Some people take history at face value as literal truth. Some believe it is a tool of propaganda to influence a culture's beliefs. From one stance you can understand the path without error and its implication on modern thought. Or, you can't believe anything about history as true but can deduce from its narrative the intended influence on belief and the underlying effect on culture. I believe individual works of history are a compilation of experience, and sources, into a narrative told from a biased position. It is the sampling of multiple sources and works, comprehending them and then pulling the shared common threads out to try and piece together a representation of fact that produces a better picture of what happened. I don't now if 100% accuracy is possible pre-modern technology and even with modern tech I think it's only theoretically possible to approach 100% accuracy.
The majority know the Story of Christopher Columbus as taught in schools and tradition, and most accept it as true at face value.
Here is one account written in 1828, that supports the traditionally accepted story. History of the life and voyages of Christopher Columbus by Washington Irving. It's of significance to note many academics have classified this work in the style of romantic history or historical fiction, containing elements of both history and fiction. By the way, Washington Irving was the author of the fiction books "Legend of Sleepy Hollow", and "Rip Van Winkle" Who's, in my opinion, biography and writing career reads more like some one more suitably labeled in the category of satirical fiction and political commentary (like today's Cracked, and the Onion) than as an academic minded historian.
Here is a contradictory account written in 1874. A History of The Character and Achievements of the So-Called Christopher Columbus by Aaron Goodrich.
Once you realize the history lessons taught by tradition and many schools may be just one view of many regarding possible historical narrative you have to decide if you care to know more about the topic from different views. If you are interested in history and wish to use it as a source of knowledge to back up your arguments you need to expand your comprehension of the different perspectives and hypotheses in the academic field of history. Here is the book I recommend for getting a start on understanding the process while exploring American History from what may most likely be a new perspective. Barron's E-Z American History.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Give God the Glory, but make sure to do the work.
I read the comments from the original source from which I first viewed this video at the Godvine website. When I read through those comments I see that yes, the faithful are giving all the Glory to God as it should be. Glory as an action by mankind is the highest honor, the ultimate highest praise and respect that can be paid in response to some action or deed. What gets overlooked so many times, though, is the honor and praise for those working behind the scenes in moving situations like this video shows. God moves through mysterious ways, through people and through the faithful who follow his will. We give God the glory but should not forget how God's will moved through everyone involved to make this miracle happen.
Greg's cancer went into remission, praise the Lord! It is a miracle, I agree and witness to such as many do. But I see God's hand at work all the way up to remission of the cancer, not just in the final result. Greg has no saliva glands, no teeth, and a feeding tube. For those who have eyes, let them see, and for those who have ears let them listen. Greg has had a feeding tube for 3 years at the time that interview was done.
Come see. For Greg to have a feeding tube, he needed a surgical procedure done by medical doctors and staff in a hospital. For Greg to get approval from hospital administration he needed coverage for the expense of the procedure, either through insurance or by having enough money to put a down payment on the procedure and good enough credit to assure a payment plan on the balance.
Come see. Before the hospital administration would approve the procedure they would submit a request for coverage to Greg's health care provider, insurance, and the provider would review the procedure and decide if it was medically necessary or not. In this case Greg either had insurance that covered the procedure, enough money to pay for his own medical care costs, or people donated enough to cover his costs.
Come see. Before all this, Greg had to at some time get tested and diagnosed with cancer and do so with time enough so treatment could begin before the cancer became too bad. Most people who go to the doctor, either routinely or when they feel ill, have medical coverage. Greg was able to afford the expenses involved in testing, diagnosis, chemo treatment, surgery, recovery, and maintenance. That's just addressing the money in the medical side of this issue. Greg had home, food, and pet care expenses at the very least. He was able to afford equipment and had the skills to do maintenance, repair, and restoration on that church.
In short, Greg was not a poor man. God was able to take care of Greg without the involvement of the Church and, again, all Glory goes to God for this man's healing.
In the Clinical Drug and Alcohol treatment field I worked in a rehab center. I met, worked with, and developed relationships with patients in treatment. I was the lowest employee on the totem pole, a residential technician. I would be the one to help a sick man up out of their own mess, to help clean them up and change their clothes, and to check on their well being throughout my shift.
During my time working in the drug and alcohol treatment center I met many Godly men and women, prayerful and sincere in their faith. Yes, I met far more who that description wouldn't apply to but I loved them as well and most of them were lovable, very few were not a pleasure to serve and even then I served them to the best of my abilities.
I met faithful, prayerful, suffering men and women who were poor and had no health care before coming to the clinic for help. The clinic would apply for Tenncare and go through the process with them, walk them through it, getting them coverage before they could be admitted into the residential treatment program. I never met anyone who was uninsured, unless they could pay out of pocket, because if Tenncare didn't cover them and they didn't have insurance then they were not admitted for treatment. The end, good luck with that alcohol problem, good bye I hope that crack doesn't kill you or make you kill some one else. See you later alligator, after a while crocodile, don't forget to write.
There are those so poor they cannot get access to medical treatment and die from ailments that would otherwise been treated and healed. When they pray in faith for a miracle God answer that prayer every single time. Even if their ailment overtakes them and they die huddled under cardboard in an alley, God had already answered their prayer for help, and God was faithful to them, Amen!
How is this possible? Because God sent Jesus to save the world. Jesus made disciples to follow the His commands, His will, and to spread the gospel and to make disciples in his name who will do the same until all Nations are disciples of Christ. Amen! We, the church, proclaim faith in Christ and are his disciples. Our sins are washed clean in our baptism in the Spirit and in response to God's grace in salvation we stand up anew and swear to follow Christ and follow his commandments. Amen! We are the disciples of Christ who swear to follow Christ, obedient not because compelled but because we are loved by God and we love God and wish to do His will. Amen!
So, how can a poverty stricken man die homeless after praying in faith to God for help and healing? I'll tell you the truth. I'll feed it to you with your Sunday dinner.
Whenever one of God's lost sheep, whenever one of the sick and poor, cry out to God for help, we are here. We, the church, are here and we are to be listening and watching for the call to help those who call out to God in their need. We are the body of Christ, it is our hands that reach out to do something for those crying out to God for help. The church is not the building where we worship and the church is not the pastors who give us our daily bread once a week, no the church is us; you and I and all the faithful are the body of Christ. What is worse than a poor man dying homeless after reaching out to God in prayer? What is worse is a faithful member of the body of Christ dying homeless after praying, with all his faith and heart, for God's help.
