Well...another school year is fast approaching. As I prepare for my junior year, I am painfully aware of my need to fix the problem that had taken root in me as a freshman and grew ridiculously as a sophomore. Namely, the problem of arrogance. As embarrassing as it is to actually type it, I don't deny it. I really did think I was superior to 95% of the people I go to school with.
In highscool, I never considered myself anything special. My grades were pretty average; I did no better than my classmates. But then, there weren't many people to compare myself with. In college, that all changed. For the worse. Once I completed my first semester with above average results, I began to think: "Maybe I am an above average person. Maybe I really could do better than the rest of the student body." I began to work even harder. I loved the feeling of checking my grades online and seeing how much higher they were than the average. Soon, I was checking them obsessively. It became a game for me- the GPA game. The reward was the "prestigious" President's List. Those who made the list were invited to a special banquet in their honor every semester. How I loved receiving those emails: Congratulations on making the President's List! I printed out those emails and kept them in my document box.
Things only got worse. My bloated self esteem resulted in problems relating to others. I was so serious and work obsessed that, save for a select few, I really didn't spend time with many other people. I didn't care. "They'll all regret that they didn't work as hard as me," I thought indignantly. "I just can't be friends with people who are so immature." I loved to flaunt my work ethic by doing such things as getting up at 5 every morning to squeeze in some extra studying, or pretending to be absorbed in massive works of literature like Das Kapital. (In reality, Das Kapital bored me out of my skull; I never made it past chapter one!) Watching from a distance as other girls, who I considered trashy, would flirt and giggle, I seethed inwardly. "I'm better than them. And I can get better yet." I finished my sophomore year by winning a business scholarship and securing my spot on the President's List. "Veni, Vidi, Vici," I thought proudly. With a conceited air, I wrote my new favorite quote in my binder: "The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." (Walter Bagehot)
Soon after all this, reality slapped me in the face. I read something that made me reexamine my priorities. (The shame is that I can't even remember where I read it.) It said something to the effect of this: most Christians, while they call themselves Christians, actually do not have a Christian worldview. I realized that was totally true of me! While I did have faith in Christ, I was starting to think like a humanist. I had become the center of my own little universe. All of my accomplishments, I thought, were the result of my own IQ and hard work. Reminding myself that God is totally, completely sovereign, I realized He had allowed me to accomplish what I had, and He could just as easily cause me to fail. He made this even more clear by not allowing me to get ANY of the jobs or internships I had applied for and sending me to spend yet another summer in the "armpit of society:" McDonalds. He rubbed salt in the wounds by letting my younger sister be promoted to manager while I had never even been promoted to crew trainer. So much for being so accomplished.
While the job failures definitely hurt my feelings, I now realize this is a good thing. One of my favorite quotes had never rung truer: "I don't care how low your opinion of yourself is, it is not nearly low enough!" (anonymous.) I've been working on humility this summer, and with God's grace, there've been changes. However, I know the new school year will bring with it the temptations of becoming, once again, a selfish workoholic. I hope to this year keep Phillipians 2:3 in my heart (and in my binder).
"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."
After all, my chief and highest end is not to "do what people say I cannot do," but to glorify God and fully to enjoy Him forever!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Reformation Day!!!
...I just thought I'd throw that out there.
Who needs Halloween when you can celebrate the Protestant Reformation? ;)
Who needs Halloween when you can celebrate the Protestant Reformation? ;)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Tolerance and Truth
A friend and I were talking tonight about how hard witnessing is for us. As much as we want to see people come to Christ, there is little that we find more difficult than squeezing out the message of truth when talking with unbelievers. I've tried to figure out why this is and I realize it does not have anything to do with my being ashamed of Christ. I really don't care if people think I am weird or stupid. I WANT people to know I am a Christian, and I really would love to talk to unbelievers about Christ. But only if they initiate the conversation.
