One of the biggest reasons that the prosperity gospel is flawed would be ‘the come up.’ Most people do not do well with a drastic and/sudden change in resources and lifestyle. There is something to be said for working and earning what one has over time. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a more comfortable lifestyle. But the truth is that too many become ugly inside from how having money changes the individual.
If too much is given or obtained too quickly, there is a lack of appreciation for what one has and nothing is sufficient or enough. But there is also the lack of empathy for those around the one who feels that they are now removed from their previous situation. It manifest in many ways but in most cases it makes one a great consumer and not a producer. The money is not the problem, the true refection of the heart is the problem. I would even go so far as to say that money can have a negative affect on a person's prayer life. This is why Christians often times dont do well with wealth, the wealth comes at the cost of having a heart, toward God and others.
Consumers are those who love to use their spending power on things that they didn’t have before. How one spends their resources is the easiest way to tell old money from new money. New money makes poor spending decisions on items that are mostly for bragging rights and with very little or no asset value, and most often to impress people who are not impressed anyway. It is the fear of depravity wearing a mask of abundance. It is a facade.
The sudden ability to have what one never had before becomes overwhelming and even can lead to poor decision-making and gluttony. Being a consumer becomes addictive..... it becomes the high of being able to obtain what one never had, therefore leading to overspending, and poor decision making in purchasing more than what is needed. This is exactly why most professional athletes and lottery ticket winners, and drug dealers end up in the exact financial state with a few years. There is little to no knowledge about saving, investing, sound purchasing, or philanthropy.
When fear controls the individual it will cause a level of selfishness that leaves no room for investing in vetted causes or charities, and definitely not becoming a resource by founding a charitable or philanthropic organization. When Christians forget to help others, they risk missing out in the greatest way to be like Christ, and that is to become a giver and a producer. When Jesus fed the people, he did with no expectation of return or compensation. As a matter of fact, most of the time, Jesus told those that he did something for not to tell others. This is because the nature of God is to give. We learn to be like Christ in the way that we treat others. How we treat others is a direct reflection of how we see our relationship with God. When we have a positive outlook on our relationship with God, there is an openness to share not only the Good News of the Gospel, but to overall have a positive impact in the lives of others. We can truly be living examples of Christ on earth.
It has been proven that giving and affinity go hand-in-hand. A person will invest in what they have some emotional attachment to. Therefore, it can be said that those who suddenly obtain too much too fast become detached and lose their ability to care or to love others. Their affinity goes toward the obtained material wealth or objects obtained. This is why loving people, those you can see, is essential because it is a reflection on one’s relationship to God. And it can only be faked or pretended for a short span of time. The state of one’s heart will eventually be shown for how it truly is.
At the core, the basic need is a sense of resolve that comes only from right relationship with God. Therefore it can be said that the individual is seeking a form of peace that will never come from the material that is bought/purchased, but can only come from an internal peace. Like any other addiction the issue is not the outward manifestation, but is in fact the internal turmoil that is causing the outward affect. A lack of peace and the inability to see what God has gifted the person with besides material objects and economic ability will always leave the person to rely on what they can grasp and that is material and superficial. This all leads to a person who is shallow and superficial.
Money or material gain is not a guarantee of happiness. The most current events of the past few years where more and more famous/rich individuals are committing suicide is proof that one's internal state of being is much more important than tangible material gain or wealth. There are some things that every human being needs that money can not buy.
God wants us to have abundant life, including nice things, but as good stewards of that abundance, not wasteful and overindulged. Because we live in a culture that loves amenities and creature comforts, it’s hard to imagine living a life with less than the newest most fashionable and most desired objects. This is what capitalism is built on, the reliance on human beings to fulfill their depravity with objects instead of seeking internal peace. People in sales love hurting people because they purchase, they become repeat spenders. As a matter of fact, if more people had the Peace of God, the spending patterns of our entire world would change.
This is exactly what religious vows of poverty are about, not becoming consumed with being a consumer but actually becoming comfortable enough in the sufficiency of having basic needs met that one becomes productive both spiritually and naturally. Christians should be producers, should be people who seek out ways to help others find peace through sharing the gospel, the good news, but should also live a lifestyle that reflects the internal peace and the strength to not always needing to follow the trends of obtaining the newest object.
Let’s be honest money changes a person. There are very few people that are not affected by gaining wealth. or even a higher salary. But the important thing is to remember that the higher salary or the wealth is not the issue, it is a matter of what this does to the internal workings of the individual. One of the most grounding things that a person can do to remember who they really are is to remain a giver. Giving to others allows one to remain empathetic, if the individual allows their thought process to remain open and clear about the difference between self and the other person. Spending time around one's old neighborhood and staying connected to everyday life of everyday people can keep one open to receive the realization of how powerful God's sufficiency really is in keeping one resilient (Philippians 4:13). This is how you learn to be content and remain grateful. One of the things that I heard quite often growing up was the saying “but for the grace of God, there go I.”
Showing posts with label Humanization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Humanization. Show all posts
June 11, 2018
January 16, 2018
Eating Crow
To figure out that you are wrong about something may or may not be a big deal. When this realization is a private one, it is only your own processing of the information that has to be taken into account. But when you have to admit to others that you are wrong, the error in judgment, the details, and miscalculations take on a whole different level of internal response. Not only does one have to deal with the outcomes and need for adjustments because of the error, but there is also the added communication that others want to have about something that one would rather not talk about.
All of the thoughts of dread that go with the conversation about the error are not only unwanted, but can be overwhelming because of the multiple times that one repeatedly answers the same or similar questions about the matter. It becomes hard to navigate who is genuinely concerned and who is simply seeking out a juicy bit of information.
To talk about what has happened is part of the healing process. Each individual heals at their own pace, and therefore each individual is ready to talk about their miscalculation with no specific appropriate time frame to be determined as right or wrong by anyone else. Add to this the distinct differences in how men and women process information, respond to information, and need to talk to process information, and you have a variety of ways in which human beings deal with the mistakes that they make in life.
