DISCLAIMER AND EXPLANATION:
I could not wait to become mature before beginning this blog. So, expect for me to not be fully finished (and neither is this blog), any more than God is finished with any readers of this blog. I do not claim to be an expert.
However, God has allowed me this passion, to study, write about and discuss these things. I strongly feel it is something I must do, and possibly the most important thing I will ever be a part of, small and inconsequential as it may seem.
Each of these blog entries narrow down on specific important concepts for discussion. But one should always keep the big view uppermost in thought. No matter how big you make your view, I guarantee you that God is bigger, and we err towards the narrow. (I'm talking about the 'view' and not the 'path' here.)
With that purpose in mind (a broader view), I thought it would be useful to try to organize the direction of this blog project into some sort of synopsis, in order to make it easier to catch a glimpse of this wider view. Of course, this is not any sort of definitive statement applying to everyone, but only my own view.
As this blog does follow a chain of thought, it is somewhat sequential in nature. So for the best understanding, and if you have the time, don't just skim over this summary page, but read them from the beginning! Most of the following lines are clickable links to individual posts. Thanks!
Welcome to my new web log. Let's try to make sense out of things.
What do we believe about God? The depth of that belief will determine how we 'roll with the punches' in life.
So, by all means, let's find out where we stand, in all areas of life.
After all, as imperfect as we may be, we strongly influence those around us much more than we know. And no matter how imperfectly delivered, God's message is still 'in there' to be found.
Life can be overwhelming, and most people feel powerless. So they seek empowerment as a means to securing their freedom.
But when people can't acquire personal empowerment, it makes them feel even more helpless, and hopeless. But this is because they are looking in all the wrong places for something, it turns out, they don't even need.
Where is the right place to look?
The right place to look isn't in the physical world, but in the spiritual. It's not an answer you can find from the outside world, but from the inner.
Putting up a dishonest, false front is an effort to misrepresent oneself, and thereby manipulate others. Some people even try to manipulate God in this way!
But a change of the internal is real, and can't help but draw attention for all the right reasons.
So which would you say has more value?
But it's not easy to look honestly at oneself, because we just may uncover our vulnerabilities, and then we'd have to change.
But being open to change is what life is all about. It makes life more interesting. Are you stagnant water, or a living, moving stream? Do you want to quit now, or grow, mature?
The beginning of maturity is to start to sense imbalance. In seeking a natural balance, however, we become judgmental and reject part of the self, and thereby feel less-than, not whole. Nature is not a static balance, and neither are we.
How can we know where the ideal balance point would be, as we don't, won't, and can't see the big picture?
If we can't clearly see how we are lacking, how can we judge others? We can judge behavior, but not belief!
Dissatisfaction seeks empowerment, but not finding it ends up feeling even more dissatisfied, hungry. The system taunts that if we don't have, we must not be good enough, haven't stood up for ourselves and what we need to survive. It's the Law of the Jungle, eat or be eaten.
Is it any wonder we become ravenous as tigers, and tear each other apart?
This life we have created is a delusion, a carnival house of mirrors instead of a home.
But, there are signs to lead you out of the fun-house when you decide you've had enough.
As a child we play pretend games. But as we grow, we put aside childish nonsense, and invest in something with real value.
What has real value? Your relationships with God and with other people, in and out of the church. Stop using people (and God) as if they were resources, or tools!
Fortunately for us, God has already invested deeply in us all the way along. The shepherd isn't motivated by the lost sheep's thoughts.
Similarly, when you are letting God's love flow from you to anyone there is no reason to fear, unless you are still concerned about your own skin, or your reputation.
The empty can be filled by the full, and the full can thereby be emptied. We have commonality in our drink, and in the table we sit around.
Consider every relationship, friendship, or acquaintance as sacred and holy.
Judgments and rituals are a kind of shorthand that we try, but they can never capture the ineffable nature of life, or relationships with God and others.
When we place a higher value on external things, we become separated from others. Lose the external and you can again have rewarding relationships.
Life (and maturity) is an open process, a gradual development, not a destination.
The things that hold us back (from quality relationships and development) or trip us up are external needs, ambitions, and desires.
It is even wise to let go of the obsession to be the one with all the answers, as this is just one more desire.
Listen for God's direction.
But don't get hung up on perfection. We can't wait for perfection before engaging and interacting with others or with God.
Knowing that God loves and accepts us, can we love and accept ourselves?
Are we self-sufficient in our knowledge, or do we live in trust in the guidance and revelation of the living God?
You can't have the separation of a dispute if 'us' and 'them' are meaningless words (and they are).
External things (even plans) are not the best investment. Invest in God. Invest in relationships.
Decrease your treasures and you will decrease your fears. Then only a very small amount of faith is needed.
[NOTE: Why is faith needed, you may ask. Faith sparks a response of some sort -acts/work- and this synergy of faith-works is growth, spiritual fruit, forward movement. Fear inhibits growth of fruit!]
Your brother IS your neighbor, and your neighbor IS your brother, even if they be Hindu, Mormon, Catholic, believe in nothing at all, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Jesus' activism went further than a struggle for mere 'peace' or for any good cause. His activism was God's love.
Our faith response is our attempt to understand God's grace, which is His expression of love.
Created in the image of God, we were to be a reflection of God. We must be still.
What is it, that you really want? [HINT: It's not external!]
Our efforts only go so far. Luckily we don't have to provide everything needed.
We have a father who unconditionally and joyfully loves us.
Our need or dependency upon our spiritual father is at the very core of our existence.
What seems to us to be 'change' is actually the normal maturing and growth of a spirit being!
So how can we really know God?
[More to come!]
