Last night on the way home from work right around Buchanan Hwy my fuel light came on, now I of course was not surprised by this since all day I had watched as my needle drifted closer and closer with an almost reckless abandon to the Big E. Now tired and dirty from a day at the office I found myself having to make a choice, do I stop at Scott's on the way home and fuel up or do I deal with it in the morning? Most of you who know me understand that as a level 10 procrastinator it took me all of five seconds to decide to put it off. When I got up this morning I was running around frantically (as always) and I remembered I didn't get gas.
Normally this is fine but on this day I was running out of time and I did not have a debit card. This means I would have to go in to the store and long story... well long, when i made it there and got in line I got behind the dreaded lottery lady, you know her, she can only order one ticket at a time and has to really look for 30 seconds or so before she decides on each of her fifteen tickets. Behind her and in front of me was Mr. Specific Cigarette (although his work uniform said Mike, I choose to call him Mr Specific Cigarette), he needed camel special blend or something like that, it took the lady forever to find them found them, then he informed her he needed a soft pack. This all before I could even pump my gas! Then of course because I paid cash I had that super slow pumping final fifty cents of gas that actually takes longer than the first twenty nine dollars and fifty cents.
I say all that to prove how bad I hate getting gas, I put it off until I get myself in a bind like I did this morning... it is just who I am. Sadly often my spiritual life is much like the tank of my Titan, I neglect it in the name of procrastination, not as an act of disobedience persay, more of a act of thoughtlessness . Based on conversations I have had with other folks I don't think I am alone in this act of pushing aside spiritual things. I get so wrapped up in the here and now that I try to coast by on previous fill-ups. I neglect time with God and try to coast up life's bumpy roads and to most it looks as everything is kosher but inside I am drained and about ready to break down.
Much like an engine there are tale-tale signs of spiritual low fuel, an engine stops when empty but a spiritual emptiness reveals itself through action. For me these actions are often being quick to anger, short on love, impatient with people, cynical, critical, disobedient and selfish. I find myself in these moments of low fueliness (I am aware that is not a word) blinded to the big picture and the ways of God and begin to focus attention squarely back on me, I can say with confidence I am not being like Christ in these times.
Just as a car and a soul needs fuel so does the body, the bible gives a great analogy when it describes the characteristics of a life fueled by the spirit in Galatians when he describes "The Fruit of the Spirit". These traits are love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness,goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. To me I see the fruit in the sense of food as well (imagine that!). I think of it this way, when I eat right my body preforms correctly. When my diet consist of fruit and healthy options I have more energy, less fat, lower cholesterol and clearer skin compared to when I eat a lot of fast food and junk. Likewise when I allow the spirit (through spending time in the word, prayer, worship and fellowship) to teach me, guide me and correct me, I grow more spiritually healthy due to the good nutrients I am putting in my soul over the selfish junk that fill this place when I allow myself to approach the spiritual E.
My prayer is that I would stop being like that ditty by Jackson Browne (Running on Empty) and more like that VBS song Pastor Tommy sung (give me gas in my ford, keep me truckin' for the Lord). Life is too hilly and bumpy to try to coast on fumes, I need to fill the tank everyday!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Hypocrisy, Intellegence and a Generalizaton of Faith
The subject of this blog is one I have been mulling over for a while now, I have allowed myself a few weeks to really formulate not only what I am trying to say but how I will say it as well. I have struggled with the right words in an effort not to offend those to whom it may pertain. So here it is and I hope you read understanding that the tone is not angry or bitter but rather a recognition of a mindset I have noticed among my unchurched friends, especially the young ones. I say it as a defense for my faith as well as a challenge of your mindset pertaining to the christian faith.
First let's say it... Hypocrites... yes they are real and yes I am one, I struggle in my faith. I make mistakes, I have hurt people and even perhaps you. If this is the case than I would love to apologize to you in person or at least personally (not going to give a half-hearted general apology). That being said let's move past the general hypocrisy stigma of the church to something that I feel many of you have wrongfully done to me ( I know poor pitiful me). I as a human being and a christian can be intelligent (not saying I am, saying I can). I have noticed this trend in the world where if someone professes their faith they are automatically dismissed as a simpleton or a right wing religious nut job.
It is as if to be a christian I must check my brain at the door, this just isn't true! I am not the kind of guy who just took it because it was gave to me, since I was a teenager I have tested my faith, I have looked at many things in the church, in scripture and "things of God" with a cynical eye, only to find these things (well the true things of God anyway) to be more real and more true than anything else in life. And I find this need to classify all Christians in to one group really ironic. Through my years of youth ministry one problem I always heard that people had with the church is the fact that historically the church has lump everyone into one big group, when in reality that is what the world does when it dismisses us as not-so-brights (not defending the churches lack of compassion, just making an observation).
In the world there are these anti-religious mindsets and catch phrases like "free your mind" from religion, "think for yourself", stop "going with the flow". This has always seemed peculiar to me, it is as if once someone leaves the church they begin using more of their brain like Bradley Cooper in that new movie.
Free Your Mind??? from what instruction? do you think that stops outside the walls of the church? It is not a question of whether you are being instructed but rather where your instructions are coming from.