Every time some one reaches out to God for help and they suffer without relief , that is not God's failure that is ours. God is faithful and He answered that prayer, he sent us. If no help arrives, God did not fail, we did. Every time this happens God is faithful, we are not.
Any time someone poor in resources, skill, or ability is in need and unable to assist themselves reaches out to God for help and then waits in faith, every time their call for help goes unanswered and the consequence is their death... if there were any members of the Church who crossed their paths, who saw them in their need and walked on, who talked to them and heard their need, who was merely living in the same community as they when they prayed for help... well, their prayer for help to God was answered but God's call to the servants to go and help wasn't heard or it was ignored. Thus sayeth the Lord. Amen.
What can we do? What can I do? I am almost poor myself. I barely make enough to pay my bills, to afford health care, and to care for my family. I do what I can, which is watch and listen for God's call to help some one and to pass that call along to those who can help better than me if I am unable. To love others by getting to know them, building a relationship with them, and just intentionally making sure they are a part of my life. To say something if those who are supposed to be helping are not doing so. And to, above all, love God with all my heart, spirit, and mind and to love others as I love myself.
Matthew 25:31 - 46 "Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
The Ideas to which we are exposed, good or bad.
Recently I have been reviewing some literature, authors, and work that I had read in my youth. Works that I have not revisited in well over two decades and did not memorize for recall and use. I realized when I reviewed these works exactly how profound and deeply the ideas to which we are exposed and choose to adopt or reject influence the way we behave.
Those who know me personally and have a close relationship need only see this piece by Miyamoto Musashi, whos work "The Book of Five Rings" I first read when I was 16 years old to see how it has shaped my personality.
3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.
4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.
5. Be detached from desire your whole life long.
6. Do not regret what you have done.
7. Never be jealous.
8. Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.
9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others.
10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.
11. In all things have no preferences.
12. Be indifferent to where you live.
13. Do not pursue the taste of good food.
14. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.
15. Do not act following customary beliefs.
16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.
17. Do not fear death.
18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.
19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.
20. You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour.
21. Never stray from the Way."
― Miyamoto Musashi
I have faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, as the Son of God, who died to atone for our sins and was resurrected as proof of authority to forgive sins. Jesus is Lord.
Aside from that proclamation of faith, though, there are so many ideas that have influenced the way I follow the teachings of Christ.
Those who know me personally and have a close relationship need only see this piece by Miyamoto Musashi, whos work "The Book of Five Rings" I first read when I was 16 years old to see how it has shaped my personality.
"1. Accept everything just the way it is.
2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.
4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.
5. Be detached from desire your whole life long.
6. Do not regret what you have done.
7. Never be jealous.
8. Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.
9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others.
10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.
11. In all things have no preferences.
12. Be indifferent to where you live.
13. Do not pursue the taste of good food.
14. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.
15. Do not act following customary beliefs.
16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.
17. Do not fear death.
18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.
19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.
20. You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour.
21. Never stray from the Way."
― Miyamoto Musashi
For good or ill these behaviors listed and many other ideas I've been exposed to have become part of my personality and part of my life. My faith remains unchanged and is strong but the way I practice my faith and see the world has been shaped by the ideas to which I have been exposed. I see this as neither a phenomenon good or evil in and of itself, but it is certainly something all Christians should be aware of and to vigilantly pay attention to the ideas that are making their way into the Church and how they effect our mission.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, and why it's no good for the Church.
This will be a short summary in order to raise awareness in some very important issues regarding Ayn Rand's ideaology Objectivism and why it not only does not follow Christian ethics but is directly against the teachings of Jesus Christ and the commandments we are given to follow as the Church.
First, what is a philosophical system? It's a defined way of thinking that has been developed by a group using logic and reason for the purpose of guiding those who follow the methods and education of the system in making correct choices in right action and discerning what is wrong action. What makes a philosophical system special is it was designed using logic and reason in order to make sure there were no contradictions in the system that would cause confusion and so the system could be defended against criticism from those who don't follow it. Many Christians feel philosophical systems of thought aren't necessary and I will admit for those in the Spirit and with Christ in their heart following His commandments always in a loving manner will not need the guidance of any philosophical system. I would, however, say it is necessary for those in Christ to study and understand the philosophical systems of the world in order to better understand those following them in order to love, serve, and cooperate with them.
Ayn Rand's system of Objectivism is not a philosophical system because it does not meet the requirement of being designed using logic and reason. This makes Objectivism an ideaology, which is a system of rules in how to think and methods for behavior in order to support an idea. Other examples of ideologies are rarely positive or beneficial for those outside the ideological system. In the modern world, examples of ideaologies are the Taliban, Hamas, the IRA, NAMBLA, and in all fairness many of the fundamentalist religious organizations within our Church operate as ideologies sometimes to the overall detriment to the Church Universal's mission.
Ayn Rand developed Objectivism and wrote the books "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" to communicate her ideas to the world. The book "Atlas Shrugged" has been made into a film, which is a more popular media venue to the majority of the public than books.
The ideas put forward by Rand's work are as follows:
An individual person is able to perceive reality in the world using only their senses and their mind. That was an individual senses is an accurate view of reality and is the only reality that exists. There is that exists beyond the senses of man and the conscious mind is sufficient to interpret the senses perfectly.
An individual's mind is sufficient to reason what is good or bad without reference to any external knowledge.
External systems of knowledge and morals are invalid and not to be followed or respected. Objectivism's perspective views religion as untrue and unnecessary but is not particularly hostile to religious institutions. Objectivism is hostile to all other philosophies and systematically identifies them and disputes them as invalid. The consequence of this invalidating all other philosophical systems is Objecivists, seeing themselves as part of a philosophical system, no longer are obligated to listen to or respond to other philosophical systems' criticisms because they are not valid. A philosophical system's claims can only be challenged and changed using logic and reason, so systems deemed invalid aren't considered to operate using logic and reason.
