because He won't force it on us, right? This question has defined my life and my relationship with God far longer and stronger than I dare to admit. I am an intrapersonal, introverted person who has to get things done on my own terms, thus creating conflict when God assures me that all I have to do is sit back and trust Him. How on Earth do you do that? This is what I am learning and am in the middle of; learning how to actually let go and not just hope I happen to fall into His intended path while I am personally operating. I plan to post more about this too, so that issue will resurface plenty of times :).
This verse right here was one I read in a book at 3:30 last night (morning :/) that comforted me immensely. I found myself turning to God after some time of cordial shyness around Him. This verse deals with the issue of trusting God and trusting that YOU will not interfere with what God wants to do with you. Instead of getting paralyzed with fear when thinking of how much needs to be done within you to become more Christlike and to achieve that life and mission God intends, be comforted by this verse:
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 1:6This verse tells us that when God begins transforming our lives, beginning with our salvation, He will not give up on us but instead will keep on striving to complete us. If we ask Him to come into our lives, then that gives Him the right then to use what He will, whether He compell us toward things through the Holy Spirit, tell us things through others, or even use our circumstances to continue molding us. Like the Potter and the Clay story, (…….) God wants to work in us to gradually restore us from the fallen creation that suffered after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit to the place we were all intended to be. Though we will not reach Eden while on this Earth, He desires to prepare our hearts to seek Him first and to where our lives glorify Him rather than rebel. This verse is a way of saying, “Don’t worry about achievement or failure here. I will not stop working on you. You are loved and are already in communion with me, which is the important thing. The rest is about seeking me, not about “how well” I can shape you up.” What matters is your heart, and if your heart desires to be Christlike as much as this Earth will allow, than that is all you need for God to be able to radically transform you. :D
It's easy to believe in our "era of perfection" that following God's will and letting him take the reins in our lives requires all of this perfect "seeking" on our parts. I feel like if I'm not praying hard enough or reading scripture enough or acting on faith enough or whatever (!) that I will miss out on what God has in store. He gave us free will, so if we just happen to avoid His plan, we can skip it altogether because He won't force it on us, right? This question has defined my life and my relationship with God far longer and stronger than I dare to admit. I am an intrapersonal, introverted person who has to get things done on my own terms, thus creating conflict when God assures me that all I have to do is sit back and trust Him. How on Earth do you do that? This is what I am learning and am in the middle of; learning how to actually let go and not just hope I happen to fall into His intended path while I am personally operating. I plan to post more about this too, so that issue will resurface plenty of times :).
This verse right here was one I read in a book at 3:30 last night (morning :/) that comforted me immensely. I found myself turning to God after some time of cordial shyness around Him. This verse deals with the issue of trusting God and trusting that YOU will not interfere with what God wants to do with you. Instead of getting paralyzed with fear when thinking of how much needs to be done within you to become more Christlike and to achieve that life and mission God intends, be comforted by this verse:
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 1:6This verse tells us that when God begins transforming our lives, beginning with our salvation, He will not give up on us but instead will keep on striving to complete us. If we ask Him to come into our lives, then that gives Him the right then to use what He will, whether He compell us toward things through the Holy Spirit, tell us things through others, or even use our circumstances to continue molding us. Like the Potter and the Clay story, (…….) God wants to work in us to gradually restore us from the fallen creation that suffered after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit to the place we were all intended to be. Though we will not reach Eden while on this Earth, He desires to prepare our hearts to seek Him first and to where our lives glorify Him rather than rebel. This verse is a way of saying, “Don’t worry about achievement or failure here. I will not stop working on you. You are loved and are already in communion with me, which is the important thing. The rest is about seeking me, not about “how well” I can shape you up.” What matters is your heart, and if your heart desires to be Christlike as much as this Earth will allow, than that is all you need for God to be able to radically transform you. :D
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Doubt can be a great thing
Alright, I couldn't stand to wait! I knew it'll be difficult for me to stick to posting consistently, but right now I just really want to post substantial things. Here goes with post #1:
I used to deal with skepticism when I was younger. This is why several things I post will be kind of apologetic-y. I do think it is interesting to consider what having doubts can do. Doubts are OK! Everybody has those nagging questions: do I have what it takes? Where did I really come from? What's my real purpose? Am I a waste of breathing air? Are all sins really equal in God's eyes because some seem to have greater consequences? Does God really love people if he allows them to go to Hell? Etc, etc, etc....
