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First, there is the daily grind, trying to take care of your health, then..trying to clock the hours at a job you either dislike or are burnt out at, just to bring home enough money to pay the bills which continue to come in endlessly.
Maybe you are a parent, so, you have that role to fulfill.
Then, there is your life as a believer. Studying, reading, gathering with other believers, trying to figure out what the Christian life is all about. Or maybe just trying to find a church. You visit many, but, you end up hearing loud rock-like music, which hurts your ears, and a message full of jokes or clever little stories, with little spiritual substance. This preacher says this is the key to proper living, no that is the key. I mean, I hear an amazing chat from Francis Chan about the need for connecting with other believers, loving one another, doing the Christian life together, rather than meeting once or twice a week, putting on a smile and saying all is well. Then, you say, see you next week, and the whole process begins again. And you leave, feeling, pretty much the same as when you came in.
Perhaps you desire to grow in the faith, yet, when you gather with others, the topic is not growth, but, the latest sports scores or Hollywood scandal, or political sound bite. Then you feel like pride is welling up like...like you are more "spiritual" than others, and also feel..isolated.
And where do you focus? On the country? Seeing that the country is imploding, you wonder what can be done to turn it around. The moral decay, plays out, right in front of you in the news, daily. The sense of community becomes lost. Think about it. You get a haircut, and then, 2 weeks later your hair stylist is gone, pursuing some other career track.
And then you realize, you should not be focusing on yourself, but others. But, you also realize that you are to love others, as you love yourself, so, you must take care of yourself. So, self focus is unavoidable.
I recently have tuned out the daily news. The results? The results are good. What is amazing is, if you tune out the news, and perhaps click it on some time in the future, it is exactly the same. Nothing has changed. The fighting between DEMS and REPUBS is the same. The media is still corrupt and bias. The government is still the same, talking, but, getting nothing of substance accomplished. And the crime and tragic stories continue on. So, you have missed absolutely nothing by not exposing yourself to the news. Isn't that what we are supposed to do? Set our minds on things above, and not on things on the earth?
Anyways, I could say more, but, no doubt you have grown weary just reading this much. I thank you for reading. Appreciate your comments, your assessment of human life in 2017, inside the church and outside.
1) understand and live in the new covenant of grace, because that's the only covenant God has made with us (avoid all preaching that preaches any other gospel, because they are cursed, Galatians 1)
2) Reckon yourself dead; come to grips with the fact that the only one who can live the Christian life is Christ in you. You're a branch - quit trying to be a vine.
First, there is the daily grind, trying to take care of your health, then..trying to clock the hours at a job you either dislike or are burnt out at, just to bring home enough money to pay the bills which continue to come in endlessly.
Maybe you are a parent, so, you have that role to fulfill.
Then, there is your life as a believer. Studying, reading, gathering with other believers, trying to figure out what the Christian life is all about. Or maybe just trying to find a church. You visit many, but, you end up hearing loud rock-like music, which hurts your ears, and a message full of jokes or clever little stories, with little spiritual substance. This preacher says this is the key to proper living, no that is the key. I mean, I hear an amazing chat from Francis Chan about the need for connecting with other believers, loving one another, doing the Christian life together, rather than meeting once or twice a week, putting on a smile and saying all is well. Then, you say, see you next week, and the whole process begins again. And you leave, feeling, pretty much the same as when you came in.
Perhaps you desire to grow in the faith, yet, when you gather with others, the topic is not growth, but, the latest sports scores or Hollywood scandal, or political sound bite. Then you feel like pride is welling up like...like you are more "spiritual" than others, and also feel..isolated.
And where do you focus? On the country? Seeing that the country is imploding, you wonder what can be done to turn it around. The moral decay, plays out, right in front of you in the news, daily. The sense of community becomes lost. Think about it. You get a haircut, and then, 2 weeks later your hair stylist is gone, pursuing some other career track.
And then you realize, you should not be focusing on yourself, but others. But, you also realize that you are to love others, as you love yourself, so, you must take care of yourself. So, self focus is unavoidable.
I recently have tuned out the daily news. The results? The results are good. What is amazing is, if you tune out the news, and perhaps click it on some time in the future, it is exactly the same. Nothing has changed. The fighting between DEMS and REPUBS is the same. The media is still corrupt and bias. The government is still the same, talking, but, getting nothing of substance accomplished. And the crime and tragic stories continue on. So, you have missed absolutely nothing by not exposing yourself to the news. Isn't that what we are supposed to do? Set our minds on things above, and not on things on the earth?
Anyways, I could say more, but, no doubt you have grown weary just reading this much. I thank you for reading. Appreciate your comments, your assessment of human life in 2017, inside the church and outside.
Thank you.
I think we all have very different thresholds for how much input we can handle. We each have unique limitations, and capabilities, for how we can care for others, too. So not comparing ourselves to others (or what others say is important, I think.
I'm glad you have found a way for yourself that eliminates some of the overwhelm.
The OP pretty much sums up the general Christian in America.
Yes - you have to start tuning out things if you want to focus on Christ more. The noise needs to be filtered out in order to help hear God in our consciences. Find out where God is working and focus on that.
The OP pretty much sums up the general Christian in America.
Yes - you have to start tuning out things if you want to focus on Christ more. The noise needs to be filtered out in order to help hear God in our consciences. Find out where God is working and focus on that.
Yep, and not just trying to silence it - answer it with the word of God.
Thank you all for your comments. I think I need to refocus on spending time in prayer and His Word, and reaching out to others.
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