There are times when a person realizes their mistake but refuses to make the necessary adjustments because of pride. In some ways this can seem to others as form of stubbornness. More often than not, the person who is processing their mistake and what making the needed changes entails wants to do so on their own terms and not the terms of others. This can be very stressful when others want to rush or force the transitions necessary to handle a mistake in one's own life. This will cause the individual to avoid making the necessary decisions because there is a sense that others are pressuring or attempting to orchestrate one's life for them. This pressure adds to the resistance by the individual to do what is necessary because that is a mechanism built into being stubborn in the process.
Theologically, when a person is walking in disobedience to God, not only is there the issue of stubbornness, but there is usually some sort of attempt to negotiate with God. Negotiation, in many cases is caused by the unwillingness to trust God or to surrender to God's Will. The mistakes that happen in one's life because of disobedience can be disheartening because the limitations of being human dont allow us to see into the future. And many times, attempting to negotiate with God can lead us into situations that we could not have possibly seen coming.
On our best day, each of us wants to believe that we are up for any challenge and because of this we can sometimes believe that we can handle situations without realizing that God sees all sides of a situation and we are only able to see what is present before us at any given time. Our speculations are not guarantees, but we yet have to make life decisions based on the information that we have, and this does not always work out the way that we planned.
There are other times, when there are warning signs, and even divinely inspired clues that let us know that we should do things differently or make a different decisions but we dont always heed the warning signs. Often times, these warnings and clues come from those closest to us, friends and family. And this can also become part of the challenge to figure out who is giving genuine insight or divinely inspired insight versus those who are giving advice based on how it will work best for themselves. Each of us usually knows who the self serving individuals are around us, be we can not always be 100% certain in every situation, because trust can sometimes be very fluid.
So when a situation does not go the way that one has planned, and this realization means that it is time to come to terms with the mistake and admit that it didnt work out as planned, this can sometimes be hard to admit. And this is where the concept of 'Eating Crow' comes into being part of the reality that one must face. The term comes from the fact that crow is not palatable or good tasting bird. It is said to have a bad smell and taste, and be very hard to digest. Being reduced to eating crow, means putting one's pride to the side.
As I said earlier, it is one thing to admit a mistake to yourself privately, but to admit a mistake to others takes on a whole other level of character building because mistakes rarely happen when or the way that we expect them to, simply because we rarely start anything hoping for a negative outcome, and most times we dont have a completed back up plan, we just make it up and adjust as we go. So when others start asking questions that one does not want to answer, there is the additional stress of people asking questions that one has not had time to fully process or plan for alternative ways of dealing with the situation. All of this can be overwhelming.
But this is what redemption is all about. God is always there to receive us and to help us get back on track. Once we are willing to put our pride aside and acknowledge that we want and need God's guidance, God is faithful. Even when there is residue from our mistakes on our lives, God is still there welcoming those who come back home.
A young man bought a new boat. He was excited about the boat because he had plans of being a great fisherman. He was going to take his new boat and the cute little kitten that he had found out to sea for the fishing season.
Several people around him told him that they thought his boat was fine for staying close to the shore, but would not endure the long season in the deep waters miles away from the shore. They also told him that the kitten was not a good idea because he would not want to be stuck out at sea with the kitten.
The young man looked into the kitten's eyes and thought it most adorable and could not image how this kitten could become a problem out at sea. He thought that he would be able to feed the kitten from his catch of fish and he had visions of both he and the kitten being happy keeping each other company during the fishing season.
When the day came to begin his time out at sea, the young man happily told his friends that he would be fine, all the while they were still wondering how he was going to make it through the rough waters of the sea in his new boat with the kitten. As the boat floated a couple of miles away from the shore, the young man notices a small puddle of water on one end of the boat. He thought maybe the splashing of a wave had brought some water onto the boat and he thought nothing more about it. But the next day, there was more water on the boat. He look around wondering if he had slept through a rain the night before, but took the only thing that he could find, a small cup and scooped out the water, throwing it back into the ocean.
After a few days, the young man began to notice that the kitten was changing, looking a little different, but still just as adorable. He was occupied most days with catching enough fish to feed the kitten who was seeming to take on a huge appetite with each passing day. This had left him little time to be attentive to navigating the boat because he spent most of his time constantly removing the water that was seeming to collect in the boat much faster than in the beginning. And the rest of the time he was only catching enough fish to feed the kitten, and some times was not always able to catch enough to feed himself. This whole process was making him weak and weary.
One day, he looked at the kitten and realized that it had matured into a bobcat. He now understood the warnings that he had been given by his friends and family about taking the kitten along on the journey. Even though it was clearly a bobcat, when he looked at it what he saw was the memories of what he thought was a cute and harmless kitten. But the nature of the cat had now changed and his interactions with it also had to change. And at the same time, the boat had taken on so much water that it was going to be near to impossible to get all of the water out of the boat.
Faced with saving himself and the bobcat, the man contemplated what to do, knowing that he would have to decide soon because his life depended on it. When he looked around to try to decide what his options were, he realized that with all of the time he had been out in the water that he had not navigated but had drifted a few miles from the shore. Land and safety was still an option.
Having to decide about swimming in the waters and without having eaten much, knowing that his body was weak, he looked caringly at the bobcat and wondered how would he save both himself and his kitten. The bobcat was hungry. The boat was taking on water. He was going to have to decide something. He was already living with his mistakes, and now he really wanted to get it right.
As he looked toward the shore, dread come over him. The dread was of coming back on shore, back to land and safety, but having to admit that he had made a mistake. The thought of admitting his mistake became more important than saving his own life. His pride was about to consume him.
All those who had warned him were watching from the shore. They had all wanted the best for him, but now they just wanted him to choose to save himself. Even though he was to far away to hear them, they were all cheering for him, hoping that he would make it back to safety. But as he look to the shore, the only thing he could think about was having to explain what had happened to him and why he was wrong. It didnt occur to him that everyone who had warned him was doing so because they had the insight to warn him for a reason and that they cared enough to say something. Their words were not built from negativity, but from care and concern. All of the warnings had been an attempt to show support and warn him for his own safety. And this also meant, that they were not as surprised as he thought they would be about how things had turned out for him.
He hesitated. They watched. No one could make the choice for him.
Would the ship sink first or would the bobcat eat him before the ship sank, or would he choose to risk the swim toward shore, back to land, safety, and a welcomed return filled with too many questions?
All of the thoughts of dread that go with the conversation about the error are not only unwanted, but can be overwhelming because of the multiple times that one repeatedly answers the same or similar questions about the matter. It becomes hard to navigate who is genuinely concerned and who is simply seeking out a juicy bit of information.