The thing that is so hard for me is I hate to offend. For example, I interviewed a Muslim for a homework assignment a few weeks ago. She told me that Islam agrees with everything the Bible says. But then she went on to describe a salvation that is based on works. I knew I had to tell her the truth, that the Bible really does not teach the same message as Islam at all. I did tell her that Christianity believes Jesus is the Son of God rather than just a prophet, and I gave her some Bible verses about salvation by faith, but it was excrutiating! I HATED being that person who had to come out and basically say, "What you've belived your whole life is a lie." People of different religions often seem so happy with their own faiths that the easiest thing to do is just tolerate everyone. "Coexist", as the picture above so wisely advises us. Tearing apart other people's faiths may feel cruel. But it is necessary. The world already has too many tolerant people who want nothing more than to live and let live. What the world needs is truth, and like it or not, the truth can be pretty offensive. (After all, the truth is that we are all totally depraved and that our good works, which are "as filthy rags" come nowhere close to earning us a place in God's Kingdom!) But it is this offensive, humbling truth that ultimately sets us free. The world is in need of Christians with the ability to speak the truth with boldness and without compromise. Tolerance is just the easy way out. It is the option taken by those with nothing worth standing for, or living for, or dying for. Our world is in such a desperate condition that the cruelest thing a Christian can do is to sit back and "coexist" when there are eternal destinies at stake. It is my hope that as I grow into a more mature Christian, my love of truth will outweigh my hatred of offending.
"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." -John 8:32
Friday, September 17, 2010
A Doctrinal Issue
Over the past year and a half, I have been studying theology and coming to conclusions about issues I had never previously thought much about. For example, two summers ago, after much confusion and switching back and forth between Calvinism and Arminianism I finally declared myself a firm Calvinist. More recently, I realized I believe in Covenant theology as opposed to Dispensational, meaning I believe in a basic continuity between the Old and New Testaments. (Actually I have always sort of had a Covenant theology mindset; I just never knew there was a term for it- or that there was even such a belief as Dispensationalism.) Because of these decisions, I began visiting a Presbyterian church whose views are basically the same as my own. I love the OPC and would love to become a member of one, but...there is one doctrinal issue I am having trouble with and that is infant baptism.
Growing up going to Baptist churches, I have always thought infant baptism was based solely on tradition and has no Biblical basis whatsoever. However, because of my new love for the OPC I decided to give the issue some real study. (I am trying to take it rather slowly, lest my desire to join the OPC renders me too easily won over!) I was surprised to find that infant baptism, if you believe in Covenant theology, actually makes perfect sense. In fact I find it really has as strong a Biblical basis, if not stronger, than believer's baptism, despite the fact that there is no mention in the Bible of infants being baptized. Let's briefly look at the two sides of the debate:
To the Credo-baptist, baptism is a symbol of being dead and resurrected with Christ. It is really just an outward expression of a person's faith. If this is the real meaning of baptism, then there would be no reason for baptizing infants. Obviously they are incapable of "getting saved" and it would be pointless to baptize them. Here is a verse which appears to prove this side:
"...having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through the faith in the powerful working of God, who raised Him from the dead." Colossians 2:12. (Notice I did not start at the beginning of the sentence. This is significant, which we'll see in a bit.) Another proof for believer's baptism is in the great commission, in which the apostles are told to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Here we see they are to make disciples first, then baptize.
To the Paedo-baptist, baptism is not a symbol of faith, but is actually a covenental sign similar to the circumcision of the Old Testament. If you go through the Old Testament, you'll notice God's covenants with men always involve households, not individuals:
Genesis 17:7- "And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your offspring after you."
God also mandated that a sign should accompany the covenant. This sign, namely circumcision, was not only for Abraham but for his children. The sign marked them as being under the covenant. Hopefully the children would grow up being faithful to the covenant, and not being subject to covenant curses. Here is another verse in which God declares His covenant to be with families rather than with individuals:
Jeremiah 32:38-39- "And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them."
In the New Testament, the Covenant was the same, but the sign was changed to batism. Let's go back to that passage in Colossians and add the beginning of the sentence:
"In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism..." Here we see the Bible clearly linking circumcision with baptism.
To someone who believes in a basic continuity between the Old and New Testaments, it makes no sense that children should be given the sign of the Covenant in the Old Testament, but not in the New. You would think if children were to stop being included in the Covenant sign, the Bible would state it somewhere. (Let me just stress that infant baptism does NOT mean the child is a believer, or even that he will become a believer, only that he is being included in the Covenant and will hopefully grow up to be faithful to it.) There is much, much more to the argument than what I have written, including a strong argument from church history, but if anyone is really seeking to understand infant baptism I would highly recommend exiting this blog immediately and finding a book. "Infant Baptism and the Silence of the New Testament" by Bryan Holstrom is a quick read but very insightful.
