Being Authentic

Everyone is talking about Rachel Dolezal. I'm not going to criticize her. I am feeling a little bit critical of people who so strongly supported Bruce Jenner in his quest of becoming 'Caitlyn' only to turn around and rage on Miss Dolezal.

I feel deeply for both Jenner and Dolezal because I can relate to their struggles. Let me make a few straight-on statements to explain my viewpoint:

• Being authentic means, in my opinion, to be not only who you are, but who God meant you to be. 
• Being authentic isn't always easy.
• Fitting into what you want yourself to be is much easier than becoming comfortable with who you are.

By the way, my pastor recently said something about exchanging criticism of others for trying to understand why they might behave the way they do. That resonated with me because I have tended to be highly critical of people. If they were doing something I would not do, I judged them in ways that I'm thankful God will never judge me.

As far as being able to relate with Dolezal, Jenner, and anyone else going through certain struggles, keep in mind that this is my viewpoint.

I can relate to anyone who would like to pretend to be what seems to makes them happy. The problem with pretense is that it wears on the soul.

Some people are fun to be around or smart or just naturally charismatic. There are people who others see as nurturing and wise or financially savvy or witty and trendy. We'd all like to have these qualities.

Certain qualities and personality styles are popular and enviable. By our human nature, none of us wants to be unpopular. Everyone wants love, affection, respect, admiration and acknowledgement. The struggle is that some of us don't possess qualities that are currently popular.

I'm not a naturally social and outgoing type of person. For years, I struggled to pretend to be gregarious around co-workers. The only place I could be my authentic self was at home.

The gregarious me was well-liked and popular at work. The authentic me was accepted at home, but there was the cost of being seen as slightly eccentric.

Now that I have become a practicing Christian, I find myself even less popular. Attempting to live a live of faith is not a popular or enviable position to be in. These days, it's just about the most intolerable state of living.

If I wanted to be more loved and accepted, if I wanted more people in my life, I could change the way I am. What I have come to realize that the only changes I need in my life are the one God provides.

The biggest hurdle to living life is to be not who you want to be - or who other people would like you to be - but who you were made to be.

I gave my heart to Christ a long time ago, but I only recently gave my daily life to him. This is where my real struggle has begun. If I found it hard to be what I wanted to be, I am learning that the real test is to be what God wants me to be.

So, I look at anyone struggling to find who they really are - who they were made to be be - and all I can do is pray for them. I pray the same prayer for them as I pray for myself, that I am able to be authentic to who and what God made me to be.

Peace
--Free

Intelligence vs Wisdom

I've often wondered why Atheists are Atheists in probably the same was that they wonder why Christians are Christians.

Since I'm not a Christian for the reasons that a lot of people might assume (that I'm ignorant, a blind follower, gullible, or just want or need to believe in something, etc.) I have always wanted to explain why I believe in God.

Although my mother was a Christian and took me to church when I was young, I came to a mature, thoughtful and reasoning belief in God on my own by putting a lot of thought into some things:

1. What was before there was anything?
2. Because there was a beginning of everything that is, (instead of  there still being nothing), whatever/whoever brought that about is - no matter what our beliefs are -  a creator of some kind.
3. There is a foolishness in believing that everything came from nothing. 
4. If  one believes in the "big bang" - instead of any kind of creator - then what caused that?
5. If that big bang caused all that is how did that "happening" get us to where we are today?
6. Where did the idea of right and wrong, good and evil, come from if the universe is just an accidental happening?
7. And what is originated the need of the concepts of right and wrong or good and evil?
8. If we, as a result of this accidental happening, have evolved to this point, why can't we absolutely prove that there is no creator or Creator?

While many people believe that faith in a Creator is illogical, even as a less mature Christian, I've always found a belief in the Big Bang theory egotistical. Why believe that anything (or Anyone) can be greater than we? 

I can better understand how someone could believe in another god. I can understand that because some people do just believe based on what their parents or culture passed down. Some people never question things for themselves. What I can't understand is how anyone can not believe in God or any god.

One of the things that seals my faith in God even more strongly is that there are people who believe that the "big bang" was caused by nothing or no One, because God already named these people: 

 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. (Psalm 14:1)

So, what would it take to have me even consider someone's argument of non-intelligent design?

• When they can create a new color, sound, smell - or anything else - without using what God already created. 
• When they can create life without using the materials that are already in existence. 
• When they can create something out of nothing.

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

Because then they would be capable of doing what God has already done. And, even then, I would not disbelieve in God. Why? Because the man doing any of that is merely a creation of Someone other than himself.

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God is. He is proven in the very nature and universe around us, the air He created; the very things that make up everything that is the human body, mind and soul. Without Him there is nothing. We would not even be here to question His existence.

The only thing I can say to the person who believes that there is no God, is that their belief is much more foolish than my faith that God is.

And why do I believe the God of the Bible - and not some other god - that's easy: Jesus.

Jesus' life, death and resurrection were prophesied. The change that was promised to me if I chose to accept Jesus into my heart have proven true.

