It astounds me how much of our life is a matter of perspective and in turn comparison. The basis for all value, all enjoyment, all better and all worse seems to come from comparing what we have with others. Take a man on the street and another in a mansion. Give them a one room house with heat and air and food and to the poor man you’d find such joy in his new home, in the rich man you’d find discouragment and discontentment. There is no value in the house itself. The one room house is a one room house, but it’s the two men who give it value. This is alarming and I’ll tell you why.

This means that our entire society is nearly all based upon the concept of comparison. You have a house with more rooms, I have a car with bigger tires. The only reason you want bigger tires is not because bigger tires exist, but rather the fact they exist and you don’t have them. This fits our human, sinful, deprave way of living. Give me a glass of water in a desert and it’s something to be thankful for. Give me a glass in a restaurant and I’ll take the wine please.

If this all seems far fetched and foolish then I’m failing at properly expressing this idea (or failed at thinking it in the first place). My only point is that it’s easy to be caught in the trap of comparison and perspective. The world runs on jealousy and coveting and nothing seems to have a value in and of itself. Everything we want is determined by what everyone has. It takes a Godly, humble, Christ-centered perspective to battle back such a deciving trick. When I moved into my house I was so overjoyed and excited. It’s not big, but it’s a place to call my own. A year later, it’s all too easy to say I want a new place based on what “others” have. Us Americans had better be careful with our words “rich” and “poor” less we heap judgement upon our backs.

We have a men’s group that meets weekly to discuss our lives and more importantly talk about the sins we’re struggling with. It’s modeled after the concept of confessing our sins to each other and praying for one another. The “goal” as it is, then, is to simply share your struggles, develop strategies to overcome, and pray for one another as we face the next week. We’ve been having it for over 2 years now, and many in the group have grown spiritually even if struggles in certain areas still exist. I’ve been fortunate enough to witness men growing in spiritual sensitivity, as they learn to distinguish God’s will in their lives. Myself included. The consistancy of being around men committed to Godliness (though we fail) is a wonderful avenue for growth.

I think any Christian, man or woman, should committ themselves to finding a core group of people you can be close with and share your walk with. As a body of believers, we need each other to survive. There are no lonely believers. There are no hermit believers. They simply cannot exist, as the scripture confirms. We are all parts of one body, of whom Christ is the head. If we fail in our capacity the body suffers. We can’t go in alone, we can’t venture out in search of truth by ourselves. I can personally testify to the great joy it is to have a group of people to rely upon, share with, and trust. We dont’ call each other every day or give each other hugs and share tear-filled emotional moments, but are simply there as accountability and frienship.

In college I took a biology class with a brilliant professor. I had entered the course because it was required to complete my degree. Most of the students in the class had joined for the same reason. Because of that, it’s fair to say my expectations were low. Instead of finding a dreary prerequisite, I found a professor enlivened by his subject. He was excited to come and teach us every day. No biology subject seemed personally intriguing to me, and yet he could teach us about the kingdoms, latin roots and scientific words, and the dynamics of DNA with a wonderful joy that seemed to transcend all of our lack of interest.

I suppose I found him encouraging. He would be so excited to show us this world of biology that I couldn’t help but become interested. During our lab times, we would take our the school’s set of microscopes. There were only eight of them so we had to share. After the laughable yet completely required microscope competency tests, we would then begin to dive into various microscopic…endeavors. With learned precision we could soon identify various bacterias and examine the cell structures of a number of dead things. It would take a while to bring the image into focus, admittedly we often needed the professors help, but when the image was finally clear I would silently marvel at the complexities of God’s creation. Only under such precise magnification could what I was seeing be seen. Studied. Examined.

I realized that biologists, chemists, and many scientists in many fields worked tirelessly to unravel what I had just barely peered into. Lifetimes were and would be spent looking deeper, more closesly, more precisely - at the complexities of creation. Our country spends billions of dollars to allow people to look closer, harder. To find the details inside the details, and unravel the mysteries yet to be found.

