Please RSVP!
I’ve read the thoughts of many authors who would hail as conquerer’s, if they could convince many that faith and prayer are fancy crutches for weak minds and a murky will. They’ve misused their intellect to rationalize how independence, self righteousness and self reliance are the missing essential character strengths, that make us pawns in the religious games played by so many religious leaders and the world’s populace. These writers also use misguided logic and erroneous philosophy to support their “superior” but universally flawed ideologies. The aforementioned character qualities in my life, had to be arrested before my relationship with God could really begin to take hold. When I absorb their words I am both saddened and invigorated. Saddened because I do understand that for these lost souls, living within their myopic caves, God IS NOT noticeably present, identifiable or prevailing in their lives. I’m invigorated on the other hand, because I see an opportunity for a securely bolted door to be kicked open. As believers it isn’t our job to teach people about God, those lessons are the exclusive domain and tutorials of The Holy Spirit (read Hebrews 8:11). But we do have other responsibilities, which when executed with the help of God, can sometimes quickly, but more often slowly, change another person’s perception of the value of inviting God into their being.
I think of this responsibility as sharing, but it’s also called witnessing, role modeling, exemplifying, testifying and guiding. Real world examples of how and when God has intervened in our lives carries more convincing weight than any third party story ever could. Fiction has been described as the “willing suspension of disbelief”, so reality might be conversely described as the willing acceptance of belief. For me to say that “I believe in God“, translates to a non-believer, into a distant 3rd party, unconvincing, philosophical observation. Which can’t come close to altering anyone else’s spiritual beliefs, which if agnostic, atheist or indifferent, will be permanently self destructive. But when I proclaim loudly and often, that God is my; roommate, counselor, partner, my best and most trusted friend and guiding Father, who has carried me through disease, failure, fortune, misfortune and life and has also raised my; mood, awareness, attitude and will one day raise my spirit, demonstrates a completely experiential relationship, one which is absolutely undeniable and passionately incontrovertible. This might help with some who respect me, but for most, faith must be raised out of God’s truth, not mine. When He beckons, please RSVP.
JC CALKINS with COMMON SENSE 4 UNCOMMON PEOPLE
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It is true that many get lost in religion and miss the importance of developing a relationship God. True relationship is more powerful than any philosophical rhetoric. Have a great day!
I suspect that one of the reasons God didn’t think Adam should be alone was that there would be no equal opportunity to learn about the challenges of maintaing a relationship. Adam failed the first test when God inquired about their discovery meal and Adam pointed at Eve with the first male excuse on record. Philosophical rhetoric aside, I agree with your comment. Thanks Beverley.