Individual rights, or the right of an individual to govern their own thoughts and behavior free from any influence or consideration of outside sources and groups. The individual is capable of seeing the whole of reality and equipped to reason right from wrong so should not listen to or follow any external influence that contradicts their own choices of what is right.
Rational self-interest, which is the belief in Objectivism that an individual is to do what is best for them in every situation. They are to reason out their choices and pick the ones most beneficial to themselves without any other considerations.
The moral ethic of Objectivism follows that there is only one moral concept, which is only actions that benefit the individual are moral. The consequence of those actions to others are not relevant and intentionally doing actions that do not benefit self but do benefit others are considered immoral. Altruism is defined as immoral. This means, according to Objectivism, the sacrifice Christ made for our sins was immoral unless that sacrifice somehow benefited Christ. Since they do not believe Christ to be other than a man then his actions were immoral.
Unrestricted Free Market Capitalism: Rand believed and advocated that unrestricted free market capitalism is the best and only economic system that maximizes the potential benefits for every one participating. Her reason is as follows; since the only moral action is to do things that benefit yourself then Capitalism where a supplier is benefited by money in exchange for a good that benefits a consumer which is facilitated by investors and businesses that get a profit and labor works for a wage. Everyone is doing something for their own benefit and so everyone has the opportunity to be moral actors while participating in society.
The poor, disabled, elderly, infirm, and any disadvantaged person has the freedom and moral obligation to act in their own interest to better their own situation. If they are unable to better their situation through their own efforts then that's just how it is and it is no other person's fault. It's natural selection applied to society. Those able to benefit themselves will prosper, those unable will not; the end.
The principle of non-aggression: This states it is immoral to use violence to try and force some one else to do something that benefits yourself. An individual is morally obligated to persuade others to do what they want by any means not involving violence (including threats). While it is immoral to be the first aggressor it is moral to use violence to defend oneself from aggression. This whole moral concept is the central linchpin that forms an Objectivist system's laws, if there are any, which would forbid theft of property and violence. Any other action that do not fall under theft or violence to compel action are allowed. Persuading others to do what you want or to cooperate towards common goals can be achieved by any method including lying, deception, manipulation, or any action short of aggression. This concept, here, this ethic is what makes the entire system of Objectivism and those who claim to be Objectivists completely untrustworthy and their reasons and methods should be held in suspicion for anything they want from anyone because the only motivation is self-interest.
Methods of influence include literature, books, media, propaganda, lying, reasoning, arguing using logic, and the list could go on for several pages describing methods of influence allowed to an Objectivist that are commonly held by most systems to be immoral.
These ideas are being sold separately by different means. Whether directly through "Atlas Shrugged" or individually by other means, the ideas are being persuasively given in various audiences and they are taking root. Objectivist ideas are appearing in the church congregation members. What is worst, though, is it would be a perfectly moral action for an Objectivist to join and participate in a church if it benefited them.
I will be writing more regarding this topic.
First, what is a philosophical system? It's a defined way of thinking that has been developed by a group using logic and reason for the purpose of guiding those who follow the methods and education of the system in making correct choices in right action and discerning what is wrong action. What makes a philosophical system special is it was designed using logic and reason in order to make sure there were no contradictions in the system that would cause confusion and so the system could be defended against criticism from those who don't follow it. Many Christians feel philosophical systems of thought aren't necessary and I will admit for those in the Spirit and with Christ in their heart following His commandments always in a loving manner will not need the guidance of any philosophical system. I would, however, say it is necessary for those in Christ to study and understand the philosophical systems of the world in order to better understand those following them in order to love, serve, and cooperate with them.
Ayn Rand's system of Objectivism is not a philosophical system because it does not meet the requirement of being designed using logic and reason. This makes Objectivism an ideaology, which is a system of rules in how to think and methods for behavior in order to support an idea. Other examples of ideologies are rarely positive or beneficial for those outside the ideological system. In the modern world, examples of ideaologies are the Taliban, Hamas, the IRA, NAMBLA, and in all fairness many of the fundamentalist religious organizations within our Church operate as ideologies sometimes to the overall detriment to the Church Universal's mission.
Ayn Rand developed Objectivism and wrote the books "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" to communicate her ideas to the world. The book "Atlas Shrugged" has been made into a film, which is a more popular media venue to the majority of the public than books.
The ideas put forward by Rand's work are as follows:
An individual person is able to perceive reality in the world using only their senses and their mind. That was an individual senses is an accurate view of reality and is the only reality that exists. There is that exists beyond the senses of man and the conscious mind is sufficient to interpret the senses perfectly.
An individual's mind is sufficient to reason what is good or bad without reference to any external knowledge.
External systems of knowledge and morals are invalid and not to be followed or respected. Objectivism's perspective views religion as untrue and unnecessary but is not particularly hostile to religious institutions. Objectivism is hostile to all other philosophies and systematically identifies them and disputes them as invalid. The consequence of this invalidating all other philosophical systems is Objecivists, seeing themselves as part of a philosophical system, no longer are obligated to listen to or respond to other philosophical systems' criticisms because they are not valid. A philosophical system's claims can only be challenged and changed using logic and reason, so systems deemed invalid aren't considered to operate using logic and reason.
Individual rights, or the right of an individual to govern their own thoughts and behavior free from any influence or consideration of outside sources and groups. The individual is capable of seeing the whole of reality and equipped to reason right from wrong so should not listen to or follow any external influence that contradicts their own choices of what is right.
Rational self-interest, which is the belief in Objectivism that an individual is to do what is best for them in every situation. They are to reason out their choices and pick the ones most beneficial to themselves without any other considerations.
The moral ethic of Objectivism follows that there is only one moral concept, which is only actions that benefit the individual are moral. The consequence of those actions to others are not relevant and intentionally doing actions that do not benefit self but do benefit others are considered immoral. Altruism is defined as immoral. This means, according to Objectivism, the sacrifice Christ made for our sins was immoral unless that sacrifice somehow benefited Christ. Since they do not believe Christ to be other than a man then his actions were immoral.
Unrestricted Free Market Capitalism: Rand believed and advocated that unrestricted free market capitalism is the best and only economic system that maximizes the potential benefits for every one participating. Her reason is as follows; since the only moral action is to do things that benefit yourself then Capitalism where a supplier is benefited by money in exchange for a good that benefits a consumer which is facilitated by investors and businesses that get a profit and labor works for a wage. Everyone is doing something for their own benefit and so everyone has the opportunity to be moral actors while participating in society.