Doubts are good to have sometimes, because they motivate you. They fuel your abilities to learn more things, whether you begin on your own or you ask others or even beg God to reveal things to you the more you believe that He will. This happened to me. I am proud of the doubts I once had because now my faith is so much stronger.
We all know those "baby" zygote, fetus-whatever Christians that seem to know nothing about the God they claim, nor do they seem one bit impacted in their lives. These people usually are very black-and-white perceiving and their real religion is following what their mommy says rather than what God says. When people ask them questions, they respond with a whiny, "How dare you! You are sooo wrong!" or "Wow.. how could you not know?" Without actually knowing themselves. That's cliched but you know it's kind of true. I've seen it dozens of times. How are these people warriors for God? Their heart is what is important, but people grow in faith by allowing themselves to be curious. God desires for us to learn more about Him. James 4:8 says "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." To love someone is to know them, right? So try getting to know God EVEN more than you already do. I have to remind myself very often that there is still sooooo much that I do not know about our Creator and His wonder. That makes it all worthwhile; being so in love with God that you want to learn more, and growing in that love in the process. I still struggle hugely, so just know that if you ever struggle with seeking knowledge, so do I.
When you hear the questions, don't be afraid. I finally have not one doubt that if you earnestly ask God about it, "you shall receive" an answer (Luke 11:10-13 is an awesome set of verses that expand this concept) Do not be afraid to refer to extraneous sources, like books, internet, or other people. Ask your tough questions; chances are you will run into another who has had the exact same one!
I recommend a few sources:
Read the BIBLE: begin wherever you want. Search srcipture and see what it says for yourself
Ask a trusted minister: they have been educated and trained at least a little to answer your questions. If they do not know an answer, they can help you find a way TO answer it.
Refer to other books. There are countless books on all sorts of different topics. Plenty on theology. If you are interested in learning more about the philosophy of Christianity, try C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity is brilliant!), or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Meaning of Everything by Douglas Adams (extremely neat insight that has stuck with me)
For scientific questions: Remember that science and God are not enemies like they were in the Galilean times. You are not a heretic if you believe in laws of gravity! Investigate this, and think of how these things can originate. We can find out even more about God and his awesomeness through science. Try: Intelligent Design by William Dembski (or check out his blogs or articles), The Creation Museum Website (some facts are open for speculation, but the theories like of young Earth, are possible) or The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel.
Actually, check out ANY Lee Strobel book; they have helped me tremendously.
And last, try to have an open mind. If you go in narrowly one way or another, your tunnel vision is going to miss alot of information. Remember that God has not in any way been discredited; not by Darwinism, not by Big Bang (I'll be posting plenty on why I believe that supports existence of God), or by historical findings (that adds verification to the Bible itself) nor by medical science. There is still room for all of this to have originated from somewhere. See for yourself; if you want to believe, you can find plenty of reason to believe. If not, then no problem. God gave us free will so that we can choose whether to pursue Him or not, or to even believe in Him for that matter.
I used to deal with skepticism when I was younger. This is why several things I post will be kind of apologetic-y. I do think it is interesting to consider what having doubts can do. Doubts are OK! Everybody has those nagging questions: do I have what it takes? Where did I really come from? What's my real purpose? Am I a waste of breathing air? Are all sins really equal in God's eyes because some seem to have greater consequences? Does God really love people if he allows them to go to Hell? Etc, etc, etc....
Doubts are good to have sometimes, because they motivate you. They fuel your abilities to learn more things, whether you begin on your own or you ask others or even beg God to reveal things to you the more you believe that He will. This happened to me. I am proud of the doubts I once had because now my faith is so much stronger.
We all know those "baby" zygote, fetus-whatever Christians that seem to know nothing about the God they claim, nor do they seem one bit impacted in their lives. These people usually are very black-and-white perceiving and their real religion is following what their mommy says rather than what God says. When people ask them questions, they respond with a whiny, "How dare you! You are sooo wrong!" or "Wow.. how could you not know?" Without actually knowing themselves. That's cliched but you know it's kind of true. I've seen it dozens of times. How are these people warriors for God? Their heart is what is important, but people grow in faith by allowing themselves to be curious. God desires for us to learn more about Him. James 4:8 says "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." To love someone is to know them, right? So try getting to know God EVEN more than you already do. I have to remind myself very often that there is still sooooo much that I do not know about our Creator and His wonder. That makes it all worthwhile; being so in love with God that you want to learn more, and growing in that love in the process. I still struggle hugely, so just know that if you ever struggle with seeking knowledge, so do I.