I don’t know when it was, but pondering such a truth made me question something. If it takes billions of dollars, thousands of brilliant minds from the most highly regarded institutions, all with the most advanced technology (invented by more of those brilliant minds from other highly regarded institutions) to even begin to unravel the complexities of creation - - then how in the world do we put the Creator beneath the same microscope and expect absolute understanding. Creation itself has yet to be even remotely unraveled. Yet all around you there are books and tapes and television shows claiming the very thing I find utterly impossible. A perfectly understandable clear view of God. There aren’t step by step programs or self-help instruction manuals that will achieve this goal. It by nature (human in fact) is entirely unachievable.

God simply cannot fit beneath humanity’s microscope. We may try to put him there in hopes of disecting truth and great understanding, just like we attempt to do with his very creation, but we are ever incapable. The irony lies in the fact scripture affirms this truth. Job cries out “How great is God—beyond our understanding!” I believe it is to our joy and his glory that he is entirely outside our comprehension.

The truth is we stand utterly broken, yet desperately seeking the divine. We shift and slide the lens before our eyes as if to find clarity. Each one of us gripping the knobs and twisting them to our own purposes and needs. You twist one denominational knob and I twist another. Perhaps you twist one political knob and I twist another. Perhaps a knob based on how you grew up or another based on your circumstances. How do we find a clear picture when our vision is marred by our very humanity. I stand to reason we cannot, and the only reason so many in the faith fail to admit it is because it feels like concession.

Truth is never concession. Our view may be broken but is it so painful to be left in awe and wonder? How great is our God that he is beyong our understanding. How broken our view as we hopelessly attempt such a venture. I hope to joy in the wonder and awe. To look fresh upon my Creator and Savior and Love and Friend each day. He is my hope and my salvation. I am a broken vessel unworthy and yet entirely overcome with tears in realizing that God sent his Son to die on the cross, his Word to bring light to my soul and a lamp to my path, and His Spirit to bring conviction, repentence, and understanding.

Only within the lens of God’s word and the light of His spirit do we get but a glimpse of the divine in our humanity. It is not found in a denomination, movement, or formula. It is certainly not found beneath a microscope focused loosely upon our differences and backgrounds. It is found in Christ alone.

Two days ago I had one of those moments.  When clarity finds you.  I realized I was saved from Hell by the grace of God, and no matter what I tried to do to prove myself worthy I was absolutely and completely not.  No matter how much I could try to pay back God I would come incredibly short.  What I did is so entirely irrelevant to my savior.   What I do cannot earn me heaven.  I mean, you’re probably saying “yeah idiot that’s what the Bible says” and that’s true and fine.  But this clarity is new.  It’s somewhere deeper than the intellect.  It’s the instant tears place.  The hit the knees place.

I think I’ve tried so much to earn my way to God.  Not in some set out plan kind of way.  I never sat down and said to myself that’s what I’d do, but I think I did it.  A hundred times over I’d said, thought, preached, teached, sang and danced the grace saves me truth.  I never tried to act like works saved me.  But I think at some point the motivation for doing things became that.  Because the alternative was too hard to comprehend.

I think the reason this happens is because it is so deeply unfathomable that heaven could be had another way.  That the favor of a mighty God and King could be found through the mighty King Himself, and only through Him.  My mind could accept it, but my heart failed to buy it.  No dice.  How in the world is that possible.  How can he love me so much when I am so very broken.  How can he find me worthy by his worth and not require me to somehow find it myself.  I am a free man and somehow not a man working off a sentence.  The clarity is new.  Wow.

I just finished reading Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz, the insightful, notably controversial book about Christian Spirituality. Let me first say I don’t see any reason for believers to disgregard this work. I heard tons of bad things around the conservative/fundamentalist circles about this book that I was near telling people not to read it without even looking at the book myself. I had a false (completely) misconception that this book was written by a faithless rebel who wanted to justify sin and a disobedient life and still sound smart. This book in no way reflects any of those preconceptions and I’m ashamed to have had them in the first place.