The poor, disabled, elderly, infirm, and any disadvantaged person has the freedom and moral obligation to act in their own interest to better their own situation. If they are unable to better their situation through their own efforts then that's just how it is and it is no other person's fault. It's natural selection applied to society. Those able to benefit themselves will prosper, those unable will not; the end.
The principle of non-aggression: This states it is immoral to use violence to try and force some one else to do something that benefits yourself. An individual is morally obligated to persuade others to do what they want by any means not involving violence (including threats). While it is immoral to be the first aggressor it is moral to use violence to defend oneself from aggression. This whole moral concept is the central linchpin that forms an Objectivist system's laws, if there are any, which would forbid theft of property and violence. Any other action that do not fall under theft or violence to compel action are allowed. Persuading others to do what you want or to cooperate towards common goals can be achieved by any method including lying, deception, manipulation, or any action short of aggression. This concept, here, this ethic is what makes the entire system of Objectivism and those who claim to be Objectivists completely untrustworthy and their reasons and methods should be held in suspicion for anything they want from anyone because the only motivation is self-interest.
Methods of influence include literature, books, media, propaganda, lying, reasoning, arguing using logic, and the list could go on for several pages describing methods of influence allowed to an Objectivist that are commonly held by most systems to be immoral.
These ideas are being sold separately by different means. Whether directly through "Atlas Shrugged" or individually by other means, the ideas are being persuasively given in various audiences and they are taking root. Objectivist ideas are appearing in the church congregation members. What is worst, though, is it would be a perfectly moral action for an Objectivist to join and participate in a church if it benefited them.
I will be writing more regarding this topic.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Freedom as a right
In both the secular and Christian perspective freedom is recognized as a basic human right, meaning just by existing in the world we should expect and demand to use our will to make choices without being compelled by threats or force. Whether we are given freedom just by being self aware (secular view) or it is a gift of grace from God (Christian), we all agree we are free and it is our right.
However, people from all systems misunderstand the difference between freedom and liberty. Liberty is the ability to act and make decisions that effect other people without restriction or restraint. Freedom is given and liberty is earned. To have liberty we are required to be submissive to an authority that teaches us right from wrong, good from bad, how we should act and how we shouldn't act in order to make decisions that do good to ourselves and others while avoiding decisions that harm ourselves or others. Once we have been taught the lessons we need then we are asked to enter into a covenant in which we agree we will, with deliberate intention, try to do good and seek to avoid doing harm. Once we enter into this covenant, intentionally in Christiandom, and by implication in the secular world; we are given liberty and trusted to uphold our end of the covenant. Liberty can be given and it can be taken way.
We are free, at all times, to do whatever we wish for whatever reasons we wish without constraint or interference. We are free to do good or evil as we wish at any time we wish. It is the actions we choose to take, the choices we freely make, that determine whether or not we are permitted to keep our liberty and be self governing within a community. There will always be consequences for breaking a covenant, be it with society or with God, but we will always be free to break that covenant at will without interference.
However, people from all systems misunderstand the difference between freedom and liberty. Liberty is the ability to act and make decisions that effect other people without restriction or restraint. Freedom is given and liberty is earned. To have liberty we are required to be submissive to an authority that teaches us right from wrong, good from bad, how we should act and how we shouldn't act in order to make decisions that do good to ourselves and others while avoiding decisions that harm ourselves or others. Once we have been taught the lessons we need then we are asked to enter into a covenant in which we agree we will, with deliberate intention, try to do good and seek to avoid doing harm. Once we enter into this covenant, intentionally in Christiandom, and by implication in the secular world; we are given liberty and trusted to uphold our end of the covenant. Liberty can be given and it can be taken way.
We are free, at all times, to do whatever we wish for whatever reasons we wish without constraint or interference. We are free to do good or evil as we wish at any time we wish. It is the actions we choose to take, the choices we freely make, that determine whether or not we are permitted to keep our liberty and be self governing within a community. There will always be consequences for breaking a covenant, be it with society or with God, but we will always be free to break that covenant at will without interference.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
What it means to help others as a Christian
Part of the nature of being a Christian and living a life in accord to God's will is to serve others and help them in their times of need; others being defined as everyone in our daily lives and the world around us that we have the ability and resources to serve. Before one can effectively set about helping others, one must understand the nature of helping some one so as to fulfill our duty as Christians.
It is essential to have a good working definition of the concept of help, the word help as used in the situation, and to have a uniform agreement within our Christian fellowship of the defining concept of help and how we understand the word. The reason it's so vital to our ability to serve is because without a uniform and guiding definition the Christian fellowship and people are vulnerable to attack in their lives. The vulnerability lies in an attacker (someone causing harm in order to gain something of value, i.e. fraud, robbery, etc.) using our eagerness, our drive to help as a way to entice us into a situation where we will be harmed. With a strong working definition of the concept of help and how we can apply it to discern whether or not a person needs our help can go a long way in keeping us out of harms way and make it more difficult for others to manipulate us using our desire to serve as a weapon agaisnt us.
Let's start with the concept of help and it's applications to our duties to others. The word help is defined as follows : "help:
–verb (used with object)
1.to give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need; contribute strength or means to; render assistance to; cooperate effectively with; aid; assist: He planned to help me with my work. Let me help you with those packages.
2.to save; rescue; succor: Help me, I'm falling!
3.to make easier or less difficult; contribute to; facilitate: The exercise of restraint is certain to help the achievement of peace.
4.to be useful or profitable to: Her quick mind helped her career.
5.to refrain from; avoid (usually prec. by can or cannot): He can't help doing it.
6.to relieve or break the uniformity of: Small patches of bright color can help an otherwise dull interior.
7.to relieve (someone) in need, sickness, pain, or distress.
8.to remedy, stop, or prevent: Nothing will help my headache.
9.to serve food to at table (usually fol. by to): Help her to salad.
10.to serve or wait on (a customer), as in a store.
–verb (used without object)
11.to give aid; be of service or advantage: Every little bit helps.