To talk about what has happened is part of the healing process. Each individual heals at their own pace, and therefore each individual is ready to talk about their miscalculation with no specific appropriate time frame to be determined as right or wrong by anyone else. Add to this the distinct differences in how men and women process information, respond to information, and need to talk to process information, and you have a variety of ways in which human beings deal with the mistakes that they make in life.
There are times when a person realizes their mistake but refuses to make the necessary adjustments because of pride. In some ways this can seem to others as form of stubbornness. More often than not, the person who is processing their mistake and what making the needed changes entails wants to do so on their own terms and not the terms of others. This can be very stressful when others want to rush or force the transitions necessary to handle a mistake in one's own life. This will cause the individual to avoid making the necessary decisions because there is a sense that others are pressuring or attempting to orchestrate one's life for them. This pressure adds to the resistance by the individual to do what is necessary because that is a mechanism built into being stubborn in the process.
Theologically, when a person is walking in disobedience to God, not only is there the issue of stubbornness, but there is usually some sort of attempt to negotiate with God. Negotiation, in many cases is caused by the unwillingness to trust God or to surrender to God's Will. The mistakes that happen in one's life because of disobedience can be disheartening because the limitations of being human dont allow us to see into the future. And many times, attempting to negotiate with God can lead us into situations that we could not have possibly seen coming.
On our best day, each of us wants to believe that we are up for any challenge and because of this we can sometimes believe that we can handle situations without realizing that God sees all sides of a situation and we are only able to see what is present before us at any given time. Our speculations are not guarantees, but we yet have to make life decisions based on the information that we have, and this does not always work out the way that we planned.
There are other times, when there are warning signs, and even divinely inspired clues that let us know that we should do things differently or make a different decisions but we dont always heed the warning signs. Often times, these warnings and clues come from those closest to us, friends and family. And this can also become part of the challenge to figure out who is giving genuine insight or divinely inspired insight versus those who are giving advice based on how it will work best for themselves. Each of us usually knows who the self serving individuals are around us, be we can not always be 100% certain in every situation, because trust can sometimes be very fluid.
So when a situation does not go the way that one has planned, and this realization means that it is time to come to terms with the mistake and admit that it didnt work out as planned, this can sometimes be hard to admit. And this is where the concept of 'Eating Crow' comes into being part of the reality that one must face. The term comes from the fact that crow is not palatable or good tasting bird. It is said to have a bad smell and taste, and be very hard to digest. Being reduced to eating crow, means putting one's pride to the side.
As I said earlier, it is one thing to admit a mistake to yourself privately, but to admit a mistake to others takes on a whole other level of character building because mistakes rarely happen when or the way that we expect them to, simply because we rarely start anything hoping for a negative outcome, and most times we dont have a completed back up plan, we just make it up and adjust as we go. So when others start asking questions that one does not want to answer, there is the additional stress of people asking questions that one has not had time to fully process or plan for alternative ways of dealing with the situation. All of this can be overwhelming.
But this is what redemption is all about. God is always there to receive us and to help us get back on track. Once we are willing to put our pride aside and acknowledge that we want and need God's guidance, God is faithful. Even when there is residue from our mistakes on our lives, God is still there welcoming those who come back home.
THE STORY:
A young man bought a new boat. He was excited about the boat because he had plans of being a great fisherman. He was going to take his new boat and the cute little kitten that he had found out to sea for the fishing season.
Several people around him told him that they thought his boat was fine for staying close to the shore, but would not endure the long season in the deep waters miles away from the shore. They also told him that the kitten was not a good idea because he would not want to be stuck out at sea with the kitten.
The young man looked into the kitten's eyes and thought it most adorable and could not image how this kitten could become a problem out at sea. He thought that he would be able to feed the kitten from his catch of fish and he had visions of both he and the kitten being happy keeping each other company during the fishing season.
When the day came to begin his time out at sea, the young man happily told his friends that he would be fine, all the while they were still wondering how he was going to make it through the rough waters of the sea in his new boat with the kitten. As the boat floated a couple of miles away from the shore, the young man notices a small puddle of water on one end of the boat. He thought maybe the splashing of a wave had brought some water onto the boat and he thought nothing more about it. But the next day, there was more water on the boat. He look around wondering if he had slept through a rain the night before, but took the only thing that he could find, a small cup and scooped out the water, throwing it back into the ocean.
After a few days, the young man began to notice that the kitten was changing, looking a little different, but still just as adorable. He was occupied most days with catching enough fish to feed the kitten who was seeming to take on a huge appetite with each passing day. This had left him little time to be attentive to navigating the boat because he spent most of his time constantly removing the water that was seeming to collect in the boat much faster than in the beginning. And the rest of the time he was only catching enough fish to feed the kitten, and some times was not always able to catch enough to feed himself. This whole process was making him weak and weary.
One day, he looked at the kitten and realized that it had matured into a bobcat. He now understood the warnings that he had been given by his friends and family about taking the kitten along on the journey. Even though it was clearly a bobcat, when he looked at it what he saw was the memories of what he thought was a cute and harmless kitten. But the nature of the cat had now changed and his interactions with it also had to change. And at the same time, the boat had taken on so much water that it was going to be near to impossible to get all of the water out of the boat.
Faced with saving himself and the bobcat, the man contemplated what to do, knowing that he would have to decide soon because his life depended on it. When he looked around to try to decide what his options were, he realized that with all of the time he had been out in the water that he had not navigated but had drifted a few miles from the shore. Land and safety was still an option.
Having to decide about swimming in the waters and without having eaten much, knowing that his body was weak, he looked caringly at the bobcat and wondered how would he save both himself and his kitten. The bobcat was hungry. The boat was taking on water. He was going to have to decide something. He was already living with his mistakes, and now he really wanted to get it right.
As he looked toward the shore, dread come over him. The dread was of coming back on shore, back to land and safety, but having to admit that he had made a mistake. The thought of admitting his mistake became more important than saving his own life. His pride was about to consume him.