I don’t consider myself anywhere within the “postmodern” or “emergent” movement, but I am one who believes there are some strong benefits coming out of it. There are dangers as well, but I think provoking thought, growth, and discussion as many of the works of postmodern writers do, is a plus. With that said, here are my thoughts on the book as well as some of the quotes I found profound.

My first striking impression was that Donald Miller is a blatent and passionate follower of Christ. There’s no towing the line or controversial theological content to suggest otherwise. I had heard terms like “flaky” etc when this book was talked about, but I saw none of that. I saw honesty. The book is not much more than his honest and open thoughts on Christian Spirituality outside the realm of mainstream Christian religion. At times he sounds as much a visionary as the great CS Lewis in his writing, and other times amateurishly ranting on about topic after topic. This didn’t bother me during the read however because I didn’t feel like this book was writing to attempt to further some cause or crusade or agenda. It was simply some honest thoughts that I found reflected back inside of myself.

I highly recommend this book because it provokes some honest thoughts on why we do what we do. Those coming from conservative fundamental backgrounds can become caught in cliche and religion, and abandon the scriptural realities Miller reminds us of, primarily Love. Not conditional love, but the unbelievable unconditional love set forth by Jesus.

I would say the only danger in this work is somehow romanticizing some of flaws found within Miller or the many influences and people mentioned in the book. Many of his friends, who help Miller along his path of understanding God, curse, drink, some are even hippies, and all are greatly faulted like the rest of us. I’d hate to have the glaring benefits of this work overshadowed by these completely honest portrayals, but at the same time I know I don’t need to curse or read poetry or drink to be introspective and ponder the deep things of God. I don’t need be labeled or fit within a movement to love like Jesus and to love not just my brothers and sisters in Christ but everyone, impartially.

The overarching quality in this book is it’s honesty and it has the power to make you look at your own life, relationships, and religious routines and look a little deeper at life. I think Blue Like Jazz is a great work and look forward to reading some of Miller’s other works. It’s a great book for an open and honest discussion group.

I will emphasize this book is not a work of Theology, nor do I think everything he says is amazing or great, but just that I think we struggle so much with honesty that it’s a refreshing dive inside it.

Some quotes from Blue Like Jazz:

For me, the beginning of sharing my faith with people began by throwing out Christianity and embracing Christian spirituality, a nonpolitical mysterious system that can be experienced but not explained. Christianity, unlike Christian spirituality, was not a term that excited me. I couldn’t share something I wasn’t experiencing. And I wasn’t experiencing Christianity. - Blue Like Jazz, 115

My most recent faith struggle is not one of intellect. I don’t really do that anymore. Sooner or later you just figure out there are some guys who don’t believe in God and they can prove He doesn’t exist, and there are some other guys who do believe in God and they can prove He does exist, and the argument stopped being about God a long time ago and now it’s about who is smarter, and honestly I don’t care. - Blue Like Jazz, 103

I was a fundamental Christian once. It lasted a summer. I was in that same phase of trying to discipline myself to “behave” as if I loved light and not “behave” as if I loved darkness. I used to get really ticked about preachers who talked too much about grace, because they tempted me to not be disciplined. I figured what people needed was a kick in the butt, and if I failed at godliness it was because those around me weren’t trying hard enough. - Blue Like Jazz, 79

I was listening to a radio program this morning and the speaker mentioned that God’s ultimate goal is to bring us into an intimite relationship with him.  My first thought was one of concession, for I thought that I knew that.  But upon further consideration I began to think about what that really means.

The statement is is the ultimate answer to the question of why difficult circumstances find us.  God is infiinite in his knowledge and wisdom, we are not.  We often think a circumstance is bad for us when indeed it is “ultimately” and “absolutely” good.  For anything “good” is that which bring us closer to God.  Our perspective and ability to properly give up control to God is held in understanding such a small truth.  To “accept” the truth that God’s ultimate goal is for our growth towards him, then we would turn not to dissapointment but instead to joy.  We would embrace seemingly “worldly” troubles (finances, career, family, friends, etc) for what they truly are.  Heavenly ordained circumstances with the ultimate goal of bringing us closer to God.

