I like crossword puzzles, and Scrabble, and pretty much and games involving words.
I like Sudoko (now that I have learned how to play it)
I love to read. I asked for a Nook for my birthday and got it. I read that and real books, too. And now audiobooks.
I love to write. I wish I did it more.
I really like country music.
I like staying in more than I like going out.
I don't bar or club hop. However, my husband and I do like to coffee shop hop.
I wear comfortable shoes to work even if they aren't super cute because they don't hurt my feet or back.
I play Settlers of Catan with my friends regularly. My husband has just introduced me to Sid Meier's Civilization.
I believe in Jesus.
I tell you all of these things to tell you this- my 73 year old grandfather thinks that I am a senior citizen. For awhile I was afraid to admit that actually I am. I have been told more than once that I am not a normal 23 year old American woman. I guess the truth that I am finally realizing is that I don't really want to be, and there is nothing wrong with that. Just because I do not follow the norm does not mean that I am abnormal. To follow the cliche- what's normal anyway?
But I guess what I have realized is that one of the things that makes me a senior citizen as some would say, is that I believe in Jesus. Not only do I believe in Him but I really love Him. And out of my love for Him, I do whatever I can to follow Him. It's amazing how in the eyes of society, Jesus can age you about 50 years. Suddenly you become close minded and traditional. Unless of course you believe in Jesus but not organized religion, because organized religion is, of course, what is actually detrimental. The older generation just doesn't understand God the way that we, the younger generation, understand God. They just don't get it because they are too stuck in their ways.
I, too, was of this vein of thought for quite some time, believing that we needed to learn the difference between truth and tradition, thinking that we needed to make Jesus more relevant and attractive. We need to meet the people where they are. Jesus is capable of doing this so we need to mold and shape him so that people today will want to learn about Him. This is open-minded and the T- word, TOLERANT. This is how we know God and this is how God would want us to interact with society.
Is it?
A few weeks ago, my husband and I were challenged by a couple in the older generation to find out what we believe- what truly convicts us. At the time were discussing women's roles in the church and instrumental music, neither of which I have ever felt very convicted about, especially not affecting salvation. Believing in Jesus and being baptized to follow Him. Wait, stop. Read that sentence again with an emphasis on the part about TO FOLLOW HIM. So if we are committing our lives to Christ, what exactly does that mean? Of what does my faith convict me?
Since we have had this discussion with this couple, I have had it many times over with many different people from different generations. Each person has had a slightly differing opinon about specifics. However, the one thing I have come to realize is that it's not okay to not know. It's not okay, as a grown woman, for me to have a vague sugar coated answer anytime someone asks me what I believe about God, what my convictions about worship are, what my feelings about the Bible are. It's not longer acceptable to say "I'm spiritual, not religious." or "I don't think its a Heaven or Hell issue, so do what you want."
I was completely taken aback when I did give that exact answer and was met with the fact that we are not the ones to determine whether or not something is a Heaven or Hell issue. At first, I was angered by this. We need to be talking about the important things, right? We need to be talking about Jesus, and overcoming Sin and Grace and Mercy. All these beautiful wonderful things about God. We don't need to be talking about whether or not people should worship with instruments or on what day or with or without communion. These are non-issues, aren't they? But what I am realizing lately, in all my many conversations, is that these are not non-issues. It seems to me that one of the major problems of dissonance that my generation is having is not close-mindedness but rather lukewarm-ness. We are being spit out of God's mouth because we are neither hot nor cold. And since we are lukewarm, the world is lukewarm towards God as well. We are showing them a lukewarm God and really, who could get excited about that? Do we really want to believe in a God that is sitting in Heaven saying, "Well, just do whatever feels good as long as your trying to do what is right."
There is absolutely no security in that. There is no reference point. There's no way to understand how to live a good life. There is no way to determine right from wrong. And mostly, there is no way to determine joy from sadness. If we are lukewarm, we are living a mediocre life, always coming short of what our potential is, what our purpose is.
I wrote most of this entry a few months ago, without finishing or posting. Looking back, I'm thinking now maybe that is the way that it is supposed to be. Since then, we have started the New Testament Challenge with our church. We are reading the New Testament all the way through in 9 weeks. We are on week 5 and the attempt alone has changed my life. The most important thing I have learned from reading the New Testament at this point in my life, is the fire with which Jesus' disciples told the world about Jesus. It didn't matter how the world saw them because they knew the importance of salvation and they desperately wanted everyone to experience it. They knew Jesus deeply. And the more the discovered about Him, the more they wanted to know. And more importantly- the more they wanted everyone else to know. It was appaling to Peter and Paul and the apostles that people chose not to believe in Jesus. And it was so important to them that they gave up everything they had, no matter the cost, to make sure that the world knew of His love and His promise.
It has made me realize that its not okay to just follow Jesus in a way that is comfortable for me. The way that I follow Jesus right now is very comfortable. I have a good relationship with Him . I go to church, I pray, I read my Bible. Check, check, and check. But where exactly in the Bible are we called to this? Aside from the promise of if we draw near to God then He will draw near to us- where exactly are we called to maintain a reasonable, comfortable relationship with God? I'll save you the looking-nowhere. That is mind boggling, really. Sometimes I feel like the rich young ruler. I come before Jesus and say look at all the things I have done and look how well I can follow the commandments. And He says, " Well what about the commandment to preach the good news to everyone? What about telling the world about the promise I have given them that they can have abundant life? Have you followed this commandment?" Well of course, Lord, I go on mission trips and my church does service projects and even my husband and I buy gifts for an angel off an angel tree each year. Yeah we're good with that one. And then He slowly lists the names of people that were lost opportunites- that I had the chance to tell of the gift that I had received but instead I chose to keep hidden. And I turn my head and walk away in shame.
The problem that I continue to struggle with though is this. How did the disciples then have the conviction that they did? How do I get that kind of conviction- the kind of fire that I can't help but telling everyone about my Savior?
I guess the answer is pretty simple. They knew Jesus and really that's all it took. They knew Him and they knew His power. And so do I.
And just for the record, it may seem that the older generation is "traditional" and "stuck in their ways" but just talk to them for a few minutes about what they believe and why they believe. Then you will see that there is nothing "stuck" about it. They are just so convicted in their belief in Christ and so affected by the salvation that He offers, that they are doing whatever it takes, no matter the cost, to follow Him and protect the gift they have been given.
Recent Comments