How is it that we develop funny little beliefs that make no logical or Biblical sense? Perfect example: cremation.
I remember growing up and hearing people say how wrong cremation was. And their arguments for these beliefs?: "We are defiling the temple of the Holy Spirit." "When we are raptured, we will have no body to rapture." Those are my 2 favorites. I have a couple questions for these people. 1) In Genesis, what did God say we were formed out of? Dust 2) For those people that were buried "whole" even a hundred years ago, what are they now? Dust 3) What happens to us when we are cremated? Quicker process but same result...Dust 4) What happens if someone is burned alive? Outta luck? 5) If our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (which I believe it is while we are living) does the Spirit just hang around in that body after we're dead?
If God created us from dust, I'm confident he can "God-breath" us whole again. And please don't take this as mockery because it's not intended to be that. However, I do want to convey the message that we shouldn't so easily accept every little belief that comes down the line. Use the brain and logic God gave you to pursue the truth, then see if you can reconcile that "perceived truth" with scripture. Otherwise, these little "false beliefs" which have no meaning as it pertains to salvation, becomes what defines us; religious people with a lame, illogical belief structure that turns people off. And since when did religion save anybody? (Although I'm sure it has pushed numerous people away.)
PS: I'm all good with either cremation or "whole" burial. I honestly think it comes down to a matter of preference. Going through the "whole burial" process can be symbolic of recognizing and respecting the body God gave us, but at the end of the day...its just a ritual. We're not in that shell anymore and even with cremation we can celebrate that individual and shoot....maybe even make them a central piece of our fireplace mantel. Just making a point.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wait for it...Wait for iiiiit...
Why do we wait to change our circumstances? We know the truth and choose so many times to do the opposite of what we know to be true. We let ourselves speak vile things, we laugh at disgusting jokes, we lust over things we see and want, we covet what others have...the list goes on. We do all these things under the title of being a Christ follower. Sin nature and all, it just doesn't add up. It's one thing to be ignorant of the truth and partake in these things, but it's entirely different when we know the truth and blatantly walk the opposite way.
How many times have we said, "God, forgive me for these actions. Please give me your mercy and grace." This prayer is all good if we are truly seeking repentance (i.e. the recognition AND turning from a sin). Because isn't his mercy and grace for those that are repentant? If we're not repentant, why do we think we're receiving his grace? And therefore, what makes us think we're saved? How can we be saved when we don't hate the things God is trying to save us from? Doesn't salvation start with the recognition of our sin and the brokenness that IS sin? Once we say we believe that and vow to pursue that saving grace, how can we then choose to go against that belief? And if we do, were we ever really saved in the first place? Maybe...maybe not. Because isn't salvation also known as being born again? And doesn't being born again mean that we have killed the old self and become a new creation in Christ, in essence Christ-like? And though we aren't fully made new in Christ in this life due to the sin nature we consistently battle with, aren't we still supposed to seek righteousness? In fact, aren't we commanded to seek righteousness? And coming full circle, isn't the pursuit of righteousness ultimately defined by our repentance or at least our seeking repentance?
No one should have said following Christ was easy. But then again, it's the simplest thing in the world. The basic recognition of our flawed and broken selves. Once we recognize this for the first time, it's easy to continue to recognizing it; if we allow. It's then up to us to choose how we will respond to these actions. Like Judas to his greed; though he recognized his sin, he justified it, denied repentance and ultimately chose sin over Christ. It's ironic how we mock him for giving up Christ for 30 pieces of silver but think about our own sin. What do we betray Christ for? What do we replace him with? A cheap laugh and a crude joke? A few extra possessions? A 10 second orgasm in front of your computer? An intellect that "makes more sense?"
I'm the last person to answer these questions, but it's worth allowing ourselves to be challenged. If we do, whats the worst that's going to happen? We push away sin and draw closer to Christ?