All those who had warned him were watching from the shore. They had all wanted the best for him, but now they just wanted him to choose to save himself. Even though he was to far away to hear them, they were all cheering for him, hoping that he would make it back to safety. But as he look to the shore, the only thing he could think about was having to explain what had happened to him and why he was wrong. It didnt occur to him that everyone who had warned him was doing so because they had the insight to warn him for a reason and that they cared enough to say something. Their words were not built from negativity, but from care and concern. All of the warnings had been an attempt to show support and warn him for his own safety. And this also meant, that they were not as surprised as he thought they would be about how things had turned out for him.
He hesitated. They watched. No one could make the choice for him.
Would the ship sink first or would the bobcat eat him before the ship sank, or would he choose to risk the swim toward shore, back to land, safety, and a welcomed return filled with too many questions?
December 24, 2017
Trust is an Issue
I am very analytical. I overthink some of the most basic details of things. This is a most honest self assessment. Meaning I am the person who can literally stand in a fast food restaurant and think through all of the pro and cons of any menu item, and each and every combination of items that might contain too many calories or make me too full or make me sluggish or maybe cost more than I want to spend for fast food, or maybe might make a mess in the car, or whether I want to or have time to sit inside the restaurant and eat, or if I sit inside the restaurant what type of activities might be going on around me that I dont want to eat around, and on and on and on.
So when I say that I have put some thought to something, that is very much the case. I assess situations like a Rubics Cube. I look at things from all sides and angles and possible meanings and outcomes. This can be to a fault. This type of other thinking can be paralyzing on so many levels. It is a good skill to have because of the type of work that I do because the attention to detail is essential. But for the most basic things in life, I work at not having to think so hard as if it is a journey towards some sort of bliss.
Yes, I have to work on conditioning my mind to not overthink things. Even at this moment, I am writing as form of processing information, which is usually the case. But on today when I have worked an extremely long day, and still have a lot on my mind, I am sitting up writing to sort through my thoughts so that hopefully I will be able to settle down my mind enough to relax and find my way to sleep.
What does all of this have to do with trust? Absolutely everything. When you notice the smallest details, it leads you have sufficient pieces of information to assess and analyze in a way that most people just skim over. And I like most women often have these fairytales playing out in my head of perfect endings and spectacular outcomes. Here in is the foundation to the issues that I have with trust. After much thought, those perfect outcomes turn into realistic reality.
After realizing that I have been replaying this perfect outcome in my head for a few years now, I finally came to the conclusion that holding on to this fairytale ending was draining because when I put it to the reality test, I realized that at the most basic core of the reality is a lack of trust.
A lack of trust really has very little to do with guilt or innocence, perception or deception, but trust is an internal working of the individual. In this way, my inability to fully trust the person or the situation means that there is already a breach, a gapping hole in the fort.
When there is no trust, or even when trust is questionable, there are way to many opportunities for a person with trust issues to find reasons for trust to deplete or simply not be present at all.
Once I realized that my inability to trust in this situation was going to be problematic in a way that would manifest in so many other areas, then I decided to completely throw away my fairytale ending, because it would be like have a Bentley with no tires and no keys...... pointless bragging rights.
Theologically, I had tried to justify my hanging on to hope because I trust God. So that became my blanket assessment of the situation. After years of hoping against hope, I realized that I will continue to trust God regardless. Trusting God is so very different from putting your trust in a person or a situation. There are no guarantees in life, but some times the most trusting thing you can do is realize that God is still on the throne and still in control. So even if I dont get a fairytale ending, staying in a mindset of being able to trust God is most important.
Truth is, everybody and every situation is not deserving of your trust and most fairytales turn into reality sooner or later anyway. So facing reality and learning how to allow wisdom to develop your process and ability to trust means facing facts not vicarious ideals.
After all, God's Truth is based on the facts.
So when I say that I have put some thought to something, that is very much the case. I assess situations like a Rubics Cube. I look at things from all sides and angles and possible meanings and outcomes. This can be to a fault. This type of other thinking can be paralyzing on so many levels. It is a good skill to have because of the type of work that I do because the attention to detail is essential. But for the most basic things in life, I work at not having to think so hard as if it is a journey towards some sort of bliss.
Yes, I have to work on conditioning my mind to not overthink things. Even at this moment, I am writing as form of processing information, which is usually the case. But on today when I have worked an extremely long day, and still have a lot on my mind, I am sitting up writing to sort through my thoughts so that hopefully I will be able to settle down my mind enough to relax and find my way to sleep.
What does all of this have to do with trust? Absolutely everything. When you notice the smallest details, it leads you have sufficient pieces of information to assess and analyze in a way that most people just skim over. And I like most women often have these fairytales playing out in my head of perfect endings and spectacular outcomes. Here in is the foundation to the issues that I have with trust. After much thought, those perfect outcomes turn into realistic reality.
After realizing that I have been replaying this perfect outcome in my head for a few years now, I finally came to the conclusion that holding on to this fairytale ending was draining because when I put it to the reality test, I realized that at the most basic core of the reality is a lack of trust.
A lack of trust really has very little to do with guilt or innocence, perception or deception, but trust is an internal working of the individual. In this way, my inability to fully trust the person or the situation means that there is already a breach, a gapping hole in the fort.
When there is no trust, or even when trust is questionable, there are way to many opportunities for a person with trust issues to find reasons for trust to deplete or simply not be present at all.
Once I realized that my inability to trust in this situation was going to be problematic in a way that would manifest in so many other areas, then I decided to completely throw away my fairytale ending, because it would be like have a Bentley with no tires and no keys...... pointless bragging rights.
Theologically, I had tried to justify my hanging on to hope because I trust God. So that became my blanket assessment of the situation. After years of hoping against hope, I realized that I will continue to trust God regardless. Trusting God is so very different from putting your trust in a person or a situation. There are no guarantees in life, but some times the most trusting thing you can do is realize that God is still on the throne and still in control. So even if I dont get a fairytale ending, staying in a mindset of being able to trust God is most important.
Truth is, everybody and every situation is not deserving of your trust and most fairytales turn into reality sooner or later anyway. So facing reality and learning how to allow wisdom to develop your process and ability to trust means facing facts not vicarious ideals.
After all, God's Truth is based on the facts.
October 10, 2017
Sea of Forgetfulness
As I attempted to settle down for the night, I thought about all that has been going on with me lately. And to be completely honest, this thought process includes some people that I truly wish I had never met. In the midst of my thought process, I had to face the fact that I cant just un-know these people. Instead, I have to figure out how to move on from this phase to the next, and hopefully just move on to what is ahead for me in my life, both naturally and spiritually.