“Christian” can mean so many things today, can’t it?  There’s “Christian” music, “Christian” tv, “Christian” bubble gum?!  It kind of saddens me that it’s dumbed down to a label.  Dumbed down to a sales piece or something to monopolize.  The problem with the term is it’s being re-defined all the time.  Everyone has a new definition.  What’s yours?

I’m feel like i’m caught in this place where I’m the victim of the label!  I want to lovingly express the relationship I have with God, but find myself fearful of what that will mean to others.  At least when “cliche” terms are utilized.

Do they believe Christians are only out for money?  Is that was “Christian” means to them?  Do they believe Christians are only concerned with judgement or rules?  Is that what “Christian” means to them?

When I tell people I’m a Christian, what do they think it means?  Should that affect me somehow?

I think there’s a lot of confusion, and I want to be sensitive to it, not just keep using labels that dont’ mean much.  That would just be stupid.

I know there are a lot of people that “claim” to be “Christians” and do a lot of stupid things.  I’m one of them.  The problem is, people see that and start to associate the label with hypocrisy.  And rightly so!  We are a bunch of hypocrites because we preach one thing and live another.  We’re dumb like that.

But truth is never determined by those who follow truth.  If I am a follower of “Mathematics” and go around saying 2+4=7, that makes me a bad Mathmatician, a bad follower, but doesn’t make math in itself false or less true.  It simply makes me a bad representative of such truth.

It’s the same of “Christian” faith.  At the heart, “Christian” simply means a follower of Christ Jesus.  Christians fail in such an effort all the time, but that doesn’t make Christianity false…it just makes Christians false.  I’ll be the first to admit we do a bad job at representing truth.  Enough to make you doubt whether it’s compelling enough truth or truth at all.

I’m not afraid to admit that.  Too many Christians don’t.  That’s why “Christian” gets redefined as an “elitist, judgemental, hypocritical” group, instead of it’s core meaning.

I am a Christian.  I am a follower of Christ.  Not because I want money, fame, blessing, to condemn you to hell or send you to heaven, to judge your actions or act like I know it all.

I’m a Christian because a) I know there’s a God, we all do. b) I know I’m a broken man with sin to account for c) and I know God’s son Christ died for me in the ultimate act of mercy and grace.

My Christianity (it’s my hope) extends far beyond cliche’s or modern definitions.  Beyond Christian bubble gum or bumper stickers.  It’s a relationship.  And as fake as we can be sometimes…He’s not.  I promise you that.

My professor talked today about a concept i’m particularly intrigued by:  the necessity of time.We know that God simply “is” - he exists outside of time and space, is the “I am” and is everlasting.  We also know that the truths of God, for example, his “faithfulness” - is a truth regardless of whether his creation validates it.  It simply is.  He is eternally faithful, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

But how do we, as finite creatures, witness and experience God’s faithfulness?  How is faithfullness in and of itself experienced?  Only through time.  A year from now, I will know and understand more of the faithfulness of God then I know today.  In 10 years even more.  But at what point will I exhaust the inexhaustible?  I cannot!  His faithfulness is infinite and perfect, and inexaustable.  This is why time is a necessary aspect for His creation, because it’s the only means we have to learn and understand His truths more fully.  This is why we have eternity.  1 billion years into eternity, we shall know more than in 2006 of his faithfulness, but shall never exhaust it!  Eternity in and of itself is a necessity to continue to know and understand our God who is infinite.

I think this is a pretty cool thing to dwell upon - why mankind has and needs time, and what exactly time adds to the equation.  We know time exists in heaven.  The tree of life, spoken of in Revelation brings new fruit each “month” - and there are several examples of space and time in apostolic visions and other scripture.  It seems extraordinarily neat to think of our need for the everlasting to progressivly learn more and more about the inexaustable.