However, at this point in my life, I would still feel very uncomfortable coming straight out and saying, "I believe in infant baptism." I have been against it for so long that to change my mind about the issue is not easy. I CAN say, though, "I understand infant baptism." I no longer think it is a pointless tradition, and I cannot condemn anyone for practicing it.
Growing up going to Baptist churches, I have always thought infant baptism was based solely on tradition and has no Biblical basis whatsoever. However, because of my new love for the OPC I decided to give the issue some real study. (I am trying to take it rather slowly, lest my desire to join the OPC renders me too easily won over!) I was surprised to find that infant baptism, if you believe in Covenant theology, actually makes perfect sense. In fact I find it really has as strong a Biblical basis, if not stronger, than believer's baptism, despite the fact that there is no mention in the Bible of infants being baptized. Let's briefly look at the two sides of the debate:
To the Credo-baptist, baptism is a symbol of being dead and resurrected with Christ. It is really just an outward expression of a person's faith. If this is the real meaning of baptism, then there would be no reason for baptizing infants. Obviously they are incapable of "getting saved" and it would be pointless to baptize them. Here is a verse which appears to prove this side:
"...having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through the faith in the powerful working of God, who raised Him from the dead." Colossians 2:12. (Notice I did not start at the beginning of the sentence. This is significant, which we'll see in a bit.) Another proof for believer's baptism is in the great commission, in which the apostles are told to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Here we see they are to make disciples first, then baptize.
To the Paedo-baptist, baptism is not a symbol of faith, but is actually a covenental sign similar to the circumcision of the Old Testament. If you go through the Old Testament, you'll notice God's covenants with men always involve households, not individuals:
Genesis 17:7- "And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your offspring after you."
God also mandated that a sign should accompany the covenant. This sign, namely circumcision, was not only for Abraham but for his children. The sign marked them as being under the covenant. Hopefully the children would grow up being faithful to the covenant, and not being subject to covenant curses. Here is another verse in which God declares His covenant to be with families rather than with individuals:
Jeremiah 32:38-39- "And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them."
In the New Testament, the Covenant was the same, but the sign was changed to batism. Let's go back to that passage in Colossians and add the beginning of the sentence:
"In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism..." Here we see the Bible clearly linking circumcision with baptism.
To someone who believes in a basic continuity between the Old and New Testaments, it makes no sense that children should be given the sign of the Covenant in the Old Testament, but not in the New. You would think if children were to stop being included in the Covenant sign, the Bible would state it somewhere. (Let me just stress that infant baptism does NOT mean the child is a believer, or even that he will become a believer, only that he is being included in the Covenant and will hopefully grow up to be faithful to it.) There is much, much more to the argument than what I have written, including a strong argument from church history, but if anyone is really seeking to understand infant baptism I would highly recommend exiting this blog immediately and finding a book. "Infant Baptism and the Silence of the New Testament" by Bryan Holstrom is a quick read but very insightful.
However, at this point in my life, I would still feel very uncomfortable coming straight out and saying, "I believe in infant baptism." I have been against it for so long that to change my mind about the issue is not easy. I CAN say, though, "I understand infant baptism." I no longer think it is a pointless tradition, and I cannot condemn anyone for practicing it.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
And Now for Something Completely Different!
I have a sudden urge to update my poor blog, although due to schoolwork taking up so much of my mental strength I am not feeling up to writing anything profound at the moment. Therefore instead of posting my own writing I will post somebody else's! I have lately discovered my love for poetry, so here are a few beautiful poems:
"Oh! Snatched away in Beauty's Bloom!"
Oh! Snatched away in beauty's bloom,
On thee shall press no ponderous toom;
But on thy turf shall roses rear
Their leaves, the earliest of the year;
And the wild cypress wave in tender gloom.
And oft by yon blue gushing stream
Shall Sorrow lean her drooping head,
And feed deep thought with many a dream;
And lingering pause and lightly tread;
Fond wretch! As if her step disturbed the dead!
Away! ye know that tears are vain,
That death nor heeds nor hears distress:
Will this unteach us to complain?
Or make one mourner weep the less?
And thou- who tell'st me to forget,
Thou looks are wan, thine eyes are wet.
~Lord Byron
"To The Distant One"
And have I lost thee evermore,
Hast thou, oh fair one, from me flown?
Still in mine ear sounds, as of yore,
Thine every word, thine every tone.
As when at morn the wanderer's eye
Attempts to pierce the air in vain,
When, hidden in the azure sky,
The lark high o'er him chants his strain;
So do I cast my troubled gaze
Through bush, through forest, o'er the lea;
Thou art invoked by all my lays;
Oh, come then, loved one, back to me!
