We live in a messed up world. Part of me says a swear word would be better than "messed" because well, I believe "messed up" doesn't do justice on how terrible this world is. We have diseases rampaging poor countries, teen pregnancy outgunning AIDS, general human evil, natural disasters. One could think (and many do) how could God let this happen? One could say and believe "This is all to big for me to change or handle or help with". In some ways these statements have a very strong 'standing' or 'argument'.I would like to think my statement has a bit more though. . . .
Do you sponsor a child? I do, because I can. Because I know I can help little BJ who lives in Zimbabwe. I know that Africa is a poor Continent, It messes with me. I don't like that. It disturbs me. So I give $40 a month to this kid, thinking that at least this little guy will have a chance now. Helps me sleep a little better as such. Now, I don't really care to much about people in natural disasters, because well they are natural occurrences. Sure I could give money so that people can get their lives back together. I don't though. I feel sorry for them, I wish they didn't have to get flooded or blown away, I honestly do. But it doesn't disturb me. It doesn't rock my boat. By choice (sub-conscious or not) I don't let it disturb me.
When man takes action against something, whether it be the current government or slavery or tsunami's, man does it because it troubles, it disturbs him. He sees the wrong and it gets to him, he gets up the balls as such to do something and he does. Action occurs because of a disturbance. An imbalance. Lake of equilibrium. Scientifically proven. The same happens in the human heart/mind. If we see something that we know to be wrong, our mind can make one of two choices. 1, Rationalise it and say it is a part of the unpredictable thing we call life. 2, Get Disturbed, attempt to change it.
As Christians we are WAY to comfortable with this "messed up" world. We are meant to be followers of Christ. Christ saw the wrongs in the world in His 'time'. He gave human life value when life was taken with very little thought. He promoted equality when women and people of different races and religions were disrespected. He went around changing it all, setting the standard. We (myself very much included) need to see the wrongs, the unjusts in this world and actually care enough to not switch the channel, to get up and do something. We need to choose to follow Christ's example like our name (Christian: follower of Christ) says. We need to choose to get disturbed by what we see. Stop switching the channel, stop thinking I can do nothing, stop giving excuses for your lack of action.
Get Disturbed.
LJA
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
"Faith"
I grew up as a nice little Christian boy. In a nice Christian home. I was the fourth child, though I did have to learn to pay for things myself as soon as I started earning. I had a nice upbringing. I grew up under pastors and elders of Churches. I had a strong faith. . . or did I?
My faith was circumstantial. It relied on my situation, my friends and my parents. If one was to fail, the lot would slowly cave in. Eventually something did fail and my faith crashed and burned. I stopped caring about God, about doing the "Christian thing". I became a non Christian within a matter of weeks. Though I didn't want to admit it at the time to anyone I knew in my heart that I had turned my back on God.
Long story short I came back to God. What is interesting about my little snap shot of my life is what my faith was like. My "faith" was a bubble that required perfect harmony of outside influences for it to survive and work. I see it in a lot of Christian youth today. I see that if they were left to life, without even one of the things that holds their faith together, they would crash and burn. Where is your faith? Is your faith reliant on the people and social structure around you?
Faith in Christ should never be built around others, your social status or your environment. Your faith should be relationship based. A relationship with God that is. Why? Because God Never fails. He Never changes. He Always loves. People fail, society changes, we are always searching for something we cant seem to find. If your '"faith" is reliant or built around who your friends are or your environment, start changing that by talking to God honestly, normally. Don't get all religious on Him, he doesn't want you to mention His name 50 times in your prayer. He just wants to have a proper relationship with you. Don't fall into the trap I did and let your life rule your faith.
God Bless
LJA
My faith was circumstantial. It relied on my situation, my friends and my parents. If one was to fail, the lot would slowly cave in. Eventually something did fail and my faith crashed and burned. I stopped caring about God, about doing the "Christian thing". I became a non Christian within a matter of weeks. Though I didn't want to admit it at the time to anyone I knew in my heart that I had turned my back on God.
Long story short I came back to God. What is interesting about my little snap shot of my life is what my faith was like. My "faith" was a bubble that required perfect harmony of outside influences for it to survive and work. I see it in a lot of Christian youth today. I see that if they were left to life, without even one of the things that holds their faith together, they would crash and burn. Where is your faith? Is your faith reliant on the people and social structure around you?