Special thanks to my prof CL Mitchell for this insight.

et’s work through some logic together - - >1. Our purpose is to glorify God.
2. God is most glorified when I exalt Him above all else.

3. It is EASY to glorify God when things are going “great” (finance, relationships, job, etc)

4. It is DIFFICULT to glorify God when things are not.

5. God is most clearly seen in those who glorify Him in the “not so great” times.

6. The people that can glorify Him in the “not so great times” are not those of weak faith, but those of mature(ing) faith.

7. The people that will be allowed, by God, to under go such trials, for His GLORY and purpose, are then, the MATURE in faith.

8. God recieves glory through those mature in faith, who are left with nothing but God, and in turn NEED nothing but God.  They are the most prepared to GLORIFY Him in the way he is often glorified THE MOST!
MY POINT:  It’s crazy to think that the more you GROW in Christ, the LESS problems you’ll have.  When our PURPOSE is to glorify Christ, and we can glorify Him BETTER as we mature, when things are taken away - then why aren’t we EXPECTING suffering instead of prosperity?  To take it further, why aren’t we PRAISING God for the opportunities to FULLFILL our purpose BETTER - rather, GLORIFY Him in our sufferings.  

The is THE difference between the world and us.  We put him FIRST - and that can only been seen, often times, in LOSING things, not gaining them.

When you have nothing, you show the world you need nothing but Him.

When you praise no thing, you show the world you need not praise anything but Him.

AS YOU GROW, BE READY, and JOYOUS - (James 1:2)

I think sometimes the reason the Christian walk can be / seem so difficult for many, is because of our natural inclination to  accomplish things, compared to simply being within a discipline.

We make to-do lists, so that we can check them off.

We make money, so we can reach or accomplish financial goals.
We work in school, to accomplish the goal of a degree.

Our ideals revolve around “completion” - the idea that with enough effort and work, we can “accomplish” that goal.  It makes us feel good.  Like we’ve “done” something.  We can sit back and say, “you know what, that really paid off.”

Despite the fact we’re wired for such an inclination - the Christian walk (in some aspects) is the one “un-accomplishable.”

I speak in regards to imitating Christ.  We can strive for the perfect life of Christ, as we are to do - to live as He did, in all we say and do.  To love Him through our lives.  But our humanity holds us back thanks to it’s corruption, and our sinful nature.  We can never, of our own effort or attempt, meet that “goal” - or “accomplish” such a task.
In fact, the scriptures even speak of our chance for perfection…” If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 Jn. 1:8)

So how do we accomplish the un-accomplishable?  How do we find a moment’s rest…?  How do we sit back and smile, and utter words of joy in the completion of our task?

I wanted to take a look at this concept, of “goals” - that which can be accomplished - and see what scripture said about it.  The Apostle Paul actually does speaks of “goals” when speaking of the Christian walk.
2 Corinthians 5:9 reads:
“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. “
Phillipians 3:14 reads:
“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

What is such a goal, and shouldn’t goals be accomplish-able?  I think Paul compares the Christian walk to the training and work and striving of an athelete for that very reason - because we are WIRED to desire accomplishment, WIRED to “win” or reach a “goal” - just as atheletes train to win first place, we too are to strive physcially and spiritually to reach that goal.  The goal is to what…?  PLEASE Christ, as 2nd Corinthians read above.   But how?

In Galations, Paul chastens them:
“Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?”

Apart from the spirit of God, we cannot accomplish our goal.  Just as the people Paul is speaking to above could not recieve the Spirit itself by following the law, they could not accomplish the goal by fullfilling or following the law.  Human effort fails in it’s attempts to reach the goal.  To please Christ, to strive towards the goal, one must submit to Him first, not try and win by human effort alone.

Does this mean every week we strive towards the goal, we’ll have a list we can check off or a certificate awarded to us?  No…our worldly standards for completion and accomplishment are not the same as God’s - and so we much seek the Spirit of God to grant us the peace that comes from the knowledge of God.  Only the Spirit can place upon our hearts the peace that we seek - no checklist or award shall meet it.