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"To Celia"
Drink to me only with thine eyes and I will pledge with mine,
Or leave a kiss within the cup and I'll not ask for wine.
The thirst that from the soul doth rise doth ask a drink divine,
But might I of Jove's nectar sip, I would not change for thine.
I sent thee late a rosy wreath not so much honoring thee,
As giving it a hope that there it would not withered be.
But thou thereon didst only breath and sendst it back to me,
Since when it grows and smells, I swear, not of itself, but thee!
~Ben Johnson
And, of course, the famous "Bright Star"
Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art-
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round Earth's human shores
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors-
No-yet still steadfast, still unchangeable.
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel forever its soft fall and swell,
Awake forever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath.
And so live ever- or else swoon to death.
~John Keats
I am simply awed by how people can string words together in such pretty combinations. I suppose I should say, "how people COULD string words together in such pretty combinations." Nobody writes that way anymore. For example, here's a typical modern poem I found online:
Rain, rain go away
Because of you the pain will stay
Slit my throat, cut out my heart
Leave me here, tear it apart.
Poison tears stream down my face,
My heart beats at a steady pace
As I try to stand again;
Alone and standing in the rain...(I don't feel like typing the whole thing.)
What could possibly inspire someone to write something so unorigonal and mediocre? Well, whatever it is, it is probably the same thing that inspires practically EVERY songwriter of today to write mediocre music, and practically EVERY author of today to write mediocre books, and practically EVERY artist of today to produce worthless, mediocre "art." Nobody pours out their heart the way Lord Byron and Goethe did. Today all we hear about in poetry is vampires and slitting wrists and spiraling abysses of doom. Listening to people talk, you'd think Twilight and Highschool Musical were on the same level with Don Quixote and Great Expectations, or that Taylor Swift's love songs were as heartwrenching as "Tannhauser." Anyway, here I was just making I nice, lighthearted post about my favorite poetry and somehow it's lead me into my favorite speech about how our society has no regard for beauty or excellence whatsoever. I had better stop before I get too carried away. This is undoubtedly the worst post I have ever done, but at least now my blog will know I am still alive.
"Oh! Snatched away in Beauty's Bloom!"
Oh! Snatched away in beauty's bloom,
On thee shall press no ponderous toom;
But on thy turf shall roses rear
Their leaves, the earliest of the year;
And the wild cypress wave in tender gloom.
And oft by yon blue gushing stream
Shall Sorrow lean her drooping head,
And feed deep thought with many a dream;
And lingering pause and lightly tread;
Fond wretch! As if her step disturbed the dead!
Away! ye know that tears are vain,
That death nor heeds nor hears distress:
Will this unteach us to complain?
Or make one mourner weep the less?
And thou- who tell'st me to forget,
Thou looks are wan, thine eyes are wet.
~Lord Byron
"To The Distant One"
And have I lost thee evermore,
Hast thou, oh fair one, from me flown?
Still in mine ear sounds, as of yore,
Thine every word, thine every tone.
As when at morn the wanderer's eye
Attempts to pierce the air in vain,
When, hidden in the azure sky,
The lark high o'er him chants his strain;
So do I cast my troubled gaze
Through bush, through forest, o'er the lea;
Thou art invoked by all my lays;
Oh, come then, loved one, back to me!
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"To Celia"
Drink to me only with thine eyes and I will pledge with mine,
Or leave a kiss within the cup and I'll not ask for wine.
The thirst that from the soul doth rise doth ask a drink divine,
But might I of Jove's nectar sip, I would not change for thine.
I sent thee late a rosy wreath not so much honoring thee,
As giving it a hope that there it would not withered be.
But thou thereon didst only breath and sendst it back to me,
Since when it grows and smells, I swear, not of itself, but thee!
~Ben Johnson
And, of course, the famous "Bright Star"
Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art-
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round Earth's human shores
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors-
No-yet still steadfast, still unchangeable.
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel forever its soft fall and swell,
Awake forever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath.
And so live ever- or else swoon to death.
~John Keats
I am simply awed by how people can string words together in such pretty combinations. I suppose I should say, "how people COULD string words together in such pretty combinations." Nobody writes that way anymore. For example, here's a typical modern poem I found online:
Rain, rain go away
Because of you the pain will stay
Slit my throat, cut out my heart
Leave me here, tear it apart.
