One of God's methods of keeping us young is through the perpetual learning process. One of the traits of a withering church or withering members is the fear and refusal to learn. "Taking our stand" replaced "learning to stand" and babyfied congregations have resulted.
When we begin to learn, such may come about when encountering the rough stuff. Persecution, offense taken, stressful relationships, and difficult situations could be viewed as detrimental to personal growth. Not true. We are advantaged by them. It is from these that we can learn to adjust to the temperment of Jesus.
We can learn to be more compassionate, more understanding, more patient, more humble, and more of the personality just like His Son. The way to learn the road Jesus walked is to suffer where Jesus suffered; at the hands of the religious leaders and the assumed answer-alls of the fellowship. He didn't rebel. Nor did Jesus buckle to their fleshly whims. He died for them.
Jesus was God's weapon against the enemy; His magnificent love strung up on the Tree. For me, I have a lot of learning yet to do. When we begin to learn we find ourselves repositioned as one who has questions more than one who dispenses answers.
When we find joy to report, patience to display, and kindness to exert, it is thus a signal to the world the Holy Spirit is in our midst. Praise God for working among us and with us anyway! Thank you, God, for remaining willing to teach us what Life is really all about.
2 comments:
Mr. Rush, thanks for this post. Very needed in my life today.
"Taking our stand" replaced "learning to stand." That's an excellent summary of the path to self-righteousness.
It's like the reformed smoker who makes that little fake cough to tell you that they can't stand smoking any more.
That's the way that so many congregations act: like recovering sinaholics who suddenly can't tolerate the sins of others. Of course they forget that lack of love and concern is a sin, too.
Imagine what leaders would say today if a gay man were washing the feet of Jesus with his tears.
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