My Thoughts... My Shortcomings

I was talking with someone recently, and I was saying how cool it would be if we had youth meetings every week at church (Wendy made this suggestion, and I think it's great!). This person said that it would get to be too much of a strain on the leaders, plus people are too busy, they want their weekends, kids wouldn't come.

I say, it doesn't matter who comes or doesn't. If a few people decide they want to get together every week at church, then more power to them. If more and more people jump on the bandwagon, then we can accommodate that too... More people means more workers. It doesn't always have to be so elaborate and stressful for the organizers ( I say this, willing to help with whatever is needed).

I commented, no one has to come if they don't want to. They aren't forced into it, but if it's in your heart to be there, they'll be there. No big deal. But Christians in other countries go to church 7 days a week , and walk miles one way to get there! The response was, they have a different lifestyle than ours, so you can't compare them to us. We have school, jobs, etc...

So I've been pondering that all day. I automatically disagreed, but I like to look at things objectively, from all sides, before I make up my mind. Even if my mind is made up, most of the time I'll listen. That's how I grow. I can't just believe something because that's what I was taught, or because I have a fuzzy idea about it... It has to be, what does the Word say? What does Jesus say? Why did He say it? And God, who is all-knowing, does expect us to think for ourselves... I'm so thankful that He didn't create us as robots. I'm not sure that I believe that we should believe something just because God said it. Yes, we should, but... it's hard to say what I'm thinking. Have you ever met someone that you asked to explain something to you, and they just said, Because, it's in the Bible. That's not teaching. I guess what I mean is that we have to believe something because it's the truth. If I automatically accept everything in the Bible just because it's there, how do I really know what it says? I may trust that my English teacher is going to tell me how to correctly write an essay, but I need to process the information to figure out WHY what she is telling me is correct. Not second-guessing everything, not being wary of everything. Just LEARNING and processing with my mind, but also with my heart. And if you have a heart that wants to learn God's truth, then He will increase your knowledge and understanding and wisdom, and write it on the tables of your heart.

Whew... I hope that sounded the way I thought it and meant it.

So thinking along those lines today, how everything needs to be weighed against the scriptures...

And the thought came to me. If I can't compare my Christian life here with Christians in other countries because we have different lifestyles, then I can't compare my Christian walk with the people in the Bible, either.

I'm not saying that everyone should wear robes and sandals. I'm not even saying that everyone should go to church seven days a week... but the early church did (Acts 2:46). I'm just saying, that I look at the fervor and dedication and DESIRE that is so great in these people, and then I look at myself.

I think my culture really lulls me to sleep. I LET it lull me to sleep. I get so caught up in a routine, thinking things have to be a certain way. But if I had a fire in my bones like these others do, would things be different? Would I be so quick to want to sit around watching DVD's? Would STUFF matter so much? Or would I actually be COMPELLED to evangelize, to fellowship, to have Bible study with other Christians.

Sigh. As I say this I'm looking around at all the STUFF I have... others have nothing. But yet I hold on to STUFF and my routine.

So, I'm preaching to myself this morning. I don't like change, I like my stuff, I like my routine. But... I'm spurred on by the cloud of witnesses I see around me, in other countries, in other cultures, and in the Bible.

If my lifestyle is getting in the way of my relationship with God, and preventing me from having that kind of zeal (radical as it may appear to others), then maybe my lifestyle needs to change.

Must... not... conform... must... press... onward...