There are lots of questions floating around, but we often avoid the significant ones... they potentially have the most important answers we will get in our lives! We like the sound of change but freak out a little if we actually feel it happening, hehe, we need to make up our minds right!? Haha :P :D
I've been pumped to write a series of posts on God lately. Ok so you are probably thinking, gee, this is a scary topic, and you want to click exit right now. Please don't though. I am talking about things which I am convinced are a reality and I reckon everyone deserves the opportunity to hear about. These things are so beautiful, powerful, freeing and ultimately life-saving that my heart aches for you to hear it!
The series is centered around, "Perspectives on God/Christianity that I've found to hold me and so many alongside me back from life in faith".
Promise me you won't tune out just yet!- Our whole vibrant free nation of NZ has been built upon Christian beliefs yet they have faded and dulled, but their brightness still exists for those who live in the truths! Have questions about God, Christianity, "religion" (such an ugly word!) and just life in general? Tune in, I am excited to share! :)
Series will be chatting about the following-
Christian faith. It's:
1. Boring, 2. Conflict causing, 3. Limiting, 4. Fatalistic. 5. Uncreative, 6. Controlling, 7. Pointless/Unecessary, 8.Scary&Punishment-based,and lastly 9.'the word God scares me/is weird'...will have to do a "10." for all you OCD peeps...but will chat on a requested topic!
These are what I will be chatting about, 1 post per might-be-holding-you-back perspective... here goes!
PART 1: Christian faith.
It's Boring.
You know, this is exactly what I thought about Christianity too!
Boring, bland, flat, A for average, and ultimately lame.
But when I took a leap of faith after God sneaked into my life & lit it up, boy oh boy, boring was not what my life became (and remains)- I would not have done even half of what I have in the past 4 years of following Jesus after God found me- my life has been so so full. I can't believe it!...but I'm grateful for it.
Boring?
Well, yes, staying yourself while taking on Christian values/rules/teachings certainly leaves you boring.
That is just an external stuff and involves a lot of effort and limits. BUT Christianity is not something you add into your life as an extra or "a side of fries, please", but instead is a transforming. It is a new life.
In God's handbook for a lively life (aka the Bible) it says:
"let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin* that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us"- Hebrews 12:1.
*'Sin' is a word taught by media as more daunting than 'God'...but it's prob not what you thought! If you wanna know a lil more right now! then calm down, hehe, and click on this link-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNOZ7ocLD74 it explains sin really simply :D
Christian life is about a fresh start. Being completely reborn into new life. NOT about trying again (unlike the idea of reincarnation).
A new life with our thoughts focused on things bigger than what the advertising, peers, pressures, media etc are screaming are important.
It's beginning again with a focus on God's massive plan instead.
A plan that satisfies, rather than just quenching our thirst for life for a wee while before running out and us needing refills again & again (a newer phone, a faster race time, another burger, another 'like', a better prize, a bigger paycheck etc).
And God, as the dude who created us + the awesome nature around us, promises this new life when we give up the not-going-quite-as-planned, mediocre, stressful, full-yet-kinda-empty-somehow life we have to ask God to guide & challenge us instead!
New life...best gift ever!?...Giving up that hamster wheel pursuit of 'upgrades' and having taken a chance on the massive life that the dude, namely God, who created me was excited to set me into = Best chance taken yet in my life! Best of all, when we take this chance, God wants to be there with us throughout as a friend and as our strength!
Have to be honest here..
...Living a less boring life means more chance of failure!
I have jumped into so many things where I'm so out of my own depth since giving my life for Jesus to lead... I often think, "What on earth am I doing here?!" and/or "What do I do now?!" and/or "S&*%"
Sometimes I really feel like I've jumped off a cliff, and am just holding onto hope that the destination is better than it seems in that moment- as I keep my eyes on how big God's plans are... and that He can carry me and my inadequacies through any challenge He leads me into.
It's not 'on me' any longer. And loss of pride, pain or even death no longer scare me like they used to!
But another thing I've learnt: Failing with a constant friend & guide (God) doesn't feel as bad as living safely alone!
Oh and here comes another bit of harsh honesty... A God who made all us can think up a better plan than even us (gasp, I know, hha!) for our lives' journeys and destination. His plans are 0% limited or shallow, instead they're 100% rich and fulfilling- shot God, sounds good, can I be on your team?
But here's a beautiful truth: God wants us to be whole, filled up with life and experience unconditional love overflowing as we pull deep into the roots of His love - its unfathomable. "Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong"- Ephesians 3:17.
Before I finally stopped fighting for "my life" and plans etc, I was held back from doing many (maybe even most) new, adventurous or ambitious things... it was all on me, so I was worried about failure and reputation and hurt!
God holds me now, and longs to hold you too... not hold you inside a boring little square but hold you as you step/jump/dance out of the boxes you've started living in!
To break out of the boxes is God's hope for you- He's sick of boring lives.
He's all for the risks, looking beyond yourself and heading out on limitless adventures.
Forget a one off bungy jump, binge drink or something else "reckless"- a bigger fight against boring is to live each moment of your life on the edge because...it's life in full colour!
~ Let the light flood in ~
Tune in next for PART 2: Christian Faith: it's: CONFLICT CAUSING.