Think for yourself??? Really, so you are not influenced by anyone, somehow your thoughts are strictly your own? Well congrats because have accomplished something very few have! We are all influenced... who told you to think for yourself? John Lennon, well he influenced you. Your friends who you spitball big life thoughts off of... they influence you. The way you were raised, Influenced!
You see we all have ways of thinking and personal convictions that come from the thoughts and actions of others. Simply believing these thoughts based on reason and conviction in reality look and sound a lot like the change of mindset that happens when one comes to Christ.. You are just accepting a different path of instruction, one that is dictated not by the Bible or the words of Christ but by the thoughts of yourself and those you allow to influence you. See so my purpose in this blog is not so much to persuade you to accept Christ today (although I wish you would), it is more to help you see that not following Christ does not equate to freedom from following.
Personally, I KNOW the gospel to be true, years I have spent proving it in my own heart, I have heard the negative, I have faced them and not pretended not to notice, I have also dismissed much of the fluff that seems positive in following Christ. This weeding out of falsehoods and recognition of truth has made me more confident in Christ and his gospel than ever before. You see in reality I do follow but I also think, the ironic thing is you do too no matter what path you chose.
So if you say "Justin, You are an idiot", I ask you this. Am I an idiot because you have personally seen me act like one or have known me long enough to decide I am an idiot based on our personal relationship... Then I say "Okay, you might have a point". On the other hand if you dismiss me as an idiot based on the fact I am a christian and follow the teachings of the Bible and of Christ, if you can't respect my opinion because I don't free my mind of religion or don't think for myself. Than we share the title of hypocrisy because the only thing that differentiates us is how we are instructed and influenced!
As for the lack of scripture in the blog... If it bothered you let me know and I will hopefully explain to you why there isn't any today. If you get why... good!
First let's say it... Hypocrites... yes they are real and yes I am one, I struggle in my faith. I make mistakes, I have hurt people and even perhaps you. If this is the case than I would love to apologize to you in person or at least personally (not going to give a half-hearted general apology). That being said let's move past the general hypocrisy stigma of the church to something that I feel many of you have wrongfully done to me ( I know poor pitiful me). I as a human being and a christian can be intelligent (not saying I am, saying I can). I have noticed this trend in the world where if someone professes their faith they are automatically dismissed as a simpleton or a right wing religious nut job.
It is as if to be a christian I must check my brain at the door, this just isn't true! I am not the kind of guy who just took it because it was gave to me, since I was a teenager I have tested my faith, I have looked at many things in the church, in scripture and "things of God" with a cynical eye, only to find these things (well the true things of God anyway) to be more real and more true than anything else in life. And I find this need to classify all Christians in to one group really ironic. Through my years of youth ministry one problem I always heard that people had with the church is the fact that historically the church has lump everyone into one big group, when in reality that is what the world does when it dismisses us as not-so-brights (not defending the churches lack of compassion, just making an observation).
In the world there are these anti-religious mindsets and catch phrases like "free your mind" from religion, "think for yourself", stop "going with the flow". This has always seemed peculiar to me, it is as if once someone leaves the church they begin using more of their brain like Bradley Cooper in that new movie.
Free Your Mind??? from what instruction? do you think that stops outside the walls of the church? It is not a question of whether you are being instructed but rather where your instructions are coming from.
Think for yourself??? Really, so you are not influenced by anyone, somehow your thoughts are strictly your own? Well congrats because have accomplished something very few have! We are all influenced... who told you to think for yourself? John Lennon, well he influenced you. Your friends who you spitball big life thoughts off of... they influence you. The way you were raised, Influenced!
You see we all have ways of thinking and personal convictions that come from the thoughts and actions of others. Simply believing these thoughts based on reason and conviction in reality look and sound a lot like the change of mindset that happens when one comes to Christ.. You are just accepting a different path of instruction, one that is dictated not by the Bible or the words of Christ but by the thoughts of yourself and those you allow to influence you. See so my purpose in this blog is not so much to persuade you to accept Christ today (although I wish you would), it is more to help you see that not following Christ does not equate to freedom from following.
Personally, I KNOW the gospel to be true, years I have spent proving it in my own heart, I have heard the negative, I have faced them and not pretended not to notice, I have also dismissed much of the fluff that seems positive in following Christ. This weeding out of falsehoods and recognition of truth has made me more confident in Christ and his gospel than ever before. You see in reality I do follow but I also think, the ironic thing is you do too no matter what path you chose.
So if you say "Justin, You are an idiot", I ask you this. Am I an idiot because you have personally seen me act like one or have known me long enough to decide I am an idiot based on our personal relationship... Then I say "Okay, you might have a point". On the other hand if you dismiss me as an idiot based on the fact I am a christian and follow the teachings of the Bible and of Christ, if you can't respect my opinion because I don't free my mind of religion or don't think for myself. Than we share the title of hypocrisy because the only thing that differentiates us is how we are instructed and influenced!
As for the lack of scripture in the blog... If it bothered you let me know and I will hopefully explain to you why there isn't any today. If you get why... good!
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