To close, seeking repentance and righteousness is completely opposite of being a Pharisee. They weren't seeking righteousness (i.e. God's approval), they were seeking man's approval. Don't be a Pharisee. Be a Paul who self-titled himself "the greatest of all sinners." Why? Because the closer he got to Christ, the more apparent his own sin became. The further you get from Christ, the more manageable your sin appears, therefore you lose the basic need to repent from that sin and turn back to Christ. And finally, as you walk further and further away, you enter that no-mans-land of "Once Saved, Always Saved" or "Fallen from Grace." Screw the theological debate...Why would you want to live there????
How many times have we said, "God, forgive me for these actions. Please give me your mercy and grace." This prayer is all good if we are truly seeking repentance (i.e. the recognition AND turning from a sin). Because isn't his mercy and grace for those that are repentant? If we're not repentant, why do we think we're receiving his grace? And therefore, what makes us think we're saved? How can we be saved when we don't hate the things God is trying to save us from? Doesn't salvation start with the recognition of our sin and the brokenness that IS sin? Once we say we believe that and vow to pursue that saving grace, how can we then choose to go against that belief? And if we do, were we ever really saved in the first place? Maybe...maybe not. Because isn't salvation also known as being born again? And doesn't being born again mean that we have killed the old self and become a new creation in Christ, in essence Christ-like? And though we aren't fully made new in Christ in this life due to the sin nature we consistently battle with, aren't we still supposed to seek righteousness? In fact, aren't we commanded to seek righteousness? And coming full circle, isn't the pursuit of righteousness ultimately defined by our repentance or at least our seeking repentance?
No one should have said following Christ was easy. But then again, it's the simplest thing in the world. The basic recognition of our flawed and broken selves. Once we recognize this for the first time, it's easy to continue to recognizing it; if we allow. It's then up to us to choose how we will respond to these actions. Like Judas to his greed; though he recognized his sin, he justified it, denied repentance and ultimately chose sin over Christ. It's ironic how we mock him for giving up Christ for 30 pieces of silver but think about our own sin. What do we betray Christ for? What do we replace him with? A cheap laugh and a crude joke? A few extra possessions? A 10 second orgasm in front of your computer? An intellect that "makes more sense?"
I'm the last person to answer these questions, but it's worth allowing ourselves to be challenged. If we do, whats the worst that's going to happen? We push away sin and draw closer to Christ?
To close, seeking repentance and righteousness is completely opposite of being a Pharisee. They weren't seeking righteousness (i.e. God's approval), they were seeking man's approval. Don't be a Pharisee. Be a Paul who self-titled himself "the greatest of all sinners." Why? Because the closer he got to Christ, the more apparent his own sin became. The further you get from Christ, the more manageable your sin appears, therefore you lose the basic need to repent from that sin and turn back to Christ. And finally, as you walk further and further away, you enter that no-mans-land of "Once Saved, Always Saved" or "Fallen from Grace." Screw the theological debate...Why would you want to live there????
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Forged in Adversity
Most people have their hobbies. Some golf, hunt and fish. Others bowl, frolf and build. Then you have the ones who seem to care about little more than eating and drinking. There are lots of different hobbies out there. In my line of business we seem to have a lot of golfers and hunters; neither of which I know anything about. Colleagues ask me, "Since you don't golf or hunt, what do you do?" I say, "Well, not much. I crossfit and hang with the fam." That really is about it. Fitness related activities have always been great opportunities for me to test what I'm made of from both a mental and physical standpoint; with more emphasis on the latter until lately. Between working out and the fam, I really don't do much of anything else.
Outside of my own sin, nowhere do I find more evidence of raw affliction and weakness than in my journey to be highly fit. That's why I appreciate it so much. The principles and lessons represented in "adversity-by-fitness" translates into all aspects of my life. My basic theory: "the more I push the limits of my current state of comfort and weakness, the more I will learn to never quit in any aspect of life."
Nowhere is this theory more truly realized than in the ultimate training grounds; Crossfit. Since I started 7 months ago, I have never been in more situations where I wanted to quit while at the same time compete, push myself beyond self-imposed limits and grow stronger both physically and mentally.
This leads me to the main point of this post. I don't think we can put a value on activities that teach us critically important lessons about life such as perseverence, character, community, strength, discipline, endurance and attitude; to name a few. While I believe there are hobbies that can also address some of these things, I can't think of anything more holistic than elite fitness activities. This could include many different sports, but for me in this moment of my life it happens to be Crossfit.