Poison tears stream down my face,
My heart beats at a steady pace
As I try to stand again;
Alone and standing in the rain...(I don't feel like typing the whole thing.)
What could possibly inspire someone to write something so unorigonal and mediocre? Well, whatever it is, it is probably the same thing that inspires practically EVERY songwriter of today to write mediocre music, and practically EVERY author of today to write mediocre books, and practically EVERY artist of today to produce worthless, mediocre "art." Nobody pours out their heart the way Lord Byron and Goethe did. Today all we hear about in poetry is vampires and slitting wrists and spiraling abysses of doom. Listening to people talk, you'd think Twilight and Highschool Musical were on the same level with Don Quixote and Great Expectations, or that Taylor Swift's love songs were as heartwrenching as "Tannhauser." Anyway, here I was just making I nice, lighthearted post about my favorite poetry and somehow it's lead me into my favorite speech about how our society has no regard for beauty or excellence whatsoever. I had better stop before I get too carried away. This is undoubtedly the worst post I have ever done, but at least now my blog will know I am still alive.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Thorns in our Flesh
"...a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
Well as you can see, I already decided to take a break from 'Christians and Beauty' and went back to writing about one of my personal favorite subjects: suffering. I, like the Apostle Paul, have a thorn in my flesh. It probably isn't nearly as bad as his was, but it is enough to make me think that I suffer a great deal. I know that God is sovereign. I know He is in control. I know He works all things out for the good of those who love Him. Yes, I know all of this, and I am glad that all of this is true, but let's face it: I'm only a weak human, and sometimes, humans just get sick of suffering. We want to cry out, "I've suffered long enough, Lord! I've already learned any lessons that can possibly come out of this! Please, please, remove this dreadful thorn from my flesh; I can't deal with it any longer!" I must admit, whenever I feel burdened with my struggles, I really do not feel like looking on the bright side. The only thing in the world I want to do is wallow in my self pity and rant on and on about the unfairness of my thorn. But I know this is not what would please the Lord. This is what Satan would want me to do. Therefore I am going to force myself to take a look at suffering from a godlier perspective.
First of all, I want to say that none of us are alone in our struggles. I know that I personally am guilty of feeling that I am the only one who ever shed a tear. I like to look at the world with disdain, sighing "Nobody can possibly know what I suffer! No one has ever had to bear the load that I do." This is just plain selfish thinking. Not only that, but it contradicts the truth of the Word. Let us look at 1 Peter 5:9: "Resist [the devil], firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world." There we have it. All Christians have to deal with thorns of some kind, and no, this isn't because God is mean and likes to see us cry. It is because He is our Father and sometimes the best way to teach us what He wishes us to learn is to make us suffer. In Paul's case, he knew God had given him his thorn, whatever it may have been, to keep him from becoming conceited. We see that it taught him to rely more and more on God's strength rather than his own.
"For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives." Hebrews 12:6.
When we bear this verse in mind, we can actually look at our struggles as a comfort. They remind us of God's love for us, and of His active hand in our lives. He isn't a Father who lets us get away with whatever we want. He truly wants us to learn to be righteous, even if we have to learn it the hard way. As much as I hate to admit it sometimes, the lessons I have learned from the thorn in my flesh have definitely been worth the pain. I won't go into every little thing I've learned, but overall, my suffering has caused me to draw closer to God than I ever have before. I don't know how hard I can stress that He is a VERY present help in times of trouble. He listens to my prayers over and over again and cares for me like none other. He reminds me of His presence and His mercy. He fills me with the peace that passes understanding. Only through the process of dealing with my "thorn" have I finally begun to think of God as a friend, and now that I look back on it, that has been worth every sigh and tear. I suppose, as with every relationship, a relationship with God is strongest when it has had to deal with hard times as well as good. That, reader, is one answer to our question of, "Why do the righteous suffer?!" We suffer because it draws us closer to God.