–noun
12.the act of helping; aid or assistance; relief or succor.
13.a person or thing that helps: She certainly is a help in an emergency.
14.a hired helper; employee.
15.a body of such helpers.
16.a domestic servant or a farm laborer.
17.means of remedying, stopping, or preventing: The thing is done, and there is no help for it now.
18.Older Use. helping (def. 2).
–interjection
19.(used as an exclamation to call for assistance or to attract attention.)
—Verb phrase
20.help out, to assist in an effort; be of aid to: Her relatives helped out when she became ill.
—Idioms
21.cannot/can'thelp but, to be unable to refrain from or avoid; be obliged to: Still, you can't help but admire her.
22.help oneself to,
a.to serve oneself; take a portion of: Help yourself to the cake.
b.to take or use without asking permission; appropriate: They helped themselves to the farmer's apples. Help yourself to any of the books we're giving away.
23.so help me, (used as a mild form of the oath “so help me God”) I am speaking the truth; on my honor: That's exactly what happened, so help me. Use help in a Sentence
See images of help
Search help on the Web
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Origin:
bef. 900; ME helpen, OE helpan; c. G helfen
—Related forms
help·a·ble, adjective
un·der·help, noun
un·help·a·ble, adjective
un·helped, adjective
well-helped, adjective
—Synonyms
1. encourage, befriend; support, second, uphold, back, abet. Help, aid, assist, succor agree in the idea of furnishing another with something needed, esp. when the need comes at a particular time. Help implies furnishing anything that furthers one's efforts or relieves one's wants or necessities. Aid and assist, somewhat more formal, imply esp. a furthering or seconding of another's efforts. Aid implies a more active helping; assist implies less need and less help. To succor, still more formal and literary, is to give timely help and relief in difficulty or distress: Succor him in his hour of need. 3. further, promote, foster. 6. ameliorate. 7. alleviate, cure, heal. 12. support, backing.
—Antonyms
3, 11. hinder. 7. afflict. 13. hindrance.
—Usage note
21. Help but, in sentences like She's so clever you can't help but admire her, has been condemned by some as the ungrammatical version of cannot help admiring her, but the idiom is common in all kinds of speech and writing and can only be characterized as standard." (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/help -- retrieved 6/6/2010)
When a person needs help and askso for our help, we, and they, are using the word help as a noun. How a person is asking for help and using the word is solely determined by their attitude and perception of the meaning of the word help. How we respond is determined by our own attitude and perception of the meaning of the word help, and very often one doesn't stop to consider what the asker means when they ask for help but function on our own understanding of the word.
It is important to know the attitude and subjective perception of the persons we, as Christians, are attempting to help in order to decide if we are able to provide what they need/want within the context of our own beliefs. If a person using their petition for help as a way to get free labor to achieve their goals, then it is vital we understand this before we commit to helping since it is entirely possible that such a persons goals can be against the principles and values we hold to be good and true in our service to others. If a person needs help feeding their family, we may rush to relieve their distress and once their immediate need is met we then move on to other areas in our lives. But, if we do not take time to consider the goals and circumstances of the individual in need, then we cannot form a complete understanding of how to best serve them in their time of need.
Take, for example, if in the above situation the person cannot feed their family because they have lost their job and cannot find another to support themlseves and their family. We must endevour to understand the entire context of their need. Why can they not find another job, is it because of lack of necessary skills and education? Is there any source of income to this family, and if so is it sufficient to meet their basic needs of food, water, shelter, and security? If so, then why is this person unable to meet their needs? Is it because of lack of skills in managing finances and a household or some other reason? I'm not suggesting we delay in meeting the immediate need for aid and succor to feed the hungry family, but to follow up with additional ways to serve if the root of the problem can be addressed and remedied to prevent that family from ever going hungry again.
Sadly, it is possible in the realm of experience, that in such a case the person can then divorce themselves from a relationship with the Church once their immediate needs are addressed and not want any further assistance. Whether that attitude stems from any rational reasoning is irrelevant because our ability to help is entirely dependent on the person being helped's willingness to accept our help. At that point it is up to the special ministers within the Church to try and develop a relationship with that family and seek to encourage them to see the value of a relationship with the church that can provide education and services to better their lives.
It may be the case a person is using the Church's willingness and call to help others as a resource to accomplish things in their lives that would otherwise be more difficult or expensive to accomplish on their own. Their motive may be profit or convenience, rather than need. It is often the case that the Church rejects such a petition for help out of hand because the need is not outside of the reach of the person asking for help if they work towards their goal on their own. However, I feel this is short sighted in the scope of the Church's mission. In this case, it takes much more effort and discernment on the part of the Church to investigate the situation and ensure the nature of the request doesn't contradict the Church mission, doesn't take limited resources away from others who need help based on distress, and has the potential for an equitable exchange of value in the relationship of those we will help. If providing free labor establishes a good working relationship with an organization or individual who shares our values and doesn't act in such a way to hinder the mission and goals of the church, then there is a definite exchange of value in the relationship. It is through our work and relationship we may reach those we help with our gospel of Christ and if such persons have been willing to accept something of value from the Church they will be more open to other things of value the Church has to offer, which includes the gospel.
On the negative aspect of these situations, there is a possible time where the Church refuses the appeal for help from a person. If such a person is using the willingness of the Church to serve as a means to an end that causes harm to themselves or others (harm to Christians is defined as going against the will of God) there can be significant backlash in anger, slanderous accusations, and negative spin on the story told within the community regarding the interaction between the church and the persons involved. There could even be negative impact from helping a person who contradicts the values and mission of the Church.
It is important to understand the impact of public opinion to the ability to function within the community in serving the church mission. To ignore the reality of perception and subjective opinion in the persons we are trying to reach is to ignore a potential barrier and obstacle in communication and establishing relationships. We can do no good work outside of the church if no one wants to work with us because of their negative perceptions of the church formed by hearsay and gossip that was allowed to go unadressed and unchecked.
The reason I find this topic important to share is because even during times where I was deeply involved as laity in the church, and participating in fellowship, I would hear stories of people in need going unhelped by the church but never heard an official reason from the church leadership regarding why the church decided to deny help or not get involved in the situation. In the congregation there was speculation and people formed their own opinions on the matter, whether those opinions were positive or negative they still formed them and it effected their participation within the fellowship.