I think it would be a complete waste of time and energy if we didn't seek to make a purposeful connection between 1) pushing the physical and mental limits of our comforts and 2) daily living including but not limited to: marriage, friendships, raising kids, employment, sickness, health, sin, righteousness, freedom, loss, grief, joy, persecution, faithlessness, belief, loneliness, legacy, temptation, leadership, giving...the list goes on. The average American has very little understanding of discomfort; myself included. So I find it is that much more important to put ourselves in situations that will help us grow stronger for when the discomfort does come; forged in adversity. Because we can be assured, adversity will come.
Crossfit has given me the daily opportunity to push myself beyond what I though possible for myself. But it hasn't been until lately that I've really begun to make a conscious effort that every time I step into that gym, I will work to push well beyond "comfort" therefore reaching deep into the untapped portion of my potential; a place currently being occupied by my roommates: weakness and affliction.
For years I have pushed myself pretty hard but never made that purposeful connection to literally use every workout as an opportunity to prepare for the adversities of life. Only by a generic default had I received any "beneficial crossover" from hard work to life. I was so short sighted that I primarily focused on the superficial things like looks, competition, winning, losing, and the like; things that can only push you to limited depths. When you start saying, "I'm not letting go of this bar", or "I refuse to stop running" for the purpose of linking this current state of mental and physical adversity to preperation for life...get ready for growth! I'm finding this purposeful connection is very difficult to maintain and honestly, difficult to practice. When I hit the gym, in order for this principle to work, I have to make a conscious choice going into that workout that I will not give up for this very explicit purpose; I will not quit because doing so is literally making me weaker for life.
Our default is to ride the grind, pushing just enough to think we gave it our all. Don't ride the grind, create more grind and dig into it. We're preparing for things that are unknown.
Oh, sickness and injury make the journey even more impactful. Something I am currently learning.
To close, one of my favorites: "Pain is nothong more than weakness leaving the body." Go get some!
Outside of my own sin, nowhere do I find more evidence of raw affliction and weakness than in my journey to be highly fit. That's why I appreciate it so much. The principles and lessons represented in "adversity-by-fitness" translates into all aspects of my life. My basic theory: "the more I push the limits of my current state of comfort and weakness, the more I will learn to never quit in any aspect of life."
Nowhere is this theory more truly realized than in the ultimate training grounds; Crossfit. Since I started 7 months ago, I have never been in more situations where I wanted to quit while at the same time compete, push myself beyond self-imposed limits and grow stronger both physically and mentally.
This leads me to the main point of this post. I don't think we can put a value on activities that teach us critically important lessons about life such as perseverence, character, community, strength, discipline, endurance and attitude; to name a few. While I believe there are hobbies that can also address some of these things, I can't think of anything more holistic than elite fitness activities. This could include many different sports, but for me in this moment of my life it happens to be Crossfit.
I think it would be a complete waste of time and energy if we didn't seek to make a purposeful connection between 1) pushing the physical and mental limits of our comforts and 2) daily living including but not limited to: marriage, friendships, raising kids, employment, sickness, health, sin, righteousness, freedom, loss, grief, joy, persecution, faithlessness, belief, loneliness, legacy, temptation, leadership, giving...the list goes on. The average American has very little understanding of discomfort; myself included. So I find it is that much more important to put ourselves in situations that will help us grow stronger for when the discomfort does come; forged in adversity. Because we can be assured, adversity will come.
Crossfit has given me the daily opportunity to push myself beyond what I though possible for myself. But it hasn't been until lately that I've really begun to make a conscious effort that every time I step into that gym, I will work to push well beyond "comfort" therefore reaching deep into the untapped portion of my potential; a place currently being occupied by my roommates: weakness and affliction.