Many Christians, myself included, have such a wrong attitude towards suffering. We actually think that God owes us relief, when in reality, He does not owe us one little thing. Consider what He has already done for us in allowing His perfect Son to die so that we vile and perverted creatures could be spared the eternal flames of Hell that we so justly deserve. Was that good enough for me? I have to answer "no." Now that my eternal life is all taken care of, I want God to give me the earthly life I want. When His plans differ from mine, I feel sorry for myself and complain about the unfairness of it all. This is such sinful, foolish thinking. After all God has done for me, how can I presume to ask for more? How can I be angry at Him for making me deal with this small, temporary thorn in my flesh when He has already spared me from something much, much worse? The very least I can do is to serve Him willingly in whatever He has ordained for me. No, His will for my life is not always what I personally would choose, but God is sovereign. He is the Potter and I am the clay. He has every right to do what He will do to me. He does not need to ask my permission to make me suffer. He is not even required to tell me why He does what He does in my life. I have no right to complain about God's providence. He is so, so much greater and wiser than me, but when I argue to Him, it is as if I am elevating my own "wisdom" above His. I think that I sometimes forget just who I am dealing with. Therefore, like Job, "I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
Well as you can see, I already decided to take a break from 'Christians and Beauty' and went back to writing about one of my personal favorite subjects: suffering. I, like the Apostle Paul, have a thorn in my flesh. It probably isn't nearly as bad as his was, but it is enough to make me think that I suffer a great deal. I know that God is sovereign. I know He is in control. I know He works all things out for the good of those who love Him. Yes, I know all of this, and I am glad that all of this is true, but let's face it: I'm only a weak human, and sometimes, humans just get sick of suffering. We want to cry out, "I've suffered long enough, Lord! I've already learned any lessons that can possibly come out of this! Please, please, remove this dreadful thorn from my flesh; I can't deal with it any longer!" I must admit, whenever I feel burdened with my struggles, I really do not feel like looking on the bright side. The only thing in the world I want to do is wallow in my self pity and rant on and on about the unfairness of my thorn. But I know this is not what would please the Lord. This is what Satan would want me to do. Therefore I am going to force myself to take a look at suffering from a godlier perspective.
First of all, I want to say that none of us are alone in our struggles. I know that I personally am guilty of feeling that I am the only one who ever shed a tear. I like to look at the world with disdain, sighing "Nobody can possibly know what I suffer! No one has ever had to bear the load that I do." This is just plain selfish thinking. Not only that, but it contradicts the truth of the Word. Let us look at 1 Peter 5:9: "Resist [the devil], firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world." There we have it. All Christians have to deal with thorns of some kind, and no, this isn't because God is mean and likes to see us cry. It is because He is our Father and sometimes the best way to teach us what He wishes us to learn is to make us suffer. In Paul's case, he knew God had given him his thorn, whatever it may have been, to keep him from becoming conceited. We see that it taught him to rely more and more on God's strength rather than his own.
"For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives." Hebrews 12:6.
When we bear this verse in mind, we can actually look at our struggles as a comfort. They remind us of God's love for us, and of His active hand in our lives. He isn't a Father who lets us get away with whatever we want. He truly wants us to learn to be righteous, even if we have to learn it the hard way. As much as I hate to admit it sometimes, the lessons I have learned from the thorn in my flesh have definitely been worth the pain. I won't go into every little thing I've learned, but overall, my suffering has caused me to draw closer to God than I ever have before. I don't know how hard I can stress that He is a VERY present help in times of trouble. He listens to my prayers over and over again and cares for me like none other. He reminds me of His presence and His mercy. He fills me with the peace that passes understanding. Only through the process of dealing with my "thorn" have I finally begun to think of God as a friend, and now that I look back on it, that has been worth every sigh and tear. I suppose, as with every relationship, a relationship with God is strongest when it has had to deal with hard times as well as good. That, reader, is one answer to our question of, "Why do the righteous suffer?!" We suffer because it draws us closer to God.
Many Christians, myself included, have such a wrong attitude towards suffering. We actually think that God owes us relief, when in reality, He does not owe us one little thing. Consider what He has already done for us in allowing His perfect Son to die so that we vile and perverted creatures could be spared the eternal flames of Hell that we so justly deserve. Was that good enough for me? I have to answer "no." Now that my eternal life is all taken care of, I want God to give me the earthly life I want. When His plans differ from mine, I feel sorry for myself and complain about the unfairness of it all. This is such sinful, foolish thinking. After all God has done for me, how can I presume to ask for more? How can I be angry at Him for making me deal with this small, temporary thorn in my flesh when He has already spared me from something much, much worse? The very least I can do is to serve Him willingly in whatever He has ordained for me. No, His will for my life is not always what I personally would choose, but God is sovereign. He is the Potter and I am the clay. He has every right to do what He will do to me. He does not need to ask my permission to make me suffer. He is not even required to tell me why He does what He does in my life. I have no right to complain about God's providence. He is so, so much greater and wiser than me, but when I argue to Him, it is as if I am elevating my own "wisdom" above His. I think that I sometimes forget just who I am dealing with. Therefore, like Job, "I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
Monday, July 19, 2010
Christians and Beauty
All humans experience beauty. Whether it was in a gorgeous sunset, a sweeping opera or a handsome face, we have all been struck by beauty at one time or another. We are surrounded by it. It seems to me, though, that we don't always recognize and appreciate beauty when we see it. We complain about the cold, without noticing how lovely the snow is. We quickly dismiss paintings or musical compositions as "boring" without giving them the time and consideration they require of us. We like things to be easy and convenient in life, but we are not always concerned that things be beautiful.
