This weekend, I was put to thinking by a comment left on my last post. I was asked, in essence, if the church is not being who she’s supposed to be, then what should she be doing? Great question, and I feel totally unqualified to answer it, but I’ll begin to try and formulate some semblance of a rational response here. Tonight, I want to focus on one thing only:
Me.
Well, duh, right?
Like I tell my students each day in class when they get in trouble, yet want to blame the situation on a classmate, the only person we have control of is ourself. We control our response to a given circumstance or situation, and that’s it. So, in light of the problems with the church not doing what she should, it must start with me.
And you. But you’re me and I’m you, if you get what I’m saying.
First of all, If I’m so consumed with my life, and my blessings, and my portfolio, and my car, and my house, and my kids, and…gasp…my Bible study, what am I? Selfish, that’s what. The first thing I (and we) have to do is get the focus OFF of us and onto someone else.
This goes back to the very beginning, people. The root of all sin is pride, right? In the garden, Eve was tempted by the idea of her becoming “like a god.” She was thinking, “Wow…wouldn’t that be AWESOME!!!” and Adam was right beside her going “YEAAAAHHHH!!! That’s what I’m talking about!” No thought for anyone but their own desires, right? Well, I (and we) do the exact same thing every time we sin. We’re putting the focus on us.
And peeps, sometimes the sins of omission are just as bad as the sins of commission. If I’m having daily devotions, going to church once a week and twice on Sundays, listening to Christian radio, wearing Christian t-shirts and eating Testamints, but I have no interest in the problems of my neighbor down the street, I am “a sounding gong and tinkling brass.”
So, for me, the first point of emphasis on getting the church to be the church is me getting the focus off of me, and onto others.
To be continued….
The Wading Pool 