For years I have pushed myself pretty hard but never made that purposeful connection to literally use every workout as an opportunity to prepare for the adversities of life. Only by a generic default had I received any "beneficial crossover" from hard work to life. I was so short sighted that I primarily focused on the superficial things like looks, competition, winning, losing, and the like; things that can only push you to limited depths. When you start saying, "I'm not letting go of this bar", or "I refuse to stop running" for the purpose of linking this current state of mental and physical adversity to preperation for life...get ready for growth! I'm finding this purposeful connection is very difficult to maintain and honestly, difficult to practice. When I hit the gym, in order for this principle to work, I have to make a conscious choice going into that workout that I will not give up for this very explicit purpose; I will not quit because doing so is literally making me weaker for life.
Our default is to ride the grind, pushing just enough to think we gave it our all. Don't ride the grind, create more grind and dig into it. We're preparing for things that are unknown.
Oh, sickness and injury make the journey even more impactful. Something I am currently learning.
To close, one of my favorites: "Pain is nothong more than weakness leaving the body." Go get some!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
My Stomach is Growling
"If there's no God at all, then human beings are nothing more than accidental, complex collections of matter and energy and my very indignation towards the evil in this world can be likened to that of a growling stomach. The very things that drive me away from or towards a God are nothing more than molecules bouncing around in my brain."
Belief in God poses all sorts of challenges and curiosities, but this???? I just can't buy that we are nothing more than a collection of matter. What about the basics like love and emotion? Bouncing molecules?
Belief in God poses all sorts of challenges and curiosities, but this???? I just can't buy that we are nothing more than a collection of matter. What about the basics like love and emotion? Bouncing molecules?
Friday, July 23, 2010
Motivation Just Doesn't Translate
Just the motivation to stay disciplined doesn't mean we will be (this includes getting huge tattoos on your chest). Motivation and desire are only pieces of what it takes to live a disciplined life; pieces filled with not much more than good intent. And from my own experiences, good intent rarely translates into action. So I am constantly asking myself "what is discipline and how do I live a more disciplined life?"
The more I think about it, the more I see it as the trained ability to see beyond "the moment" therefore consistently viewing life and all of it's little pieces from a "big picture perspective." It's the ability to be fully aware of your current state; living every moment with an equal amount of focus AND foresight. Think about it. In times when we lose or forsake discipline, what are we doing? We are making a conscious choice to forgo our "big picture plan" for some type of immediate, "in the moment" gratification or want. If we're on a diet, our big picture plan is to lose weight, be more healthy, live longer, etc. So if we choose to eat healthier, do well for a week, but go back to the same routine we were on before the diet, we have chosen to forgo our long term goal for the little moments of gratification we will encounter by not being on that diet. And what are we left with? Good intent. Where did good intent get us in this scenario? No where.
The same can be true from a spiritual level. There are times when we can be so motivated to pursue righteousness and seek the will of God for our lives. And never is this more true than when we are faced with the guilt of our own sin; especially persistent sins. "Man, I have to make a change. I can't go on sinning this way!"...2 weeks and 100 good intentions later, we're right back at it.
So how do we translate that motivation into discipline? I think it starts with training ourselves to see beyond the moment, while also seeing it for what it is and then begin to piece together the things that make up the big picture. Motivation is only the indicator of where we want to be, NOT how we will get there so we use motivation to establish our goal. Let's use a common male issue and establish a goal to address this issue: "I want to be a man with a pure heart and I refuse to continue my blatant worship of the female body" (i.e. purposeful indulgence in lustful things). Ok, good intentional plan established, now you have to build the framework of WHY and HOW you will actually carry out this goal.
So you start building the big picture and uncovering the reasons WHY for our plan: "If I look at pornography I am harming my relationship with my wife and therefore my children. These actions could lead to divorce, separation and at a minimum a broken relationship because critical relational energy is being spent on things besides my wife. I am blatantly dishonoring God and choosing to put female parts and pieces on the alter that was reserved for Him alone. God has said the sexually immoral will not inherit the kingdom of God so my own soul is potentially at risk (especially if it is a persistent choice to place this sin above God). If I love God, why don't I hate this sin enough to stop? Is his mercy and grace for the habitual sinner (the "sin manager" aka Pharisees) or is it for the repentant? (i.e. the one who recognizes their sin and actually turns from that sin)."