This doesnt mean that I was not trying to figure out the most perfect solution to the hurt and disappointment that has been the effect of betrayal and disloyalty. In my mind, I really wanted there to be a way to truly just forget that I ever knew these people that have had this negative impact on my attempt to be a friend. I thought if there were really a way for me to put all knowledge of these people into the sea of forgetfulness and never to remember that I ever met them at all.
The more I thought about it, I began to realize that this is not very different from what is being talked about in Micah 7. We always want to use the concept of the Sea of Forgetfulness as this wonderful blessing that we get from God. Which is true. ... and here comes the conjunction...... BUT.
But what we dont want to face is the fact that something is going on in the text that we must make not of. The attitudes and behaviors that God expected from the People of God were not how the people were living. God had high expectations and high hopes for the People of God. That is still true today. God has high hope and high expectations of God's People. So when the behaviors of the individual, of the community of faith fall short, God is disappointed. Then there is something worse than just disappointing God, it is disgusting God.
Abomination is much more than disappointing God, it is being completely disgusting to God. As I thought about how disgusted I am with those who have disappointed me, I also had to think about how God views abomination. How is God able to tolerate dealing with a human who is living so far below God's expectations? I had to search out a way to understand that what God has to do is just put the sins of humanity into a place to be forgotten so that God can remain able to be available to humanity.
It is the mercy of God. It is the patience of God when God's patience has run out. It is God wanting to stay in relationship with the People of God, even though the people have lost sight of the value of the relationship with God. The kindness of God reaches much farther than we realize. God is so willing to forgive us of our sins. When we dont even try to do right, knowing that God is watching, we are disappointing God, and we are disgusting God.
So more than bragging about how God will forgive and forget, the more important concern should be why would we want to be such a disappointment to God that we disgust God? What if we just decided to live right, so that we could be intentional about pleasing God?
After all, isnt that what being given another chance is about?
This doesnt mean that I was not trying to figure out the most perfect solution to the hurt and disappointment that has been the effect of betrayal and disloyalty. In my mind, I really wanted there to be a way to truly just forget that I ever knew these people that have had this negative impact on my attempt to be a friend. I thought if there were really a way for me to put all knowledge of these people into the sea of forgetfulness and never to remember that I ever met them at all.
The more I thought about it, I began to realize that this is not very different from what is being talked about in Micah 7. We always want to use the concept of the Sea of Forgetfulness as this wonderful blessing that we get from God. Which is true. ... and here comes the conjunction...... BUT.
But what we dont want to face is the fact that something is going on in the text that we must make not of. The attitudes and behaviors that God expected from the People of God were not how the people were living. God had high expectations and high hopes for the People of God. That is still true today. God has high hope and high expectations of God's People. So when the behaviors of the individual, of the community of faith fall short, God is disappointed. Then there is something worse than just disappointing God, it is disgusting God.
Abomination is much more than disappointing God, it is being completely disgusting to God. As I thought about how disgusted I am with those who have disappointed me, I also had to think about how God views abomination. How is God able to tolerate dealing with a human who is living so far below God's expectations? I had to search out a way to understand that what God has to do is just put the sins of humanity into a place to be forgotten so that God can remain able to be available to humanity.
It is the mercy of God. It is the patience of God when God's patience has run out. It is God wanting to stay in relationship with the People of God, even though the people have lost sight of the value of the relationship with God. The kindness of God reaches much farther than we realize. God is so willing to forgive us of our sins. When we dont even try to do right, knowing that God is watching, we are disappointing God, and we are disgusting God.
So more than bragging about how God will forgive and forget, the more important concern should be why would we want to be such a disappointment to God that we disgust God? What if we just decided to live right, so that we could be intentional about pleasing God?
After all, isnt that what being given another chance is about?
August 24, 2017
Insomnia
It is 1:30am and I cant sleep.
I have so many thought in my mind right now. I spend so much of my prayer life interceding for the needs of others that I often forget to really spend time praying about the things that I need in my own life.
And this is why being awake right now is so frustrating to me. Usually when I wake up in the middle of the night, I pray for the people and the situations that have been on my mind during the day or that come to my mind when I wake up. But when I woke up this time, my mind was flooded with thoughts of things that I need in my own life.
In the clinical world of providing services to others, there is an emphasis on self care. It is the understanding that you cant give to others if you not keeping yourself in a good place mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The most basic example of this would be to think about the speech that they give you on the airplane about what to do in case of emergency. The instructions are to give yourself oxogen first, then share the oxogen with those around you. In this way, you are more capable when you have what you need.
And this would be the sum total of why I am awake in the middle of the night. I am being forced to face the truth of my own life. I have spent the last few years frustrated with myself because I know that I am not reaching my fullest potential, nor am I achieving at the rate that I should have been. And like a perfect storm of reality checks, it is clear to me that I am not getting what I need to flourish. I have just been existing and trying to function as if it has been sufficient and it has not been and the state of my life is proof of that fact.
So now, I am awake creating an order of importance for the things that I need to do for my self, for my own life. There are some voids in my own life that I need to give some attention to so that I can be nourished and therefore function at a higher level of efficiency. It is not being selfish in a way that doesnt care for others, but it is being selfish in a way that will help me to care for others better.
I have so many thought in my mind right now. I spend so much of my prayer life interceding for the needs of others that I often forget to really spend time praying about the things that I need in my own life.
And this is why being awake right now is so frustrating to me. Usually when I wake up in the middle of the night, I pray for the people and the situations that have been on my mind during the day or that come to my mind when I wake up. But when I woke up this time, my mind was flooded with thoughts of things that I need in my own life.
In the clinical world of providing services to others, there is an emphasis on self care. It is the understanding that you cant give to others if you not keeping yourself in a good place mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The most basic example of this would be to think about the speech that they give you on the airplane about what to do in case of emergency. The instructions are to give yourself oxogen first, then share the oxogen with those around you. In this way, you are more capable when you have what you need.
