Ok, ok. You out think us all. Your knowledge of everything is better. Your sentences are better, your thoughts are better, you know best.You're smarter, you're deeper, the world gets it. You win. Whew. I'm wondering something though. I'm wondering this morning about the torment of over thinking an issue. Spiritual issues in particular. I think it is perilous to our peace of mind to compulsively and obsessively chew and gnaw on something until we're blue in the face, malcontent, and miserable. It destroys inner peace, chases it away, and leaves a person feeling sad, blue, and depressed because again, they've gone round and round and round only to arrive at the same vacant place: 666 I'mbewildered Lane, Whinevillepoormecity, zip code 00000. Where does this compulsion come from? You are not alone if, along life's path, you have encountered some well meaning people who may have answered your spiritual questions with less theological prowess than you now assign yourself in your own adulthood and left you feeling confused. Just because they were the adult Sunday school teacher and you were the little curious child doesn't mean they always could answer your innocent probings perfectly. So what? What's new pussycat? Maturity(and mental health) demands we get past that. There's good and positive and uplifting news that can obliterate our accumulated bitternesses from years of what some consider heinous blitherings from church workers: forgive them, oh now wise owl, for not wording things perfectly all of the time. Cut some slack, people do it for you. God uses us, imperfect vessels, as his conduits. Conduits to pass his teachings on. Our willingness to do this is blessed and anointed by His Holy Spirit. If along the way, our feelings have gotten hurt, or our egos not properly tended it, or if it is just too painful a memory that we didn't know it all like we thought we did and someone set us straight, there's no time like the present to let it go. Move forward. Get on past that. Let go of that thing. Don't give it a head! He also gave us his holy word to teach us how to believe and behave. And if we spend our energy peering at the scripture wondering why this and why that and is this literal, blah blah blah..we need to stop. It isn't going to ever get us anywhere. God's word is the truth, the light and the way. Our only job is to accept it, revel in it, and just worship Him. Discussing doctrinal issues is a fine pastime as long as in the end we resolve that we aren't ever going to nail it down to our total satisfaction. Our satisfaction surely lies more in the realization that we don't have to nail it down.O Praise God! We are relieved of that chore. That isn't our job and it isn't necessary.I think sometimes we are so in love with ourselves we just like to hear ourselves think/talk. The Christian walk is a simple one. Accept Him, live for Him and worship Him. Arrogance deceives us into believing that if we bang our brain long enough we can figure out the bottom line truth of every mysterious Biblical text and teaching, but we never can. We aren't that smart. None of us. None. So don't waste good time trying to. It squelches the Holy Spirit within and robs you of the freedom of victorious living. Getting lost in our heads is Satan's way of leading us right back to nowhere. No need for any of us to fashion the best most eloquent explanation for why the Bible is the ultimate truth. Faith is just accepting that it is. Please give your weary brain a breather if you have a propensity towards over thinking things. Down boy! God's perfect plan leads us straight to love, joy, peace, patience, forgiveness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The mysteries of which can only be enjoyed through abandoning ourselves to the carefreeness that existing in Him can bring. I need constant reminders of this, perhaps we all do. May the Peace of God be with you.
5 comments:
Sista' Sledge - you have hit the nail on the head. Can I get an Amen !!! Oh yeah... You have a gift, my friend.
On behalf of all us hard working and well-meaning Sunday School teachers that are probably unknowingly screwin' up kids by the hundreds...we thank you.
Popcorn - one more thought. (I'm like Colombo today...)I think real faith chases away the need to obsess about the many mysteries of God. That doesn't mean you don't think about them..you just don't obsess about them. You choose to believe in the attributes of God that He is good. That He is loving. That He wants the best for you. In those attributes - we can rest. It reminds me of when the Pharisees asked Jesus about the trivial matter of whether they would be married in heaven - he answered them that they were asking such a silly question because they didn't know scripture AND..they didn't know the power of God. In some issues - we can simply rest in the power of God. Peace Out!
Popcorn,
If you hadn't said "compulsively and obsessively" in your post I think I might have exploded right here in front of the monitor! Surely you don't believe what I think you said?
We have been endowed by our Creator God with minds that reason and think. Minds that poke and prod away at a problem until we finally understand and solve it. I think God made us this way on purpose, and I think he's pleased when we wrestle with an issue.
Now, that's not so say we're to argue endlessly about trivial things, and on that I agree with you. "The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk." (1 Tim 1:5-6)
Meaningless talk is definitely a waste of time, but deep thinking is a good thing.
Rob - Popcorn is herself a deep deep thinker.
I think - well I may be putting words in her mouth - that what she is expressing in this post is frustration with navel-gazing.
What she is trying to say is...get over your cynical self and enjoy and glorify God.
You'll never understand everything about God. Thankfully, my God is incomprehensible. If I can fully understand everything, then God is not very big, is he?
Popcorn - forgive me if I have misinterpreted your post.
No SLC, you interpreted my post to a T. It is so amazing how differently people interpret other's writing. Rob, of course God gave us a brain to probe, but not to ask and reask the same questions for years on end for heaven's sake. No pun intended.
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