It is important to understand the nature of the word help, how the concept of help is applied from a Christian perspective, how to discern the attitude and needs of persons that we help, and how to effectively communicate our reasons for the actions we take in providing help and service.
It is essential to have a good working definition of the concept of help, the word help as used in the situation, and to have a uniform agreement within our Christian fellowship of the defining concept of help and how we understand the word. The reason it's so vital to our ability to serve is because without a uniform and guiding definition the Christian fellowship and people are vulnerable to attack in their lives. The vulnerability lies in an attacker (someone causing harm in order to gain something of value, i.e. fraud, robbery, etc.) using our eagerness, our drive to help as a way to entice us into a situation where we will be harmed. With a strong working definition of the concept of help and how we can apply it to discern whether or not a person needs our help can go a long way in keeping us out of harms way and make it more difficult for others to manipulate us using our desire to serve as a weapon agaisnt us.
Let's start with the concept of help and it's applications to our duties to others. The word help is defined as follows : "help:
–verb (used with object)
1.to give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need; contribute strength or means to; render assistance to; cooperate effectively with; aid; assist: He planned to help me with my work. Let me help you with those packages.
2.to save; rescue; succor: Help me, I'm falling!
3.to make easier or less difficult; contribute to; facilitate: The exercise of restraint is certain to help the achievement of peace.
4.to be useful or profitable to: Her quick mind helped her career.
5.to refrain from; avoid (usually prec. by can or cannot): He can't help doing it.
6.to relieve or break the uniformity of: Small patches of bright color can help an otherwise dull interior.
7.to relieve (someone) in need, sickness, pain, or distress.
8.to remedy, stop, or prevent: Nothing will help my headache.
9.to serve food to at table (usually fol. by to): Help her to salad.
10.to serve or wait on (a customer), as in a store.
–verb (used without object)
11.to give aid; be of service or advantage: Every little bit helps.
–noun
12.the act of helping; aid or assistance; relief or succor.
13.a person or thing that helps: She certainly is a help in an emergency.
14.a hired helper; employee.
15.a body of such helpers.
16.a domestic servant or a farm laborer.
17.means of remedying, stopping, or preventing: The thing is done, and there is no help for it now.
18.Older Use. helping (def. 2).
–interjection
19.(used as an exclamation to call for assistance or to attract attention.)
—Verb phrase
20.help out, to assist in an effort; be of aid to: Her relatives helped out when she became ill.
—Idioms
21.cannot/can'thelp but, to be unable to refrain from or avoid; be obliged to: Still, you can't help but admire her.
22.help oneself to,
a.to serve oneself; take a portion of: Help yourself to the cake.
b.to take or use without asking permission; appropriate: They helped themselves to the farmer's apples. Help yourself to any of the books we're giving away.
23.so help me, (used as a mild form of the oath “so help me God”) I am speaking the truth; on my honor: That's exactly what happened, so help me. Use help in a Sentence
See images of help
Search help on the Web
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Origin:
bef. 900; ME helpen, OE helpan; c. G helfen
—Related forms
help·a·ble, adjective
un·der·help, noun
un·help·a·ble, adjective
un·helped, adjective
well-helped, adjective
—Synonyms
1. encourage, befriend; support, second, uphold, back, abet. Help, aid, assist, succor agree in the idea of furnishing another with something needed, esp. when the need comes at a particular time. Help implies furnishing anything that furthers one's efforts or relieves one's wants or necessities. Aid and assist, somewhat more formal, imply esp. a furthering or seconding of another's efforts. Aid implies a more active helping; assist implies less need and less help. To succor, still more formal and literary, is to give timely help and relief in difficulty or distress: Succor him in his hour of need. 3. further, promote, foster. 6. ameliorate. 7. alleviate, cure, heal. 12. support, backing.
—Antonyms
3, 11. hinder. 7. afflict. 13. hindrance.
—Usage note
21. Help but, in sentences like She's so clever you can't help but admire her, has been condemned by some as the ungrammatical version of cannot help admiring her, but the idiom is common in all kinds of speech and writing and can only be characterized as standard." (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/help -- retrieved 6/6/2010)
When a person needs help and askso for our help, we, and they, are using the word help as a noun. How a person is asking for help and using the word is solely determined by their attitude and perception of the meaning of the word help. How we respond is determined by our own attitude and perception of the meaning of the word help, and very often one doesn't stop to consider what the asker means when they ask for help but function on our own understanding of the word.
It is important to know the attitude and subjective perception of the persons we, as Christians, are attempting to help in order to decide if we are able to provide what they need/want within the context of our own beliefs. If a person using their petition for help as a way to get free labor to achieve their goals, then it is vital we understand this before we commit to helping since it is entirely possible that such a persons goals can be against the principles and values we hold to be good and true in our service to others. If a person needs help feeding their family, we may rush to relieve their distress and once their immediate need is met we then move on to other areas in our lives. But, if we do not take time to consider the goals and circumstances of the individual in need, then we cannot form a complete understanding of how to best serve them in their time of need.
Take, for example, if in the above situation the person cannot feed their family because they have lost their job and cannot find another to support themlseves and their family. We must endevour to understand the entire context of their need. Why can they not find another job, is it because of lack of necessary skills and education? Is there any source of income to this family, and if so is it sufficient to meet their basic needs of food, water, shelter, and security? If so, then why is this person unable to meet their needs? Is it because of lack of skills in managing finances and a household or some other reason? I'm not suggesting we delay in meeting the immediate need for aid and succor to feed the hungry family, but to follow up with additional ways to serve if the root of the problem can be addressed and remedied to prevent that family from ever going hungry again.
Sadly, it is possible in the realm of experience, that in such a case the person can then divorce themselves from a relationship with the Church once their immediate needs are addressed and not want any further assistance. Whether that attitude stems from any rational reasoning is irrelevant because our ability to help is entirely dependent on the person being helped's willingness to accept our help. At that point it is up to the special ministers within the Church to try and develop a relationship with that family and seek to encourage them to see the value of a relationship with the church that can provide education and services to better their lives.
