We can have our own ideas about faith that can be off.
Time and time again I come to points I realize this and I can look back on my life at times when I thought I was right on but ended up being way off.
Some mistakes I have made with faith….
· I don’t need to go to Church to be a good Christian – I used to think the Church was full of hypocrites that actually drew people further from Christ then closer. I thought I was a better Christian when I didn’t attend Church then when I did. I despised to walk in a church door, see the fake smiles, the people that only cared about you showing up to their church on Sunday mornings. I have since found out that everyone who attends church sins and will till the die we die. Going to church isn’t about being perfect, it’s about recognizing the one who was perfect and trying to learn how to model him more in everyday life. Being a Christian and not going to church is like walking with a broken leg, sure it’s possible but it’s not easy. I tried to be a Christian and not go to Church, it doesn’t work well.
· Bargaining with God – I used to be a person who would bargaining with God. God if you did ______ for me then I promise I will spend an hour a day in prayer. It’s God not a salesman, it’s God’s will be done.
· I don’t need to read the Old Testament (OT) because of the New Testament – I thought reading the Old Testament was pointless. Everything God wanted to say got change when Jesus came so the Old Testament is pointless. Man was I wrong. Through schooling and through my personal study, I can honestly I was very wrong. The OT has helped me through learning about who God is and what it was like to follow him. Many people in the Old Testament were like us today, trying to live for God and not being perfect. Some of the most known prophets struggled with sin and living for God at some point in their life. I can honestly say I don’t know if I would still be a minister today without ready through the wisdom literature and Psalms. They were put at a time I really struggled with my calling and was depressed. There is a reason for the Old Testament, it took me a while to find it.
Why did I reflect on this?
For this reason…..
· I thought you had to have your hands together, eyes closed and looking down when praying.
This is how Jesus prays in John 17:1…
“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.”
This scripture was right after a section of scripture in which God was telling about some sad news to the disciples that would be good news soon enough.
Jesus continues by switching into prayer.
I used that there was a certain way to pay.
When I was at Great Lakes Christian College, one of the professors mention something along the lines of: Where does it say in scripture you can’t have your eyes open in prayer to God? I think that was created by a Sunday School teacher of young kids to keep their hands to themselves when praying.
It was simple but made sense.
I have since tried different methods in prayer.
Sometimes I look up when I pray, sometimes I have my eyes open and there is nothing wrong with this.
Most of the time I have my eyes closed because it helps me focus on the prayer still.
We can all have different ideas on what faith is about.
Sometimes we can be right on and sometimes we can be pretty off base.
What is faith to you?
Is there something you do but have no reason why you do it other than it’s the way I always practiced my faith?
What makes up your faith?
Could you be off base?
Have a great day.