Faith in Christ should never be built around others, your social status or your environment. Your faith should be relationship based. A relationship with God that is. Why? Because God Never fails. He Never changes. He Always loves. People fail, society changes, we are always searching for something we cant seem to find. If your '"faith" is reliant or built around who your friends are or your environment, start changing that by talking to God honestly, normally. Don't get all religious on Him, he doesn't want you to mention His name 50 times in your prayer. He just wants to have a proper relationship with you. Don't fall into the trap I did and let your life rule your faith.
God Bless
LJA
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Circumstances
So here I am, pondering on a ride on lawn mower about what interesting insight into my thoughts I should give you this week. My thoughts eventually went to this:
A while ago I heard a story that went a little bit like this: A girl went to her mother one day with a problem she had at school. The daughter was getting worked up and stressed, seeing no end to the situation. Her mother sat there quietly listening as her daughter got more and more distraught. She then stood up and moved into the kitchen and put 3 pots of water on the stove. In 1 she put a egg. In the 2nd she put a carrot. In 3rd she put a table spoon of coffee. . . .
Ive noticed people get stressed about there circumstances a lot. People let their circumstances or problems in their lives get in the way of what really matters. They get worked up and one of two things generally happen.
1. It makes their heart hardened against any future situation that even resembles the original problem.
2. Their hearts become fragile and they withdrawal from anything that could look like a problem.
Now those are the end results of stressful circumstances. People do work through them, but in the end those are the hearts you see in people 35 years plus. Everywhere. Before you start to argue with me let me bring you back to the story. . .
The mother continued to listen and 30min later she went back into the kitchen and took the daughter with her. She pointed to the pots and said: "look into the 1st pot. The egg has become hardened and not very desirable". The Daughter nodded and looked a little lost. The mother continued: "The carrot in the 2 nd pot has become very soft and falls apart if you try to pick it up". Again the daughter was lost. The mother came to the 3rd pot and said: "The coffee has mixed with the water and smells nice. Unlike the egg and the carrot the coffee changed its environment for the better. The environment changed the egg and carrot for the worst."
When we get into circumstances that cause us trouble what do we do? Now sometimes we can be like coffee and change the circumstances for the better by ourselves, but not very often. When we get problems we rarely turn the the big man in the clouds. We try and go alone. We end up putting a mere tea spoon of coffee into the pot. The water changes colour but it tastes weak and bad.
Next time life sucks or you find yourself in a undesirable situation, ask God to help you be the tablespoon of coffee. Ask Him to help you change your situation for the better.
God Bless
LJA
A while ago I heard a story that went a little bit like this: A girl went to her mother one day with a problem she had at school. The daughter was getting worked up and stressed, seeing no end to the situation. Her mother sat there quietly listening as her daughter got more and more distraught. She then stood up and moved into the kitchen and put 3 pots of water on the stove. In 1 she put a egg. In the 2nd she put a carrot. In 3rd she put a table spoon of coffee. . . .
Ive noticed people get stressed about there circumstances a lot. People let their circumstances or problems in their lives get in the way of what really matters. They get worked up and one of two things generally happen.
1. It makes their heart hardened against any future situation that even resembles the original problem.
2. Their hearts become fragile and they withdrawal from anything that could look like a problem.
Now those are the end results of stressful circumstances. People do work through them, but in the end those are the hearts you see in people 35 years plus. Everywhere. Before you start to argue with me let me bring you back to the story. . .
The mother continued to listen and 30min later she went back into the kitchen and took the daughter with her. She pointed to the pots and said: "look into the 1st pot. The egg has become hardened and not very desirable". The Daughter nodded and looked a little lost. The mother continued: "The carrot in the 2 nd pot has become very soft and falls apart if you try to pick it up". Again the daughter was lost. The mother came to the 3rd pot and said: "The coffee has mixed with the water and smells nice. Unlike the egg and the carrot the coffee changed its environment for the better. The environment changed the egg and carrot for the worst."
When we get into circumstances that cause us trouble what do we do? Now sometimes we can be like coffee and change the circumstances for the better by ourselves, but not very often. When we get problems we rarely turn the the big man in the clouds. We try and go alone. We end up putting a mere tea spoon of coffee into the pot. The water changes colour but it tastes weak and bad.
Next time life sucks or you find yourself in a undesirable situation, ask God to help you be the tablespoon of coffee. Ask Him to help you change your situation for the better.
God Bless
LJA
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