With all the controversial subjects that have been cropping up on the social circles, I've been forced to consider political perspectives, which, as a general rule, I do my best to avoid. I've found that in many cases I can safely stay off of those subjects, because they aren't my business. But the problems in that reasoning arise when those issues start to directly conflict with my convictions in faith.
I could think, talk, and write myself into circles when discussing the various pros and cons of each side of those issues. There are valid reasons why they're controversial, even among Christians, who should ideally be like-minded about the approach to life and all things in it. However, my thoughts now are not about controversy.
As I've gone out and listened to the host of opinions, many of which come from the lips of trusted peers and mentors, I've returned from my mental and moral pilgrimage exhausted, and in some ways more confused than when I began searching for truthful insight. I know that, being human, every person will inevitably have flaws in their thinking. But for something as divisive as the big issues discussed at present, I'd hoped that with biblical perspectives, at least the true followers of Christ would arrive at the same conclusions. However, the only thing I've conclusively learned from my experience is that the situation is never as simple as we'd like it to be.
All politics aside, I think that God is using this experience to reveal to me a more important truth: the complete extent to which I should be trusting Him. It forces me to acknowledge the inherent flaws in humanity that result in uncertainty as to what we should do in any given situation. That uncertainty necessitates constant communion with God through prayer and Bible study, because He alone has the true perspective on reality. Therefore, He alone always knows what's right.
This comes as an answer to prayer. I have, for a while now, been meditating on and praying about my difficulty in approaching all circumstances with prayer and entrusting everything to God. In His time and His way, He is revealing to me the utter importance of taking the things of this world, even the limited understanding of my fellow Christians, with a grain of salt and leaning fully on Him.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Monday, November 9, 2015
Lost in Thoughts
I often go back and read over things I've written before, just to review. It helps me to process my thoughts a bit further than the initial notions with a fresh perspective, or to encourage me when I feel down.
As I look back on my study notes, ideas, and previous posts, I often find things that seem radical, and perhaps even unbiblical. Subsequently, I often question how accurate they are and how much truth they actually contain. I do this because in fact, much of it isn't pulled directly from the Bible, but rather is conjecture based on logic and reason. The rationale behind these ideas is centered around a couple of key theological principles; things I know to be true of God.
One is that He is both omnipotent and omniscient. He is literally boundless. Our minds can't even begin to fathom His sheer infinity. This alone is a paralyzing truth if dwelt on. I could, and often do, think myself into circles about the things of God that actually can't make sense to my mind, just because I'm too small. Things like the purpose and effectiveness of prayer, God's interaction with the world and our lives, and predestination versus free choice. These ideas spend a lot of time fueling my thoughts, and often perplexing them as my relationship with Him grows. That thinking is comforting, in the sense that I know He's greater than I can fathom, and therefore able to observe all situational factors and interact in whatever way is truly best. However, it can also be frustrating for me, as at the end of it, there's so much that I still don't understand.
That leads to the other principle: the extent to which His grace abounds, which is also too vast for us to know. Ultimately, our sole responsibility as Christians is to put our faith in Him. From that, His grace covers truly everything. The damage of all wrongs, doubts, and misunderstandings is effectively neutered by it, for as long as we're His. And again, as He alone is all-knowing, He alone knows our true relationship to Himself, and therefore who's truly faithful.
Anchoring my thoughts to these principles allows me to draw up conclusions that simply stand to reason because I know who God is, even without finding a specific verse or passage that's relevant (although sometimes I find some anyway). However, imperfect as I am, I'm sure this often puts some muddled ideas and warped perspectives of the truth into my mind.
I have no doubt that any such instances that are of importance will be adequately clarified in due time. How God decides to reveal that truth to me will vary, whether it's by a humbling correction from a peer or mentor, a convicting passage that directly challenges my thoughts, or a different means altogether.
However, in the meantime, I think my cognitive flaws fall into the category of things that are covered by grace. God knows that I'm seeking Him, and by extension, that I'm seeking the truth. In essence, He knows both my imperfection and my faith, and those two characteristics in us are the very reason that grace is both needed and extended, respectively. Therefore, when I write, or even think, I lean heavily on that grace, trusting that even if I misunderstand, God has me covered.
As I look back on my study notes, ideas, and previous posts, I often find things that seem radical, and perhaps even unbiblical. Subsequently, I often question how accurate they are and how much truth they actually contain. I do this because in fact, much of it isn't pulled directly from the Bible, but rather is conjecture based on logic and reason. The rationale behind these ideas is centered around a couple of key theological principles; things I know to be true of God.
One is that He is both omnipotent and omniscient. He is literally boundless. Our minds can't even begin to fathom His sheer infinity. This alone is a paralyzing truth if dwelt on. I could, and often do, think myself into circles about the things of God that actually can't make sense to my mind, just because I'm too small. Things like the purpose and effectiveness of prayer, God's interaction with the world and our lives, and predestination versus free choice. These ideas spend a lot of time fueling my thoughts, and often perplexing them as my relationship with Him grows. That thinking is comforting, in the sense that I know He's greater than I can fathom, and therefore able to observe all situational factors and interact in whatever way is truly best. However, it can also be frustrating for me, as at the end of it, there's so much that I still don't understand.
That leads to the other principle: the extent to which His grace abounds, which is also too vast for us to know. Ultimately, our sole responsibility as Christians is to put our faith in Him. From that, His grace covers truly everything. The damage of all wrongs, doubts, and misunderstandings is effectively neutered by it, for as long as we're His. And again, as He alone is all-knowing, He alone knows our true relationship to Himself, and therefore who's truly faithful.
Anchoring my thoughts to these principles allows me to draw up conclusions that simply stand to reason because I know who God is, even without finding a specific verse or passage that's relevant (although sometimes I find some anyway). However, imperfect as I am, I'm sure this often puts some muddled ideas and warped perspectives of the truth into my mind.
I have no doubt that any such instances that are of importance will be adequately clarified in due time. How God decides to reveal that truth to me will vary, whether it's by a humbling correction from a peer or mentor, a convicting passage that directly challenges my thoughts, or a different means altogether.
However, in the meantime, I think my cognitive flaws fall into the category of things that are covered by grace. God knows that I'm seeking Him, and by extension, that I'm seeking the truth. In essence, He knows both my imperfection and my faith, and those two characteristics in us are the very reason that grace is both needed and extended, respectively. Therefore, when I write, or even think, I lean heavily on that grace, trusting that even if I misunderstand, God has me covered.
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