Drawing lines and the dangers
We are always trying to draw lines in our lives to create order and stability and use these lines to understand our surroundings. The problem is…life. Life is dynamic and refuses to be dictated by what we think it should be because it includes things that can’t be controlled like people and God.
So back to lines. The biggest problem I have with lines is when we draw them to include and dis-include people in our lives.
The Blasphemy Challenge is a crafty word-of-mouth marketing campaign cooked up by a documentary company that recently released a documentary arguing that Jesus Christ is just a conspiracy and he never actually existed. They promoted this documentary by asking their followers to go on You Tube, record a video of themselves denying God and the Holy Spirit and send it in for a free DVD. So people by the thousands loaded their videos practically daring God to strike them with lightening on the spot. Below are links to some I found the most interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpS0B11mEBk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA1bETsBrl0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAeARb1UY6kSo back to lines. After watching those, I am sure that your eyes widened, you shook your head and started drawing some lines in your head about those people when maybe we should be thinking of these people in a different way.
One of my Celebrate Recovery principles is a good reminder to constantly re-evaluate what I think I “know”.
1 Corinthians 10:12
If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall.
Some common reactions to this video are that the blasphemers had better be afraid of what the Lord thinks about that, you’ll eventually have to answer for that and that of course I am better off with the Lord.
So back to lines. Before you draw lines to define “my circle is holier than your circle”, take a second to make sure you not lukewarm to the things of God which scripture clearly states is worse than denying the Lord on You Tube.
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Are you a show up to church once a week and nothing else person? How do you spend your time, thoughts and money on a daily basis and does that bring glory to God or does it terminate on yourself?
Maybe instead of pointing fingers, drawing lines and shaking our heads in disappointment for these people, we should wonder why our hearts don’t break for them and get us up off the couch to see if we can’t find some people like them to tell them the truths that have changed our lives.
Also, the reason that I wrote this blog is because finger pointing and line drawing was my first reaction.
So back to lines. The biggest problem I have with lines is when we draw them to include and dis-include people in our lives.
The Blasphemy Challenge is a crafty word-of-mouth marketing campaign cooked up by a documentary company that recently released a documentary arguing that Jesus Christ is just a conspiracy and he never actually existed. They promoted this documentary by asking their followers to go on You Tube, record a video of themselves denying God and the Holy Spirit and send it in for a free DVD. So people by the thousands loaded their videos practically daring God to strike them with lightening on the spot. Below are links to some I found the most interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpS0B11mEBk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA1bETsBrl0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAeARb1UY6kSo back to lines. After watching those, I am sure that your eyes widened, you shook your head and started drawing some lines in your head about those people when maybe we should be thinking of these people in a different way.
One of my Celebrate Recovery principles is a good reminder to constantly re-evaluate what I think I “know”.
1 Corinthians 10:12
If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall.
Some common reactions to this video are that the blasphemers had better be afraid of what the Lord thinks about that, you’ll eventually have to answer for that and that of course I am better off with the Lord.
So back to lines. Before you draw lines to define “my circle is holier than your circle”, take a second to make sure you not lukewarm to the things of God which scripture clearly states is worse than denying the Lord on You Tube.
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Are you a show up to church once a week and nothing else person? How do you spend your time, thoughts and money on a daily basis and does that bring glory to God or does it terminate on yourself?
Maybe instead of pointing fingers, drawing lines and shaking our heads in disappointment for these people, we should wonder why our hearts don’t break for them and get us up off the couch to see if we can’t find some people like them to tell them the truths that have changed our lives.
Also, the reason that I wrote this blog is because finger pointing and line drawing was my first reaction.
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