And this would be the sum total of why I am awake in the middle of the night. I am being forced to face the truth of my own life. I have spent the last few years frustrated with myself because I know that I am not reaching my fullest potential, nor am I achieving at the rate that I should have been. And like a perfect storm of reality checks, it is clear to me that I am not getting what I need to flourish. I have just been existing and trying to function as if it has been sufficient and it has not been and the state of my life is proof of that fact.
So now, I am awake creating an order of importance for the things that I need to do for my self, for my own life. There are some voids in my own life that I need to give some attention to so that I can be nourished and therefore function at a higher level of efficiency. It is not being selfish in a way that doesnt care for others, but it is being selfish in a way that will help me to care for others better.
July 5, 2016
DISOBEDIENCE
A few weeks ago, I was praying about some very specific things. This was intercession for several people and situations and also specifically for someone whose life is obviously facing several challenges. It is one of those times when you cant help but to be empathetic when you see someone hurting, but what became clear the more I prayed about it was that this person was dealing with their own disobedience.
We have all been there. Anyone who claims perfection makes me skeptical to put it kindly. I know that I have at many times walked in my own stubborn way concerning some situations in my own life. But as my faith has increased, I have learned that it is much better to just learn to practice patience than to have to figure out how to correct unnecessary mistakes. In the end, I have learned to just remind myself that I trust God.
So I sat with the concept for a few days, trying to decide if I was supposed to say something to the person or to just continue to pray. Galatians 5:18 kept coming to my mind. I kept reading the whole chapter and trying to figure out how to have a conversation about what was going on in the natural versus what was going on in the spiritual. Way to often do we respond to spiritual things in the natural. Using one's cognitive abilities must come by wisdom to know the difference. I would like to spend some time talking about discernment, but I think that will happen another time. But for now, I will just say that we have to learn to follow our discernment, it is God showing us what we are responding to and how to best respond.
The conclusion that came to was that this person already knows that they are being disobedient, because it is written into the fact of being disobedient. A person has to be given instruction and be intentional about doing something else for it to classify as disobedience. It is the complete opposite of to obey. There is a complete difference in doing something wrong and not knowing that it was wrong, or not knowing what should be done. But once you have been told what to do and act with intention and purposefully calculate how to do otherwise, that is clearly disobedience.
Being analytical, I began to think about the reasons that a Christian would be disobedient to God. At the top of the list was fear. Doubting God's provision is what causes the fear. When a person becomes fearful of their needs not being met, they respond with their survival instincts and not their faith. Many times, this survival instinct is why we respond based on the facts in the natural instead of the spiritual. The bible is full of warnings about the flesh because the body is a strong guide, if we don't remain intentional about keeping our intentions on doing things according to God's design. Instinct and flesh encourages one to do things in a way that will produce a right now solution, even if it doesn't guarantee longevity or vitality to one's life. The deception is in thinking that we can do more for ourselves than God can do for us. In actuality, God wants to give us much more than we can image possible. It is the limitations of our human minds that cant see all that God wants to give us. So instead of reaching for what we cant even imagine from the hand of God, we go after what we can see and get for ourselves.
Wanting a solution right now, and an easy solution is basically attempting to outsmart God. This never turns out to be the easiest way to go about things, but the flaws of humanity seem to make this appealing. It takes a few bumps in the road of life to see that God's way is going to be the best way to face any situation in life. Because it is much better to face challenges with God on our side, than to know that we have been in opposition to the very thing that God has instructed us to focus on in life.
For the Christian who is attempting to remain in their disobedience, this is when they want prayer and encouragement from other Christians, all at the same time, knowing that in their heart they have not decided to change directions or the intent of their actions. But instead want other to ask God on their behalf that God bless their disobedience. It doesn't work like that!
And most amazingly, it is usually the very people that warned the person in the beginning not to be disobedient, that they return to asking to pray for them in the midst of what they are dealing with, as if they have forgotten what they were already told. They had received plenty of warning, because God is not going to see a person going the wrong way without giving one some guidance in how to do things differently and get yourself out of the situation before it draws you in. God is direct and not going to leave you with unsolvable riddles about the plans God has for your life.
Stubborn is the best way to describe the response to the warnings that came long before the trouble. The thing is that trouble never actually seems to be a problem in the beginning. If it wasn't appealing then it would not be a temptation. The need to rationalize why the temptation is not that bad is just a way to justify doing what one wants to do. Of course in the beginning the situation seemed manageable, and of course listening to those who love you enough to warn you was not the option taken, but instead mashing the gas and moving full speed ahead to prove that it could be done your way. But in the midst of doing it your way, is where you find compassion from those who loved you enough to tell you the truth and warn you in the beginning. They cant stop the situation, but they can pray and stand on God's Word. We, Christians, want to see our wounded healed and made whole by the Power of God.
Christians who are true to their faith will always speak in terms of God's instructions. The Word of God applies to the Christian and to the sinner, to ALL. To the world this seems to lack love, but in truth it is the most loving thing that can be done. I will admit that there are those who seem to be so harsh in their expression that others don't see the love, but most Christians are not telling you about God's instructions without knowing that they work because of their own challenges in life where God has proven to be the best solution to any problem or circumstance. Every Christian knows what it is like to repent, to have to ask God for forgiveness and to begin the journey back to where God's instruction and provision are for one's life.
I can't help but think about my own childhood. When I was young we took regular vacations to the beach. Back then, swimming in the ocean did not include a lot of concern for shark attacks and we would swim out into the water much farther than we could stand up. As a matter of fact, I can remember plenty of times swimming out so far that I would have to wait for the waves to see how far I actually was from the shore. When I realized that I was too far from shore, I would begin to swim back towards safety. I would swim out so far, because my Daddy and my uncles were also in the water, and I knew that they would come help me if I got in trouble. But they also let me swim out so far, because they knew that I was a strong swimmer. My ability allowed me to do what many of my other relatives could not do, go out into deeper waters. But even then I had to know when it was time to turn around and return to safety.
For the person who is being disobedient to God, they are out in the deep on their own. Once so far out into the deep and away from safety, the decision has to be made whether to continue going further away from safety, or whether to turn around and begin to return as fast as possible back to where there is help and support to getting back in the Will of God.
Run towards obedience.
We have all been there. Anyone who claims perfection makes me skeptical to put it kindly. I know that I have at many times walked in my own stubborn way concerning some situations in my own life. But as my faith has increased, I have learned that it is much better to just learn to practice patience than to have to figure out how to correct unnecessary mistakes. In the end, I have learned to just remind myself that I trust God.
