(So, quite recently, I posted a blog called “Pretend Angela.”
If you haven’t read that one, you should know it’s the precursor to
this one. So it might be a good idea to read it, because that’s where
this one picks up)
…
How does someone get to this place? How do we find ourselves in situations where, without intervention, we fly down a path of not trusting God? How often do we justify our lack of faith more and more until, if we are fortunate enough to wake up, we eventually find ourselves way down a road we never thought we’d go?
Faith in Christ is a tough thing. It’s often something we cling to more theoretically than literally, but by default that’s not faith. Like a guy or a girl we want to like, we’re more into “the idea” of faith in Christ, than an actual reality of it. But the reality of it, we think, involves a bit of risk.
I say “Faith in Christ” and not simply “faith,” because faith is easy and ulitmately useless if not properely placed. Every moment we exercise faith in something. Often we exercise faith in ourselves, or someone else’s opinion, or maybe even our interpretation of someone else’s opinion or advice. There are countless things we put faith in every day, but, ironically enough, too rarely in our Creator.
Some of us admittedly don’t believe at all, and that’s possibly a safer place than pretend believing, because at least then we’re honest about where we are. And if He reveals Himself we at least know we need to move toward Him, rather than the false idea that we are already there.
What’s much more dangerous perhaps is a cultural Christianity. What’s more common is the kind of part time Christianity that works from time to time, but rarely extends further than the church parking lot, the dinner table, or the occasional bedtime prayer. Some of us extend it a little further into the realm of our all holy “quiet time” with God, but then run off into a different compartment of our lives.
We fill our mouths and minds with all of these reasons why we should trust in ourselves rather than in our Savior, Creator, and would-be Lord. But think of the ridiculousness of it all. It’s often our “logic” that leads us to a place of trusting our ways and the ways of the world, but it’s real logic that awakens us to the truth.
How does it make sense that we believe and have faith that there is a God, but that He can’t take care of our children and our families? How does it make sense to say that we believe that this God has always been and always will be, and that He possesses all power, strength and love, but live lives that show we believe Him to be smaller than our circumstance. How is it that we can say we believe this God calls us His children, and sent part of Himself, His own son for us, yet not trust Him with our futures? How can we trust Him with our soul, but not our wallet? How can we trust Him with our sins, but not our dating or marriage relationships?
How can we trust Him with our eternity, but not with our temporal?
How foolish does it all seem? Do we really trust Him?
It’s a lack of trust in Him, combined with an inflated view of ourselves, a pride, fed by a lack of perspective.
The words “IF” and “UNLESS” are, apparently, less often found in scripture than our words and lives would preach.
“Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Is not “Love your neighbor as yourself, unless he is really annoying.”
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, if it’s not too much of an inconvenience,” is found on the pages of scripture on a much less common basis than we might think.
All sorts of commands and promises and scripture we know, but adulterate with a pride that thinks our situation is somehow different or outside of the scope God intended it.
“I know the Word leads us to serve and provide for the poor, the orphans, the widows, and to tithe BUT if I don’t know how I’m gonna pay for my child’s school, or for my school, or for my car.” Or maybe… “Yeah we are supposed to give of our time to others, but I work hard ya know?”
This isn’t a blog to call you to give everything you own to the poor or to get you to volunteer every Saturday at a soup kitchen or some other philanthropic outlet. But moreso it’s a call to trust. It’s a call to have faith IN Christ more than self. It’s a call to have what we say we believe line up with what our lives say.
Ok…So you might say, “So.. I don’t live out a life a faith? Why is that? I mean I know I should, but what exactly is stopping me?” Which are all good questions, because after all, application is part of a living faith in Christ is it not?
Well.. I’ve got some thoughts, but you’ll have to wait on the next blog….
Lord Willin’
(I know I did it again, but seriously… that would be a lonnnnng blog)… you’re welcome.
…
How does someone get to this place? How do we find ourselves in situations where, without intervention, we fly down a path of not trusting God? How often do we justify our lack of faith more and more until, if we are fortunate enough to wake up, we eventually find ourselves way down a road we never thought we’d go?
Faith in Christ is a tough thing. It’s often something we cling to more theoretically than literally, but by default that’s not faith. Like a guy or a girl we want to like, we’re more into “the idea” of faith in Christ, than an actual reality of it. But the reality of it, we think, involves a bit of risk.
I say “Faith in Christ” and not simply “faith,” because faith is easy and ulitmately useless if not properely placed. Every moment we exercise faith in something. Often we exercise faith in ourselves, or someone else’s opinion, or maybe even our interpretation of someone else’s opinion or advice. There are countless things we put faith in every day, but, ironically enough, too rarely in our Creator.
Some of us admittedly don’t believe at all, and that’s possibly a safer place than pretend believing, because at least then we’re honest about where we are. And if He reveals Himself we at least know we need to move toward Him, rather than the false idea that we are already there.
What’s much more dangerous perhaps is a cultural Christianity. What’s more common is the kind of part time Christianity that works from time to time, but rarely extends further than the church parking lot, the dinner table, or the occasional bedtime prayer. Some of us extend it a little further into the realm of our all holy “quiet time” with God, but then run off into a different compartment of our lives.
We fill our mouths and minds with all of these reasons why we should trust in ourselves rather than in our Savior, Creator, and would-be Lord. But think of the ridiculousness of it all. It’s often our “logic” that leads us to a place of trusting our ways and the ways of the world, but it’s real logic that awakens us to the truth.
How does it make sense that we believe and have faith that there is a God, but that He can’t take care of our children and our families? How does it make sense to say that we believe that this God has always been and always will be, and that He possesses all power, strength and love, but live lives that show we believe Him to be smaller than our circumstance. How is it that we can say we believe this God calls us His children, and sent part of Himself, His own son for us, yet not trust Him with our futures? How can we trust Him with our soul, but not our wallet? How can we trust Him with our sins, but not our dating or marriage relationships?
How can we trust Him with our eternity, but not with our temporal?
How foolish does it all seem? Do we really trust Him?
It’s a lack of trust in Him, combined with an inflated view of ourselves, a pride, fed by a lack of perspective.
The words “IF” and “UNLESS” are, apparently, less often found in scripture than our words and lives would preach.
“Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Is not “Love your neighbor as yourself, unless he is really annoying.”
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, if it’s not too much of an inconvenience,” is found on the pages of scripture on a much less common basis than we might think.
All sorts of commands and promises and scripture we know, but adulterate with a pride that thinks our situation is somehow different or outside of the scope God intended it.
“I know the Word leads us to serve and provide for the poor, the orphans, the widows, and to tithe BUT if I don’t know how I’m gonna pay for my child’s school, or for my school, or for my car.” Or maybe… “Yeah we are supposed to give of our time to others, but I work hard ya know?”
This isn’t a blog to call you to give everything you own to the poor or to get you to volunteer every Saturday at a soup kitchen or some other philanthropic outlet. But moreso it’s a call to trust. It’s a call to have faith IN Christ more than self. It’s a call to have what we say we believe line up with what our lives say.
Ok…So you might say, “So.. I don’t live out a life a faith? Why is that? I mean I know I should, but what exactly is stopping me?” Which are all good questions, because after all, application is part of a living faith in Christ is it not?
Well.. I’ve got some thoughts, but you’ll have to wait on the next blog….
Lord Willin’
(I know I did it again, but seriously… that would be a lonnnnng blog)… you’re welcome.
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