Note to all mysterious Internet beings: If you are reading this, you might want to read parts 1 and 2 first - it really helps! Also, please take an opportunity to become something more than a mysterious internet being by responding - then at least you won't be mysterious anymore. If you want you can even do it anonymously and remain mysterious!
Along with this dual life, there came a list of consequences associated with spending time in each sphere. In one column, titled “Christian,” things like success, health, heaven, happiness and wealth were intimately connected with holy living. The second column, titled “world,” contained items such as sickness, poverty, broken marriages, depression, a marginal life and, of course, Hell as the final destination.
We were encourage to spend time with God outside of the church doing things like praying in our prayer closets (aren't most people are coming out of the closet these days!) and making appointments for private time with God. When life was tough we were told to press into God, search our hearts for the worldly things that separate us from Him and leave them at the altar of sacrifice (creepy, huh?).
Really, this two-column system is a pretty easy way to live the Christian life. It’s much simpler to live by a list of do’s and don’ts’ and to have a God who is, by nature, angry and ready to smite those who do a don’t. When you are smitten, you know it and change your behavior, and then God’s happy again. Poor behavior brings punishment; good behavior brings blessings. What could be clearer?
The best part of this way of living is that it works. Just so long as you don’t ever encounter economic recession, or get sick, or… open your eyes to reality.
Carl Jung once said, “Without pain there can be no consciousness.” And, if experience is any judge, Dr. Jung was right. Pain is the experience that finally opened my eyes to the truth of my faith and practice. Through this pain God worked, granting me the gift of a reality check, which completely turned my faith upside down and lovingly led me into the new adventure of faith I now travel.
Just before I went off to college, the people of my church prayed over me, “prophesying” about my future. These prophetic utterances exclusively contained visions of success, items from column one. I was told I would be a man of influence and wisdom (read class president), that I would excel with my studies and become a great pastor in a huge church (read upwardly mobile) and that my future would be full of happiness (read a nice house, 2.5 children and a wife who plays the piano).
The only problem with this vision of my future is: It never happened.
Questions for you to ponder - and respond, please!
What do your two lists look like? What's on them? How has living by these rules helped you? Harmed you? Have you ever been prophesied over (Truly or falsely)? Have you ever experienced a pain that brought you to consciousness?
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3 comments:
I don't really get how the two "collums" are the two "lists of rules." However, oddly enough, I think I understand what you're trying to say. I have come to realize that challenges and/or hard times are almost harder for believers, in that, we know to trust God. However, we consistantly get in the way of that. So it's like, "yes I know things will work out somehow. But MAN this is frustrating!" So.. theres' my two cents.
I guess it's hard to respond with a "like-4-like" example, because I was raised VERY differently. I was given the knowledge, experience and some teachings of God as a child, encouraged to live "right" and such. But my direct role models did all the opposites. I was exposed to drugs, alcohol, sex, divorce, adultery, blatant lies, physical and emotional abuse and lots of other "wrong" things from a very young age. I knew by witnessing all these things that I wanted no part in them for myself, but could not escape my daily exposure to them. I will say that it was a blessing and truly God's doing that my innermost voice led me away spiritually and in the choices I made for myself. Luckily (really?) I had been given that knowledge and exposure to God before my exposures to the the bad stuff.
As an adult, I have chosen a "right" life, but I don't "walk with God" like I'm sure I'm supposed to. Is there a right way to do that? Sometimes I wonder why I can't be close to God my way, which feels comfortable and seems to have steered me pretty clearly so far. I do sometimes, no I often feel the lack in fellowship, more than anything else. And thats kinda where I'm stuck.
I guess all that boils down to the fact that even without a lot of outside influence and people telling us how to live- some of us kinda pick our way along an ok path anyways. :) and I'm totally open to feedback on that, btw.
Erica - Thanks for the comments!
I'm not so sure I think that God works on the right or wrong model of faith. What I mean is - God's not looking for us to do the right things or to behave, like I want my kids to behave and do what I say. What God is after (and this is my take on the Bible) is relationship - interaction - love.
Is there a right way of building that kind of relationship? I'm not so sure I can say. I don't subscribe to the "every faith path leads to the same God" brand of belief so popular today. I think Jesus is the only way to get relationship with God - and yet how we get to Jesus (and how he gets into us) is a subject for discussion.
Many people (in my experience) who claim to "walk with God" either walk a few steps ahead or spend so much time yammering that they never hear His voice or experience His presence. The bible has a lot to say about this subject - too much to write here! I think the best thing to do is slow down, listen, read the story of Jesus, find out who He is and let the story guide you.
Does this sort of experience with God, this relationship, require going to church? I don't think so. In fact, sometimes I think that going to church can actually prevent us from building that sort of friendship with God! But, I don't think we can go it alone either - we need people who are on the journey toward God with us to encourage us on the way. That is partly why I'm blogging this! So you can join me on the journey too.
The bottom line is, life is not about getting it right so much as it is about living! Jesus came so that we could have Life, life and more life! So live your life to it's fullest and search for God along the way - I'm sure He will find you.
Peace,
JP
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