Now, a great mind - say, a physicist  - could make me look incredibly ignorant in a debate. I'm don't possess high intelligence (as it it measured by man), but I have wisdom enough to humble myself.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)

In a debate with someone who is more 'intelligent' than I, my only statement would be this: that they understand physics and mathematics, or whatever it is they specialize in, but they didn't create the concepts; they have only grasped it better than most of us.

The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are a mere breath. (Psalms 94:11)

What I pray for is that every intelligent man will be wise enough to humble himself before God.

This whole subject of belief and unbelief is important because our choices will determine our ultimate eternity. As someone who believes that there is going to be eternal life after death spent in either Heaven or Hell. I don't want anyone to face Hell.

I once heard or read that a Christian responded to a Atheist by saying: "If you are right,  then I am safe. If I am right, you have problems." Of course, I am paraphrasing.

I know that there would be those who would continue the Atheist's argument by saying that Christians will have missed out on things our lifetime.  In my opinion, that's still a weak attitude. After all, even a secular humanist would agree that life is to be lived decently. So, the only winners in the Atheistic view of death are people who live this life like devils and make things unpleasant for all the rest of us.

At any rate, don't want this to be a one-sided discussion, so I'd be interested to hear from others on why they do (or do not) believe in the God of the Bible.

Peace
--Free

Questioning Motivations

While watching something on a video the other day, I found myself being extremely critical of the person featured. This was a video clip of a young gospel music artist talking about his latest ventures. He was so over-eager to share that not only was he putting out a new album, but also doing a movie project and some other project, and on and on. He was just about tripping over himself, making sure to self-promote that I went from being impressed with his enthusiasm to being sort of irritated.

After I took a few moments to mentally analyze the guy and criticize him thoroughly, I realized that I was throwing a bunch of stones from a chair in my own glass house. 

When I stopped to think about it all, I realized that maybe I should be taking notes for an improvement in my own life.  For instance, what if, every time I get ready to do something or say something, I take time to consider my motives?

Hmmm....

I think that I will probably need to tie a string around a different finger every day to remember to ask myself a few questions before I speak or act from now on, but I'd like to try out the idea...

What are our motives when we do or say things? Are we always speaking to be helpful or encouraging? Do we do things to help people or to better ourselves in positive ways? If I'm going to be honest, I have to admit that I'm probably only completely non-selfish in about 30% of the things I do or say.

There have been times when I've given advice to family or friends more out of a need to look wise than to actually be a help to them. Even worse, I have sometimes tried to use my "advice" to lead them toward what I want rather than to actually advise them.

That sounds so awful when I think about it, but I really never have thought much about it before now.

Anyway, from now on, I hope to more carefully consider my true motives. I tried to come up with a list of things that I'll need to ask myself before do or say anything significant:

• Am I speaking or acting out of my negative feelings or emotions (anger, frustration, annoyance, etc.)?
• Are my feelings or emotions warranted?
• Am I saying something because I truly mean it?
• If I don't mean it, why am I bothering to say it?
• If I do mean it, can I logically defend it?
• Am I doing or saying something to look smarter than someone else - or less vulnerable?
• Am I doing or saying something just for approval or attention?
• Whose approval am I seeking by saying or doing something?
• Who am I helping (or harming) by doing or saying something?
• Is what I am doing or saying useful? And if it's not, why am I doing or saying it?
• Is this the time to say or do something or not?
• What will it really matter in the long run?
• How is what I say or do going to effect someone else?

This is basic stuff, but I don't always take the time to use my actions or words wisely. Here is something I have learned: sometimes, the most powerful motivation is a feeling powerless. That's dangerous because so many of us think the antidote to feeling powerless is a negative reaction.

courtesy my YouVersion app

I going to start this very day praying for more restraint in my moment-to-moment behavior. Guess that means I'll be doing lots of praying!

Peace

--Free

Personal Revival in Church

I think I already said this on Google Plus, but I want to repeat it: Church today was especially awesome.

Since this is Palm Sunday, the message was centered particularly around the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. I can't wait now to read through this chapter again and re-absorb the message.

A few parts of the pastor's message and the entire service that struck me so deeply were these:

• The song today was "Deep Cries Out". It's one I'd never heard of before and I wasn't crazy about the music, but part of the the lyrics, wow: "Deep cries out to deep". That described my own entire existence. How we can get to such bottomless despair, loneliness, and heartache that all we can do is cry out to God. Maybe that's just my take on the verse out of Psalm, but I felt like it was speaking right to my heart.
• When Jesus's first arrival as Messiah had been foretold again and again, so many people didn't want to believe. His next coming has been foretold and, still, same situation.
• The pastor and some other people from church visited some children yesterday in preparation for April 5th (Easter). Some of the non-church people were surprised that the "church" people were so normal and nice. Pastor pointed out that so many folks only view of/idea of Christians comes from what they see/read/hear via mainstream media. How true that is! Just like with any other section of society grouped in a certain way (by race, gender, personal choices), Christians have the problem of being profiled as mean, un-loving, self-righteous, etc. And, just like with those other groups of people, those negative things are true. Of some of us, not all. So, pastor encouraged us to interact more outside of our comfort zones. (I know that we can be in and interact with "the world" without becoming wordly.)

So, yeah, I got a lot of good from being in church today. Of course, I always leave feeling better than when I go in.

I hope that you all feel as lifted as I do.

Peace