Lately I have been wondering alot about how all of this should be viewed from a Christian perspective. Is beauty, and appreciation of beauty, important to Christians? I admit that it may seem irrelevent to the Christian life. The Bible never tells us to "go out and appreciate beauty." The Bible never labels the ignorance of beauty as a sin. In fact, the Bible does not really tell us anything about how Christians should respond to beauty at all. So then, does this mean beauty does not matter at all to God? I disagree. There are many things in this world that the Bible never specifically mentions, but I think that Biblical principles can and should be applied to all aspects of life, even the aspects that the Bible does not mention. There is no part of our thinking that our Christian worldview should not have some kind of influence on. Beauty is such a huge aspect of everyone's life that I can't help but wonder what the correct Christian attitude towards it should be.
What do we know about beauty? Like everything else in life, it was created by God. It was one of the many gifts that He gave to us, and I think that it is not only an awesome reflection of His power and genius, but of His kindness and love. God didn't have to give us such a pretty world to live in. He didn't have to give us the vastness of the sleek, black night sky adorneded with stars and a moon. He didn't have to give us the changing of seasons- the soft pinks and lush greens of the spring, or the glittering snow and glassy blue ice of the winter. He could have made a drab, unchanging world of only one color, but He did not. He gave us so, so many things to enjoy: the singing of birds, the wide open meadows and the stately forests. These things are a reflection of the great, glorious Creator who made them. The whole Earth seems to cry out the fact that there is a God in Heaven who gave all of this beauty to us. Shouldn't Christians, of all people, be the ones to appreciate these gifts? Other people think that the complexities of the universe came into being by chance. They may notice the beauty of a stunning landscape, but it is really nothing to them but a pretty picture. To the Christian, however, the beauty of the created world is not just something pleasant to look at, but is a reminder of the all powerful, majestic Creator whom we love. Because God gave us such a good gift as beauty, I really do think His children should take the time to appreciate it and thank Him for it. Imagine that you spent time working on a card for your friend. You really didn't have to make the card all that special, because it wasn't the main gift. The main gift was the money inside. Nevertheless, you spent hours choosing the colors and cutting the paper to make the card perfect. Wouldn't you want your friend to appreciate the beauty of the card rather than tearing it open to get to the most important part- the money? I think it is similar with the beauty God gave us. It is not the main focus of our lives, nor should it be. It is just one aspect of the gift of life that He gave us, but it is a very wonderful aspect that we should not take for granted.
Just as Christians should appreciate the beauty of the created world, they should recognize the gifts of creativity that God gives to others. While all of us are creative to some extent, there are some people in this world to whom God has given remarkable artistic abilities. In the world's eyes, these abilities are reasons to admire and worship the artist. The Christian, however, looks at amazing works of art and knows that all of this talent is a gift from God. The abilities in humans to create beauty is just a manifestation of the fact that we are made in the image of the Creator. Christians should be able to look at, (or listen to) a great work of art and be able to recognize the incredible talent needed to make it. When walking through an art museum, we shouldn't rush through with no consideration whatsoever. We shouldn't think, "These paintings are too boring, too dark, too old, etc." Even if they are not the sort of paintings we would prefer to hang in our own house, I think that we should look deeply at them, and consider the details and complexities of the artwork. We should realize what an incredible amount of God-given talent was needed to create it. We should appreciate it for the reflection that it is of God's own creativity.
It is the same with music, architecture, sculpture, and other forms of art. We should enjoy the gifts of beauty that God gave to us. He could have made our lives dull and void of art, but instead He decided to give pleasing sights and sounds for the enjoyment of all people. Christians should recognize the beauty in life for what it is- a gift from God- and should learn to appreciate it.