So I sat with the concept for a few days, trying to decide if I was supposed to say something to the person or to just continue to pray. Galatians 5:18 kept coming to my mind. I kept reading the whole chapter and trying to figure out how to have a conversation about what was going on in the natural versus what was going on in the spiritual. Way to often do we respond to spiritual things in the natural. Using one's cognitive abilities must come by wisdom to know the difference. I would like to spend some time talking about discernment, but I think that will happen another time. But for now, I will just say that we have to learn to follow our discernment, it is God showing us what we are responding to and how to best respond.
The conclusion that came to was that this person already knows that they are being disobedient, because it is written into the fact of being disobedient. A person has to be given instruction and be intentional about doing something else for it to classify as disobedience. It is the complete opposite of to obey. There is a complete difference in doing something wrong and not knowing that it was wrong, or not knowing what should be done. But once you have been told what to do and act with intention and purposefully calculate how to do otherwise, that is clearly disobedience.
Being analytical, I began to think about the reasons that a Christian would be disobedient to God. At the top of the list was fear. Doubting God's provision is what causes the fear. When a person becomes fearful of their needs not being met, they respond with their survival instincts and not their faith. Many times, this survival instinct is why we respond based on the facts in the natural instead of the spiritual. The bible is full of warnings about the flesh because the body is a strong guide, if we don't remain intentional about keeping our intentions on doing things according to God's design. Instinct and flesh encourages one to do things in a way that will produce a right now solution, even if it doesn't guarantee longevity or vitality to one's life. The deception is in thinking that we can do more for ourselves than God can do for us. In actuality, God wants to give us much more than we can image possible. It is the limitations of our human minds that cant see all that God wants to give us. So instead of reaching for what we cant even imagine from the hand of God, we go after what we can see and get for ourselves.
Wanting a solution right now, and an easy solution is basically attempting to outsmart God. This never turns out to be the easiest way to go about things, but the flaws of humanity seem to make this appealing. It takes a few bumps in the road of life to see that God's way is going to be the best way to face any situation in life. Because it is much better to face challenges with God on our side, than to know that we have been in opposition to the very thing that God has instructed us to focus on in life.
For the Christian who is attempting to remain in their disobedience, this is when they want prayer and encouragement from other Christians, all at the same time, knowing that in their heart they have not decided to change directions or the intent of their actions. But instead want other to ask God on their behalf that God bless their disobedience. It doesn't work like that!
And most amazingly, it is usually the very people that warned the person in the beginning not to be disobedient, that they return to asking to pray for them in the midst of what they are dealing with, as if they have forgotten what they were already told. They had received plenty of warning, because God is not going to see a person going the wrong way without giving one some guidance in how to do things differently and get yourself out of the situation before it draws you in. God is direct and not going to leave you with unsolvable riddles about the plans God has for your life.
Stubborn is the best way to describe the response to the warnings that came long before the trouble. The thing is that trouble never actually seems to be a problem in the beginning. If it wasn't appealing then it would not be a temptation. The need to rationalize why the temptation is not that bad is just a way to justify doing what one wants to do. Of course in the beginning the situation seemed manageable, and of course listening to those who love you enough to warn you was not the option taken, but instead mashing the gas and moving full speed ahead to prove that it could be done your way. But in the midst of doing it your way, is where you find compassion from those who loved you enough to tell you the truth and warn you in the beginning. They cant stop the situation, but they can pray and stand on God's Word. We, Christians, want to see our wounded healed and made whole by the Power of God.
Christians who are true to their faith will always speak in terms of God's instructions. The Word of God applies to the Christian and to the sinner, to ALL. To the world this seems to lack love, but in truth it is the most loving thing that can be done. I will admit that there are those who seem to be so harsh in their expression that others don't see the love, but most Christians are not telling you about God's instructions without knowing that they work because of their own challenges in life where God has proven to be the best solution to any problem or circumstance. Every Christian knows what it is like to repent, to have to ask God for forgiveness and to begin the journey back to where God's instruction and provision are for one's life.
I can't help but think about my own childhood. When I was young we took regular vacations to the beach. Back then, swimming in the ocean did not include a lot of concern for shark attacks and we would swim out into the water much farther than we could stand up. As a matter of fact, I can remember plenty of times swimming out so far that I would have to wait for the waves to see how far I actually was from the shore. When I realized that I was too far from shore, I would begin to swim back towards safety. I would swim out so far, because my Daddy and my uncles were also in the water, and I knew that they would come help me if I got in trouble. But they also let me swim out so far, because they knew that I was a strong swimmer. My ability allowed me to do what many of my other relatives could not do, go out into deeper waters. But even then I had to know when it was time to turn around and return to safety.
For the person who is being disobedient to God, they are out in the deep on their own. Once so far out into the deep and away from safety, the decision has to be made whether to continue going further away from safety, or whether to turn around and begin to return as fast as possible back to where there is help and support to getting back in the Will of God.
Run towards obedience.
September 3, 2011
Humanization: Part 1 ( Inter-racial Relationships)
About a decade ago, when I was in seminary, a dear professor stated to the class that the best understanding of inter-racial relationships could be found in the Disney movie, "Beauty and the Beast". As I listened, I understood what he was saying, but now, a decade later, I get it. I now realize that I wasn't fully able to grasp the concept. I saw it no deeper than the socialization aspect. But now I get the impressions of the psyche that are manifested in the concept that was being presented.
What caused my further understanding has been a reflective re-reading of "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paulo Freire. Amazingly this book dissects some basic experiences in terms of their affect on the psychological thought process of a person. So by taking the concepts presented in this book and framing my understanding of why inter-racial relationships are important for so many in this day and age. I get it.
As a 'free spirit' who does not look kindly on attempts to further oppress me, I now understand all the more the reasons why I have never been that interested in inter-racial dating as a choice for myself. I guess I could slightly correct that statement, depending on what you consider inter-racial, since I have dated persons other than African American. Anyone who knows me personally will affirm that I am truly my own person. That is not to say that I have not had my own battles with being oppressed because I have, and on so many levels. But at this point in my life, I am enjoying the freedom to embrace who I am, both internally and externally. And in some ways, I realize that I am still working to define my own humanity in this world that sets limitations on individuals not only on the basis of race, but also based on gender.