When you hear the questions, don't be afraid. I finally have not one doubt that if you earnestly ask God about it, "you shall receive" an answer (Luke 11:10-13 is an awesome set of verses that expand this concept) Do not be afraid to refer to extraneous sources, like books, internet, or other people. Ask your tough questions; chances are you will run into another who has had the exact same one!
I recommend a few sources:
Read the BIBLE: begin wherever you want. Search srcipture and see what it says for yourself
Ask a trusted minister: they have been educated and trained at least a little to answer your questions. If they do not know an answer, they can help you find a way TO answer it.
Refer to other books. There are countless books on all sorts of different topics. Plenty on theology. If you are interested in learning more about the philosophy of Christianity, try C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity is brilliant!), or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Meaning of Everything by Douglas Adams (extremely neat insight that has stuck with me)
For scientific questions: Remember that science and God are not enemies like they were in the Galilean times. You are not a heretic if you believe in laws of gravity! Investigate this, and think of how these things can originate. We can find out even more about God and his awesomeness through science. Try: Intelligent Design by William Dembski (or check out his blogs or articles), The Creation Museum Website (some facts are open for speculation, but the theories like of young Earth, are possible) or The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel.
Actually, check out ANY Lee Strobel book; they have helped me tremendously.
And last, try to have an open mind. If you go in narrowly one way or another, your tunnel vision is going to miss alot of information. Remember that God has not in any way been discredited; not by Darwinism, not by Big Bang (I'll be posting plenty on why I believe that supports existence of God), or by historical findings (that adds verification to the Bible itself) nor by medical science. There is still room for all of this to have originated from somewhere. See for yourself; if you want to believe, you can find plenty of reason to believe. If not, then no problem. God gave us free will so that we can choose whether to pursue Him or not, or to even believe in Him for that matter.
Well, hey there!
Hey,
Wow, what do I type on my first post? I'm not really sure, so I'll begin with a bit of why I decided to make a blog. You see, random things in my mind are constantly swirling around. Not necessarily important stuff, but usually ridiculous stuff, from daily schedules to burnt-out radio song choruses, from Family Guy quotes to that peculiar remark that kid next to me in class said. In the midst of all this insignificance, I have had alot of time to think about things that are much more important to me, too. For close to 2 years now I have been keeping a journal that I use specifically for writing notes about my relationship with God and things I am learning about and how they apply to life. These thoughts are really just elaboration on concepts that already exist; a new outlook on things that have since grown stale. Anyway, my "journal" is a set of three (just started the third) little $1 notebooks that are like 80 pages each. They're flimsy and ratty but they really are crammed full of sermon notes, scripture, personal milestones, and totally out there brainstorms that God has enriched me with. Having a busy, analytical mind can really suck, but that is because I have not utilized it. God can use what you believe are your flaws and discomfort into something that can serve the greater good. I doubt the "greater good" will be seeing all of this. Heck, maybe like 2 people will ever even glimpse at this. I do not care anymore though; that is why I am just now making a blog. My very dear mentor who disciples me and has helped me tremedously gave me the advice today to blog for myself and that if anybody reads it, cool. If not, not-as-cool, but cool. If you may be interested though, stick around. This can get pretty random.
Type to you soon!
Wow, what do I type on my first post? I'm not really sure, so I'll begin with a bit of why I decided to make a blog. You see, random things in my mind are constantly swirling around. Not necessarily important stuff, but usually ridiculous stuff, from daily schedules to burnt-out radio song choruses, from Family Guy quotes to that peculiar remark that kid next to me in class said. In the midst of all this insignificance, I have had alot of time to think about things that are much more important to me, too. For close to 2 years now I have been keeping a journal that I use specifically for writing notes about my relationship with God and things I am learning about and how they apply to life. These thoughts are really just elaboration on concepts that already exist; a new outlook on things that have since grown stale. Anyway, my "journal" is a set of three (just started the third) little $1 notebooks that are like 80 pages each. They're flimsy and ratty but they really are crammed full of sermon notes, scripture, personal milestones, and totally out there brainstorms that God has enriched me with. Having a busy, analytical mind can really suck, but that is because I have not utilized it. God can use what you believe are your flaws and discomfort into something that can serve the greater good. I doubt the "greater good" will be seeing all of this. Heck, maybe like 2 people will ever even glimpse at this. I do not care anymore though; that is why I am just now making a blog. My very dear mentor who disciples me and has helped me tremedously gave me the advice today to blog for myself and that if anybody reads it, cool. If not, not-as-cool, but cool. If you may be interested though, stick around. This can get pretty random.
Type to you soon!
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