Over the past few weeks, I've had various conversations about dating, money, life choices, and convictions (mostly in that order) and the more I listen, the more frustrated I'm finding myself becoming. It's like the concepts that are embedded in my head come from this out of world experience that just seems foreign to many people I speak to. It's as if I'm trying to explain a whole nother language to them...
My most recent studies have taken me through the minor prophet Joel, 1 Kings, and most important for the purpose of this blog, 1 Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians, Paul is approached with a lot of division within the church at Corinth. Sects (err denominations) are being formed between Paulites and Apollosites (followers of Paul's teachings and followers of Apollos' teachings). Now I can go and talk about this divisions for a while, but lets save that for another blog.
What has continuously hit me however, is twice in the opening 3 chapters, Paul talks about wisdom. The wisdom of the world versus the wisdom that the Holy Spirit gives us.
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. - 1 Corith. 1:21
Ok. This is weird. The concepts that go on in my head about the before-mentioned topics clash with the general concepts of the world. And it bothers me. I'll show a few examples here:
Dating
It's important for me to always be committed to my [imaginary] girlfriend. Commitment, honesty, loyalty and the values I [now] cherish the most. I'm a romantic at heart that wants to spoil my [imaginary] girlfriend by holding the doors open for her, dropping her off near the door when the weather is bad, waiting until she enters the house at night before driving away. Ya know, what I thought were the basics. They (whoever they are) say that chivalry is dead, well as long as I'm alive, chivalry will not be dead. Real talk.
Money
Money is not very important to me. Yes, it's nice having a steady job, kinda sorta living paycheck to paycheck because of the pimp know as Sallie Mae, and just being comfortable. However, one of the fears I have, and this is an honest fear ya'll, is having too much money. I'm afraid that I'll become consumed by it. That it runs the risk of becoming my idol. It's seems to me that everyone wants a little more money, and if/when they get that little more money, they want a little MORE money and so forth and so on. Listen, not everyone has the money "Sin Giant" but many of us are capable of it.
Convictions
I always thought that people knew what convictions were. I guess is ASSumed incorrectly. Probably the easiest way to describe it is one's conscious. I often tell people that the reason I stopped cussing is because I started to feel bad about it. My conscious, aka the Holy Spirit, began to convict me because that's not how a man of God should be using his words (See James 3:1-12) When I tell people this, I get one of two reactions: A.) Oh that's really cool or B.) *Looks at me like I'm crazy*. Yep, story of my life.
I am not, I repeat, I AM not claiming that my words or thoughts are the way the "perfect" man or Christian should live. I'm also not judging you if you have different mindsets different than mine. These are just my convictions (see what I just did there) and my observations on how I'm just a #Anomaly.
Don't lose faith my brothers and sisters if you just aren't understood (whether it's in the physical, emotional or spiritual sense). We are all created to be different parts of God's body. We have different thoughts, different skills, different appearances, and different brain sizes (with mine being the largest.....just KIDDING). Do what you feel is right. I believe that we are all born with a conscious (there are scientific exceptions to that rule I guess) that hint us in the right direction. It's all about listening to it. One of the sure fire ways to check to see if what you're doing is the "right" thing is to ask the rhetorical question, "Am I blessing others with this decision or am I only doing it for myself." And please please please be honest to yourself.
With much blessings,
MJA#Anomaly
No comments:
Post a Comment