It may be the case a person is using the Church's willingness and call to help others as a resource to accomplish things in their lives that would otherwise be more difficult or expensive to accomplish on their own. Their motive may be profit or convenience, rather than need. It is often the case that the Church rejects such a petition for help out of hand because the need is not outside of the reach of the person asking for help if they work towards their goal on their own. However, I feel this is short sighted in the scope of the Church's mission. In this case, it takes much more effort and discernment on the part of the Church to investigate the situation and ensure the nature of the request doesn't contradict the Church mission, doesn't take limited resources away from others who need help based on distress, and has the potential for an equitable exchange of value in the relationship of those we will help. If providing free labor establishes a good working relationship with an organization or individual who shares our values and doesn't act in such a way to hinder the mission and goals of the church, then there is a definite exchange of value in the relationship. It is through our work and relationship we may reach those we help with our gospel of Christ and if such persons have been willing to accept something of value from the Church they will be more open to other things of value the Church has to offer, which includes the gospel.
On the negative aspect of these situations, there is a possible time where the Church refuses the appeal for help from a person. If such a person is using the willingness of the Church to serve as a means to an end that causes harm to themselves or others (harm to Christians is defined as going against the will of God) there can be significant backlash in anger, slanderous accusations, and negative spin on the story told within the community regarding the interaction between the church and the persons involved. There could even be negative impact from helping a person who contradicts the values and mission of the Church.
It is important to understand the impact of public opinion to the ability to function within the community in serving the church mission. To ignore the reality of perception and subjective opinion in the persons we are trying to reach is to ignore a potential barrier and obstacle in communication and establishing relationships. We can do no good work outside of the church if no one wants to work with us because of their negative perceptions of the church formed by hearsay and gossip that was allowed to go unadressed and unchecked.
The reason I find this topic important to share is because even during times where I was deeply involved as laity in the church, and participating in fellowship, I would hear stories of people in need going unhelped by the church but never heard an official reason from the church leadership regarding why the church decided to deny help or not get involved in the situation. In the congregation there was speculation and people formed their own opinions on the matter, whether those opinions were positive or negative they still formed them and it effected their participation within the fellowship.
It is important to understand the nature of the word help, how the concept of help is applied from a Christian perspective, how to discern the attitude and needs of persons that we help, and how to effectively communicate our reasons for the actions we take in providing help and service.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
How to Live a Christian Life When Faced With Difficulty.
How to Live a Christian Life.
** Rough Draft, no revisions **
Whether you're newly baptised into the church or have been in the church since birth there is bound to be times in which you wonder to yourself if you are living a Christian life or can you do better. Sometimes a person can feel overwhelmed by all the things in their life they feel can be better in relation to living the way Christ calls us to live. Trying to react to each problem that arises related to conflicts between what the Bible says to do and what we are doing can be spiritually, mentally, and physically exhausting. At some point in time each person trying to follow the teachings of Christ will be faced with difficulty in their spiritual journey. This essay will cover some things I feel will be useful to most, if not all, Christians in their quest to live a Christian life.
What does it mean to live a Christian life? It means a person who believes in Jesus Christ as savior and son of God, has professed their faith, and has entered into fellowship with the church is actively seeking to follow the will of God through the example set for us by, and the teachings of, Jesus as told in the Bible. The level of difficulty in living a Christian life varies by how a person tries to follow Christ. A person trying to learn and follow Christ in a manner independent from the fellowship of the church has a much harder time and more challenges than some one actively participating in the fellowship of the church.
What is the fellowship of the church and why is it important to living a Christian life? The fellowship of the church is when two or more Christians gather in order to worship, learn about, work for, or talk about God. "15"If your brother sins against you,[b] go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'[c] 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be[d]bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.
19"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." -- Matthew 18:15-20 This passage describes how the fellowship is used to resolve problems among Christians, but more imporantly for this essay Jesus tells us that it only takes two or three of us to form a Christian fellowship.
Knowing what a constitutes a fellowship, why is one necessary for living a Christian life? Because, it is within the fellowship that Christians gather together to share their experiences, knowledge, faith, and guide one another in their journey to follow the will of God and the teachings of Christ. On your own it is far more difficult to assess your own progress in living the Christian life. It is within the fellowship of the Church that a person finds all the resources, support, and help they many need to live a Christian life.
Once in the fellowship of the church, a person begins to do many different things in order to learn how to live a Christian life. Without dedicating a good amount of time and energy within the fellowship it can become very confusing and overwhelming for an individual to study the Bible, understand the scriptures, try to follow the will of God as written in those scriptures, and to actively contribute to the fellowship of the church. Though many efforts are made to make navigating all the areas of the church fellowship easier and there are many church members who dedicate themselves in service to guiding christians to the areas of the fellowship that can serve their needs the best there are still many obstacles and barriers that can dismay a person in identifying what they need and where to find it within the fellowship.
The barriers and obstacles include (as just a few examples) lack of communication among the church members, difficulty in discerning areas within an individual that need work, an overstimulating number of choices in activities, and many other issues that will be discussed in other essays. While it's easy to get confused, feel lost and discouraged, and become disconnected from the fellowship there is still a desire to seek and follow God's will in the hearts of all Christians. For those who are finding their journey difficult, frustrating, and hard to direct there is a way to recenter and refocus in order to reconnect with the fellowship and find the resources needed to start making progress in one's spiritual journey.
Out of all the lessons in the Bible and all the commands relating to following God's will, there is one passage that will be the foundation to which all Christians may focus on and return to a place of equilibrium in which to rest and recover their bearings before attempting to again move forward in their spiritual growth. This passage is Matthew 22:34-40, "34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[c] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
In that passage, the Pharisee expert on the biblical Law of God found in the scriptures of the jews (mostly found in the Old Testament of the Bible) attempts to confound Jesus by making him commit to one Law as greater than another and then trap Jesus in some conflicting error of interpretation that the expert would be able to construct. Jesus quotes from the Judaic Law and then explains his two quotes are the entire essence of God's will for the people, for us. We can know these two Laws refer to fufilling the will of God because the Law is what God gave the Israelites to guide them in following his will and the Prophets were the comissioned speakers of God's will through direct communication from God Himself. Jesus's statement was true and there was no rebuttle or argument against it from the Pharisee.