In the HOW, you set structure and accountability. "I will not allow myself to look at things that may lead me down the path to lust. I will establish like-minded friends that sharpen me and challenge me towards successful implementation of my plan. I will pray for wisdom to see tempting moments for what they really are. I will pray to see women the way God sees them. I will dedicate all sexual energy towards my wife and my wife alone. I will pray, pray, pray. I will seek to live life in the Spirit.......Etc., etc.
Insert any number of different sins above, but training ourselves to think this way can only help us see the big picture. The more we see things from this broader perspective, the more focus and foresight (discipline) we can have in the thousand little choices that we deal with on a daily basis that ultimately define WHO and WHAT we really are. The sum definitely defines the parts. If we desire to be something, it's time to turn that desire into action.
The more I think about it, the more I see it as the trained ability to see beyond "the moment" therefore consistently viewing life and all of it's little pieces from a "big picture perspective." It's the ability to be fully aware of your current state; living every moment with an equal amount of focus AND foresight. Think about it. In times when we lose or forsake discipline, what are we doing? We are making a conscious choice to forgo our "big picture plan" for some type of immediate, "in the moment" gratification or want. If we're on a diet, our big picture plan is to lose weight, be more healthy, live longer, etc. So if we choose to eat healthier, do well for a week, but go back to the same routine we were on before the diet, we have chosen to forgo our long term goal for the little moments of gratification we will encounter by not being on that diet. And what are we left with? Good intent. Where did good intent get us in this scenario? No where.
The same can be true from a spiritual level. There are times when we can be so motivated to pursue righteousness and seek the will of God for our lives. And never is this more true than when we are faced with the guilt of our own sin; especially persistent sins. "Man, I have to make a change. I can't go on sinning this way!"...2 weeks and 100 good intentions later, we're right back at it.
So how do we translate that motivation into discipline? I think it starts with training ourselves to see beyond the moment, while also seeing it for what it is and then begin to piece together the things that make up the big picture. Motivation is only the indicator of where we want to be, NOT how we will get there so we use motivation to establish our goal. Let's use a common male issue and establish a goal to address this issue: "I want to be a man with a pure heart and I refuse to continue my blatant worship of the female body" (i.e. purposeful indulgence in lustful things). Ok, good intentional plan established, now you have to build the framework of WHY and HOW you will actually carry out this goal.
So you start building the big picture and uncovering the reasons WHY for our plan: "If I look at pornography I am harming my relationship with my wife and therefore my children. These actions could lead to divorce, separation and at a minimum a broken relationship because critical relational energy is being spent on things besides my wife. I am blatantly dishonoring God and choosing to put female parts and pieces on the alter that was reserved for Him alone. God has said the sexually immoral will not inherit the kingdom of God so my own soul is potentially at risk (especially if it is a persistent choice to place this sin above God). If I love God, why don't I hate this sin enough to stop? Is his mercy and grace for the habitual sinner (the "sin manager" aka Pharisees) or is it for the repentant? (i.e. the one who recognizes their sin and actually turns from that sin)."
In the HOW, you set structure and accountability. "I will not allow myself to look at things that may lead me down the path to lust. I will establish like-minded friends that sharpen me and challenge me towards successful implementation of my plan. I will pray for wisdom to see tempting moments for what they really are. I will pray to see women the way God sees them. I will dedicate all sexual energy towards my wife and my wife alone. I will pray, pray, pray. I will seek to live life in the Spirit.......Etc., etc.
Insert any number of different sins above, but training ourselves to think this way can only help us see the big picture. The more we see things from this broader perspective, the more focus and foresight (discipline) we can have in the thousand little choices that we deal with on a daily basis that ultimately define WHO and WHAT we really are. The sum definitely defines the parts. If we desire to be something, it's time to turn that desire into action.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
How Can We Discount the Supernatural?