I must say I am profoundly startled by the immense lack of thought given to the afterlife.  I am not speaking of Christians, but those who are non-believers.

I cannot comprehend some of the responses, quotes, etc I have received in regards to questions like “What do you think will happen if you die”

Some say “nothingness” - others say “well, i believe that everyone will go to one place.” or other variable responses.

The part that’s startling is that it *seems* so many believe that if they conjure up some form of thought about the afterlife, that it will somehow manifest for them.  They base their philosophies on literally nothing, only things they’ve “thought up” over the course of their lives.  They beg for absolutes in all other areas…won’t invest in STOCK A without the proper evidences of growth potential, blah blah blah.  They won’t vote for a political leader, go to a certain college, even begin a relationship with another person without some form of research or consideration on their part.  If they did, they’d be “illogical, irresponsible, stupid, etc” -
But when it comes to eternity, it becomes “willy-nilly, it’s all relative, anything goes”

Am I the only one that finds that insane?  Are they really that busy to not give a measure of thought to the logic behind that?

I have heard “Well I think this…” or “Well, probably this will happen…” or “I’m not sure, but maybe this…”

Do we settle for maybe, probablies or relative thought when it comes to other areas?

“Yes sir, you’ll probably, maybe get better if you take this medicine, I mean, I think maybe you will…maybe you won’t”

Of course not!  We want to know if we’re going to take the medicine prescribed whether we will recover or die.  We’ll spend money, and invest time and effort to save our lives by finding this assurance.

But the afterlife?  The Bible?  These people get to “re-write” it themselves, with “what if’s, maybes, probablies, i’d hope…etc”

Well…I hope, maybe, that you’ll consider, if you want, that there’s a sad piece of missing logic here…probably…

have been blessed this past week to get the opportunity to talk openly about God with a couple of people that I am close to, and aren’t believers. God has blown me away, bringing patience, and the right words to say at the right time.

In one discussion, we were fixed on that essential “issue” that humans seem to have an issue on. “How can a loving God not save everyone…” People hear and understand from an outside perspective that “God is Loving” and “God is Forgiving” and that mixes in with their own philosophy into a God that is somehow happy as long as we’re happy. This is truly a sad development.

We were able to discuss this topic a little bit, and I was able to confront it from this angle - “Yes, God is Love, God is Forgiving - but God is also Holy, and Just”

He is no more loving than he is just, no more forgiving than he is Holy. He is infinite in his qualities. People can relate when you ask them “When somebody rapes, murders a child - do they deserve punishment?” - for punishment to them is “right” and “just” when compared to a human situation. OF COURSE that person deserves punishment! Yet when the Bible compares hatred to murder, finds lust adultery, says we are not to lie, blaspheme his name, steal - they find it hard to feel the same towards themselves or others as they felt towards that hypothetical murderer.

Truth is - my God is Holy, Pure, and Just, and he punishes murderers. Sin has no place in Holiness. That is the reason for Christ. God is loving, and forgiving, but not to those who willfully turn there back on him.

What’s funny, is I’ve run across a lot of people who say “Yes - I believe the Bible 100%” and then throw piles of their own ideas, baseless, into the equation.

“Well, Jesus is the kind of guy who would let other Gods in”
“Jesus is the kind of guy who will let everyone in as long as they believed in something”
“Religion evolves, Jesus evolves”

Nope. “The wages of sin is death…” - now, today, and tomarrow. Why? Because my God is holy! My God is just!

BUT - when a frail, human sinner has a fine too big to pay (which we do) and is bound for that JUST punishment, a loving, forgiving savior PAID it. Justice is reconciled - and we are free in his PERFECT sacrifice, PERFECT payment.

In a recent trip I came upon a common slogan in which I now conceed is the theme of man in America.  A perversion of our LORD and common outlook by a large portion of claimed believers and non-believers alike.