Ok, so since my point here is not to write about myself, I must return to my topic. According to Freire, oppression is grounded in dehumanization. Seeing one's self as less than human is the ground work that must take place for all parties involved to agree to the situation of being oppressed. With that in mind, upon looking at the stereotypes that people of the African diaspora live with on a daily basis, it only makes sense that some would seek to be viewed on a higher level of humanity.
After all, most of the times when we leave a relationship behind, it is about the denial of one's own humanity. When you begin to realize that one is being treated in a dehumanizing way, that is when one begins to look for the exit door to the situation. I would further argue, that those who remain in dehumanizing situations do so because they are not able to fully embrace or affirm their own humanity. This is also the same reason that an individual who treats a person of a different race better than they would consider someone of their own race as deserving to be treated. Somewhere in their mind, they realize the need to elevate their own sense of humanity, but at the same time, they are still willing to deny another person the same need to be appreciated beyond the status of sub-human.
When I was younger, I would always hear people talk about the people, back then it was mostly men, who chose to date outside of their race, as attempting to 'to socially upgrade'. But at this point in my life, I would argue that it is an attempt to be viewed as one who has done more than evolved, but who has faced the challenges of the psyche to embrace one's own humanity. It is the refusal to be seen as anything less than human. It is the denial to accept the oppressive forces of being dehumanized. It is the internal self awareness to see one's self as deserving all that is humanly possible in life and love.
So, you might ask, is inter-racial dating necessary for all of that? No, but for some people, it is the manifestation of their internal awareness that they need to be view as fully human with all of the life and breath that comes from living as one who is free to exist instead of one who has to ask the world to pardon their being in the world. It is un-apologetic about the right to have the life and companionship of a fellow HUMAN-being regardless of the outer skin. It is so much more than just the meshing of cultural differences, it is about the embracing of all that it means to live and love and to do so regardless of race or ethnic background.
Those who oppose inter-racial relationships do so because they see one of the races involved as less deserving of what the other race has to offer. And they protest the infiltration into their own race for fear that it will dehumanize by association. It is the struggle to continue to oppression of others by way of feeling oppressed in one's own being.
Lastly, I would argue, that when one fully becomes aware of who they are attracted to and why, then it will never be a struggle to embrace one's own humanity, and therefore the individual can be free to love based on the connections of the human spirit and not just because of the outward skin.
Relationships are about embracing the humanity of each other with mutual respect and admiration. Relationships are about BEING human together and to each other. Love is about acceptance- as is- but with the growing potential to become better together. When your ambitions within the relationship fully manifest the humanity of the other person, then both individuals can find the freedom to love. And love definitely transcends race, creed or national origin.
What caused my further understanding has been a reflective re-reading of "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paulo Freire. Amazingly this book dissects some basic experiences in terms of their affect on the psychological thought process of a person. So by taking the concepts presented in this book and framing my understanding of why inter-racial relationships are important for so many in this day and age. I get it.
As a 'free spirit' who does not look kindly on attempts to further oppress me, I now understand all the more the reasons why I have never been that interested in inter-racial dating as a choice for myself. I guess I could slightly correct that statement, depending on what you consider inter-racial, since I have dated persons other than African American. Anyone who knows me personally will affirm that I am truly my own person. That is not to say that I have not had my own battles with being oppressed because I have, and on so many levels. But at this point in my life, I am enjoying the freedom to embrace who I am, both internally and externally. And in some ways, I realize that I am still working to define my own humanity in this world that sets limitations on individuals not only on the basis of race, but also based on gender.
Ok, so since my point here is not to write about myself, I must return to my topic. According to Freire, oppression is grounded in dehumanization. Seeing one's self as less than human is the ground work that must take place for all parties involved to agree to the situation of being oppressed. With that in mind, upon looking at the stereotypes that people of the African diaspora live with on a daily basis, it only makes sense that some would seek to be viewed on a higher level of humanity.
After all, most of the times when we leave a relationship behind, it is about the denial of one's own humanity. When you begin to realize that one is being treated in a dehumanizing way, that is when one begins to look for the exit door to the situation. I would further argue, that those who remain in dehumanizing situations do so because they are not able to fully embrace or affirm their own humanity. This is also the same reason that an individual who treats a person of a different race better than they would consider someone of their own race as deserving to be treated. Somewhere in their mind, they realize the need to elevate their own sense of humanity, but at the same time, they are still willing to deny another person the same need to be appreciated beyond the status of sub-human.
When I was younger, I would always hear people talk about the people, back then it was mostly men, who chose to date outside of their race, as attempting to 'to socially upgrade'. But at this point in my life, I would argue that it is an attempt to be viewed as one who has done more than evolved, but who has faced the challenges of the psyche to embrace one's own humanity. It is the refusal to be seen as anything less than human. It is the denial to accept the oppressive forces of being dehumanized. It is the internal self awareness to see one's self as deserving all that is humanly possible in life and love.
So, you might ask, is inter-racial dating necessary for all of that? No, but for some people, it is the manifestation of their internal awareness that they need to be view as fully human with all of the life and breath that comes from living as one who is free to exist instead of one who has to ask the world to pardon their being in the world. It is un-apologetic about the right to have the life and companionship of a fellow HUMAN-being regardless of the outer skin. It is so much more than just the meshing of cultural differences, it is about the embracing of all that it means to live and love and to do so regardless of race or ethnic background.
Those who oppose inter-racial relationships do so because they see one of the races involved as less deserving of what the other race has to offer. And they protest the infiltration into their own race for fear that it will dehumanize by association. It is the struggle to continue to oppression of others by way of feeling oppressed in one's own being.
Lastly, I would argue, that when one fully becomes aware of who they are attracted to and why, then it will never be a struggle to embrace one's own humanity, and therefore the individual can be free to love based on the connections of the human spirit and not just because of the outward skin.
Relationships are about embracing the humanity of each other with mutual respect and admiration. Relationships are about BEING human together and to each other. Love is about acceptance- as is- but with the growing potential to become better together. When your ambitions within the relationship fully manifest the humanity of the other person, then both individuals can find the freedom to love. And love definitely transcends race, creed or national origin.
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