Isn't it funny how fickle we are? As Christians we believe strongly in life governed by a Holy Spirit. Like Paul says, we should live life "in the Spirit". So using those as our foundation, fickleness and life in the Spirit, why do we so easily discount the supernatural? We always look for and seek the touchable, the tangible and the intellectual, but don't those things exist primarily in the flesh? If we believe in the supernatural i.e. God, why don't we accept the supernatural workings that we believe are all around us? Why do we expect God to transform the working of his Spirit into tangible or intellectual things just because that's the way we want it? That's like saying we demand a mute person to verbally speak to us since that's the way we communicate thus showing no regard for who they are as a person or the state they're in. And wouldn't you be cutting off any potential communication with this person? He might as well not exist if you're making it impossible to communicate with him.
Now, am I likening God to a mute individual? No. But I am suggesting we discount who God is and the way he speaks to us. If we had a deaf child, wouldn't we SEEK to learn sign language in order that we might communicate with him? Yes! That's pretty much stating the obvious. So why don't we seek to learn the language of the Creator!? He has clearly laid out his plan for communication and the way he operates (again, his Spirit) so why not pursue that? And isn't pursuing the Spirit ultimately the same as pursuing Christ? They seem to go hand-in-hand.
So let's take it a step further: if we aren't sensitive to or can't discern the supernatural, is this a sign we aren't seeking Christ? Couldn't this be an identifier that we are acting primarily in the flesh and are showing little regard towards the Spirit? So when we find ourselves looking for the tangible, the touchable or even the faith-by-intellect, aren't we clearly far from our goal? (i.e. life in the Spirit or relation with Christ) Aren't we cutting off our ability to live this life in consistent communion with him? And if we do that, why would we expect anything from God let alone our "calling" or "purpose" or "plan" to be revealed.
So, if we do the things we talk about above, all we end up with is a belief that exists by intellect alone; a knowledge of something we believe to be true; a biblical understanding of who Christ is but never allowing him to continue to show himself beyond what Genesis through Revelation has revealed to us. Ultimately, we eliminate the ability to be a Paul, a Moses, a Noah or used in the way they were: supernaturally!!! And unlike these men, we sit on the sidelines and read about what has been done in and through them instead of getting in the game and BEING these men. Our call is being constantly communicated by the Holy Spirit but we must first be willing and able to hear. The difference between Christian living in the flesh and in the Spirit is simply "knowing" (flesh) and "doing" (the spirit). Knowledge alone would be a complete waste of time. And do we even really "know" if we aren't living life in the Spirit? I mean jeez, even the demons "know."
Now, am I likening God to a mute individual? No. But I am suggesting we discount who God is and the way he speaks to us. If we had a deaf child, wouldn't we SEEK to learn sign language in order that we might communicate with him? Yes! That's pretty much stating the obvious. So why don't we seek to learn the language of the Creator!? He has clearly laid out his plan for communication and the way he operates (again, his Spirit) so why not pursue that? And isn't pursuing the Spirit ultimately the same as pursuing Christ? They seem to go hand-in-hand.
So let's take it a step further: if we aren't sensitive to or can't discern the supernatural, is this a sign we aren't seeking Christ? Couldn't this be an identifier that we are acting primarily in the flesh and are showing little regard towards the Spirit? So when we find ourselves looking for the tangible, the touchable or even the faith-by-intellect, aren't we clearly far from our goal? (i.e. life in the Spirit or relation with Christ) Aren't we cutting off our ability to live this life in consistent communion with him? And if we do that, why would we expect anything from God let alone our "calling" or "purpose" or "plan" to be revealed.
So, if we do the things we talk about above, all we end up with is a belief that exists by intellect alone; a knowledge of something we believe to be true; a biblical understanding of who Christ is but never allowing him to continue to show himself beyond what Genesis through Revelation has revealed to us. Ultimately, we eliminate the ability to be a Paul, a Moses, a Noah or used in the way they were: supernaturally!!! And unlike these men, we sit on the sidelines and read about what has been done in and through them instead of getting in the game and BEING these men. Our call is being constantly communicated by the Holy Spirit but we must first be willing and able to hear. The difference between Christian living in the flesh and in the Spirit is simply "knowing" (flesh) and "doing" (the spirit). Knowledge alone would be a complete waste of time. And do we even really "know" if we aren't living life in the Spirit? I mean jeez, even the demons "know."
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