How is this important to a Christian struggling with their efforts to live a Christian life? It's important because whenever a struggling Christian is overwhelmed, confused, discouraged, or facing difficulties in their progress they may pause and focus entirely on the lesson Jesus taught in this passage. They can focus on Loving God with all their heart, their soul and their mind through whatever media that best helps them do this whether it be worship, study, service, or any other activity. And they can focus on Loving their neighbors, serving others within the fellowship and the community. By doing both these things they can take time to recharge, recover, and still be actively pursuing a Christian life without trying to decide how to prioritize the areas of their lives that need attention or work for growth.
Worship of God and loving service to others within the fellowship will take the focus off your own difficulties, reduce the stress of being overwhelmed, and will reduce all the aspects of living the Christian life to the two most important scriptural concepts for a Christian in the entire Bible. During this time of rejuvination, avoid trying to learn new scriptures or starting new works. Just focus on prayer, fellowship, worship, and service. You will know when you are ready to go back to work on progress in your spiritual journey as long as you pray and meditate regarding what the next step should be and when you should take it.
It is okay to take a rest when walking in the Christian life as long as you start the next step when everything regains balance in your life and you can once again see the road ahead of you.
** Rough Draft, no revisions **
Whether you're newly baptised into the church or have been in the church since birth there is bound to be times in which you wonder to yourself if you are living a Christian life or can you do better. Sometimes a person can feel overwhelmed by all the things in their life they feel can be better in relation to living the way Christ calls us to live. Trying to react to each problem that arises related to conflicts between what the Bible says to do and what we are doing can be spiritually, mentally, and physically exhausting. At some point in time each person trying to follow the teachings of Christ will be faced with difficulty in their spiritual journey. This essay will cover some things I feel will be useful to most, if not all, Christians in their quest to live a Christian life.
What does it mean to live a Christian life? It means a person who believes in Jesus Christ as savior and son of God, has professed their faith, and has entered into fellowship with the church is actively seeking to follow the will of God through the example set for us by, and the teachings of, Jesus as told in the Bible. The level of difficulty in living a Christian life varies by how a person tries to follow Christ. A person trying to learn and follow Christ in a manner independent from the fellowship of the church has a much harder time and more challenges than some one actively participating in the fellowship of the church.
What is the fellowship of the church and why is it important to living a Christian life? The fellowship of the church is when two or more Christians gather in order to worship, learn about, work for, or talk about God. "15"If your brother sins against you,[b] go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'[c] 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be[d]bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.
19"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." -- Matthew 18:15-20 This passage describes how the fellowship is used to resolve problems among Christians, but more imporantly for this essay Jesus tells us that it only takes two or three of us to form a Christian fellowship.
Knowing what a constitutes a fellowship, why is one necessary for living a Christian life? Because, it is within the fellowship that Christians gather together to share their experiences, knowledge, faith, and guide one another in their journey to follow the will of God and the teachings of Christ. On your own it is far more difficult to assess your own progress in living the Christian life. It is within the fellowship of the Church that a person finds all the resources, support, and help they many need to live a Christian life.
Once in the fellowship of the church, a person begins to do many different things in order to learn how to live a Christian life. Without dedicating a good amount of time and energy within the fellowship it can become very confusing and overwhelming for an individual to study the Bible, understand the scriptures, try to follow the will of God as written in those scriptures, and to actively contribute to the fellowship of the church. Though many efforts are made to make navigating all the areas of the church fellowship easier and there are many church members who dedicate themselves in service to guiding christians to the areas of the fellowship that can serve their needs the best there are still many obstacles and barriers that can dismay a person in identifying what they need and where to find it within the fellowship.
The barriers and obstacles include (as just a few examples) lack of communication among the church members, difficulty in discerning areas within an individual that need work, an overstimulating number of choices in activities, and many other issues that will be discussed in other essays. While it's easy to get confused, feel lost and discouraged, and become disconnected from the fellowship there is still a desire to seek and follow God's will in the hearts of all Christians. For those who are finding their journey difficult, frustrating, and hard to direct there is a way to recenter and refocus in order to reconnect with the fellowship and find the resources needed to start making progress in one's spiritual journey.
Out of all the lessons in the Bible and all the commands relating to following God's will, there is one passage that will be the foundation to which all Christians may focus on and return to a place of equilibrium in which to rest and recover their bearings before attempting to again move forward in their spiritual growth. This passage is Matthew 22:34-40, "34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[c] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
In that passage, the Pharisee expert on the biblical Law of God found in the scriptures of the jews (mostly found in the Old Testament of the Bible) attempts to confound Jesus by making him commit to one Law as greater than another and then trap Jesus in some conflicting error of interpretation that the expert would be able to construct. Jesus quotes from the Judaic Law and then explains his two quotes are the entire essence of God's will for the people, for us. We can know these two Laws refer to fufilling the will of God because the Law is what God gave the Israelites to guide them in following his will and the Prophets were the comissioned speakers of God's will through direct communication from God Himself. Jesus's statement was true and there was no rebuttle or argument against it from the Pharisee.
How is this important to a Christian struggling with their efforts to live a Christian life? It's important because whenever a struggling Christian is overwhelmed, confused, discouraged, or facing difficulties in their progress they may pause and focus entirely on the lesson Jesus taught in this passage. They can focus on Loving God with all their heart, their soul and their mind through whatever media that best helps them do this whether it be worship, study, service, or any other activity. And they can focus on Loving their neighbors, serving others within the fellowship and the community. By doing both these things they can take time to recharge, recover, and still be actively pursuing a Christian life without trying to decide how to prioritize the areas of their lives that need attention or work for growth.
Worship of God and loving service to others within the fellowship will take the focus off your own difficulties, reduce the stress of being overwhelmed, and will reduce all the aspects of living the Christian life to the two most important scriptural concepts for a Christian in the entire Bible. During this time of rejuvination, avoid trying to learn new scriptures or starting new works. Just focus on prayer, fellowship, worship, and service. You will know when you are ready to go back to work on progress in your spiritual journey as long as you pray and meditate regarding what the next step should be and when you should take it.
It is okay to take a rest when walking in the Christian life as long as you start the next step when everything regains balance in your life and you can once again see the road ahead of you.
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