This brings me to some very difficult questions, ones that will take a great deal of reasearch before I feel able to write about them: Do we have to appreciate ALL art? Are there such things as good and bad art? And what is it exactly that defines art and beauty? Are there absolutes to them, or is it all relative- "in the eye of the beholder"- as it were? Hopefully after much study I will be able to give some sort of answer.
~Susan
Lately I have been wondering alot about how all of this should be viewed from a Christian perspective. Is beauty, and appreciation of beauty, important to Christians? I admit that it may seem irrelevent to the Christian life. The Bible never tells us to "go out and appreciate beauty." The Bible never labels the ignorance of beauty as a sin. In fact, the Bible does not really tell us anything about how Christians should respond to beauty at all. So then, does this mean beauty does not matter at all to God? I disagree. There are many things in this world that the Bible never specifically mentions, but I think that Biblical principles can and should be applied to all aspects of life, even the aspects that the Bible does not mention. There is no part of our thinking that our Christian worldview should not have some kind of influence on. Beauty is such a huge aspect of everyone's life that I can't help but wonder what the correct Christian attitude towards it should be.
What do we know about beauty? Like everything else in life, it was created by God. It was one of the many gifts that He gave to us, and I think that it is not only an awesome reflection of His power and genius, but of His kindness and love. God didn't have to give us such a pretty world to live in. He didn't have to give us the vastness of the sleek, black night sky adorneded with stars and a moon. He didn't have to give us the changing of seasons- the soft pinks and lush greens of the spring, or the glittering snow and glassy blue ice of the winter. He could have made a drab, unchanging world of only one color, but He did not. He gave us so, so many things to enjoy: the singing of birds, the wide open meadows and the stately forests. These things are a reflection of the great, glorious Creator who made them. The whole Earth seems to cry out the fact that there is a God in Heaven who gave all of this beauty to us. Shouldn't Christians, of all people, be the ones to appreciate these gifts? Other people think that the complexities of the universe came into being by chance. They may notice the beauty of a stunning landscape, but it is really nothing to them but a pretty picture. To the Christian, however, the beauty of the created world is not just something pleasant to look at, but is a reminder of the all powerful, majestic Creator whom we love. Because God gave us such a good gift as beauty, I really do think His children should take the time to appreciate it and thank Him for it. Imagine that you spent time working on a card for your friend. You really didn't have to make the card all that special, because it wasn't the main gift. The main gift was the money inside. Nevertheless, you spent hours choosing the colors and cutting the paper to make the card perfect. Wouldn't you want your friend to appreciate the beauty of the card rather than tearing it open to get to the most important part- the money? I think it is similar with the beauty God gave us. It is not the main focus of our lives, nor should it be. It is just one aspect of the gift of life that He gave us, but it is a very wonderful aspect that we should not take for granted.
Just as Christians should appreciate the beauty of the created world, they should recognize the gifts of creativity that God gives to others. While all of us are creative to some extent, there are some people in this world to whom God has given remarkable artistic abilities. In the world's eyes, these abilities are reasons to admire and worship the artist. The Christian, however, looks at amazing works of art and knows that all of this talent is a gift from God. The abilities in humans to create beauty is just a manifestation of the fact that we are made in the image of the Creator. Christians should be able to look at, (or listen to) a great work of art and be able to recognize the incredible talent needed to make it. When walking through an art museum, we shouldn't rush through with no consideration whatsoever. We shouldn't think, "These paintings are too boring, too dark, too old, etc." Even if they are not the sort of paintings we would prefer to hang in our own house, I think that we should look deeply at them, and consider the details and complexities of the artwork. We should realize what an incredible amount of God-given talent was needed to create it. We should appreciate it for the reflection that it is of God's own creativity.
It is the same with music, architecture, sculpture, and other forms of art. We should enjoy the gifts of beauty that God gave to us. He could have made our lives dull and void of art, but instead He decided to give pleasing sights and sounds for the enjoyment of all people. Christians should recognize the beauty in life for what it is- a gift from God- and should learn to appreciate it.
This brings me to some very difficult questions, ones that will take a great deal of reasearch before I feel able to write about them: Do we have to appreciate ALL art? Are there such things as good and bad art? And what is it exactly that defines art and beauty? Are there absolutes to them, or is it all relative- "in the eye of the beholder"- as it were? Hopefully after much study I will be able to give some sort of answer.
~Susan
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