Let me first say that my apparent judgement of this slogan does not fall upon the bearers of it, but only upon the interpretation of the slogan as I have chosen to translate it; or rather the way I truly believer a large majority in America and other countries might use and interpret such a phrase.  In truth, it is the concept and interpretation, not the arrangment of words that I stand up against.

The slogan read, “What does God mean to you?”  Innocently enough, this could mean nothing more than “how has your King impacted your daily persuit of holiness” or “what does your relationship with the true God mean to your everyday purpose.”  This slogan, where I found it, may just as well have been written with such an interpretation in mind.  However, free of context, standing upon it’s own two feet - it seems to say much more.  And so we find the concept I stand up against.  The concept is this:

That God, in purpose & truth, could and does have an entirely different “meaning” for each and every person, in accordance to their own will upon such a meaning; 

OR, to put it differently,

That God, giver of life, shall in some way fullfil the will or expectations of the one who gives Him personal, daily, arbitrary meaning.

WHEN IN FACT, our outlook and slogan should be, in my own view, and what I would reason to say is a scriptural & logically sound view - just the opposite.  Instead of questioning what the creator means to the creation (which seems an illogical question in and of itself) - we should daily ask instead “What do WE mean to GOD?”  A daily, even moment-by-moment evaluation of such a query should and would in my view provoke the self-surrendering, humble servanthood that is the foundation of our true purpose and meaning to God.

What do we mean to God?

God has chosen, in the first place, to allow us to mean anything.  How does an omnipotent, omniscient creator find any need or meaning of any kind from his creation?  The answer:  because He Himself chooses to need us, chooses to allow us to mean something to him.  If such a reality, meditated upon, does not drive from our hearts every ounce of self-service and self-exaltation and pride, then those whom it does not should truly be pitied - for this is the basis of a relationship with an everlasting God - that is, His complete sovereignty, and the wonderous mercy that He would choose to need us - having needed nothing.

“What does God mean to you?”  This world will claim a shotgun of answers, ranging from concepts of peace to the magical hand that casts the die of each day.

To ask what you mean to God is to face a stark and logical truth - which is this:  We SHOULD mean absolutely nothing. 

There is this false, continually furthered concept of Christ that life with him will be filled with success.  Of course that success is what we as humans, dragged into the hollow and deceptive philosophies of this world, try to define ourselves.  Far be it from us to glance one moment into the scriptures to give us our definition of “life to the full” - we prefer our own definition.  And so this concept becomes false in that context.

Does that mean that Christ does not bless us with gain upon this earth?  Of course not.  But gain upon this earth is not success in the eyes of God, rather, our purpose is not for worldy gain.  We may come to know some of those things, but as believers, we must realize that Christ is faithful in all our needs, and our needs must not be defined by the philosophies of this world.

The world teaches us to strive for power, money, things, idealistic concepts of love, sex, popularity.  And yet, as Christians, with access to the word of God, some of us prostitute Salvation as the key to those things.  Key to worldly success.  May we never show God as the key to this world, but rather the key to Salvation and eternal life, not within this fallen world, but in his perfect future kingdom.

For a God whose exalted as the key to success in this world’s definition, will cause those to find no God as they fail to accomplish their false and temporary goals.  When success runs out, so will their “spirituality” - for our God has been painted upon their mind’s canvas as a God of this world.  Of this world’s success.

He isn’t.
” There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!” - Ecc 4:8

“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” - Matt 13:22

I think that sometimes we can be such an over-analytical-judgmental people, that we are conditioning our friendships against humility.

We need to become trained in friendships of love, not friendships of proofs.  I pray I never make others feel like they must “display” their own works and life with Christ before my eyes so that I may validate it for them, or so my opinion of them changes.  It is not my job to judge them, but it is my job not to help them stumble.

The need for such evidencs is hindering our efforts at humility, and conditioning us towards pride.  This pride leads to a broader scope of judgment, not humility.  It leads to circles of judgmental believers.  How can one accept the call to humility when they must broadcast their faith to be accepted.

Let the humility of our hearts begin in our relationships, and watch it trickle down into ourselves.  We do not know the heart of a person - only He knows that.