People often find it hard to say what appears in the Bible: "I am a sinner" and "The world is fallen."
One way to help accept this biblical truth is to have the other part of the story next to it. For example: "I am a sinner, but the Holy Spirit is with me, helping me, and Christ has forgiven my sins, so there is still hope." And: "The world is fallen, but there is common grace, and given the beauty I see now in that, how even more beautiful everything will be in the future!"
If we don't admit these two truths, it can be easy to fall into perfectionism and a judgmental attitude either towards ourselves or others. We need to accept that life will be hard, and that human nature just tends to be impatient and unwise at times, but we have a Father that desires for our wellbeing and loves us for who we are in Him.
Showing posts with label fallen world. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fallen world. Show all posts
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Authentic Positivity
Post by
Michelle Dowell, Co-Contributor
Every person has a wealth of stories and details that can be shared in everyday conversation. Some sad, some boring, and some happy or interesting. Too often stories or details are shared without thought being taken to see if the end result of telling a story or details is truly beneficial to anyone.
If you've ever had a conversation and felt exhausted after, it could be that the person--or even yourself--has been talking non-stop about a sad event. To clarify, sharing about needs when asking someone for prayer, or sharing with a trusted friend about something that's bugging you and you think sharing will help is fine and healthy.
But it's the many times when people decide to talk about a sad event just because they find it interesting or they are complaining (often people don't admit to themselves when they are complaining). They don't realize that the people who had been listening walk away tired and sad, possibly without realizing that's why they're sad.
I also want to clarify that I don't mean people should pull out fake smiles and pretend to be happy in what they say when they're not. That is not good. First of all it's creepy: people who aren't doing that feel lonely around people who are doing that--they sense an inauthenticness, the odd wall the faker is putting up so you can't see their true feelings. Another reason it's not good is that people who are following these people faking to be happy may become depressed in thinking that they can never figure out how to be happy like that person (not realizing it's all fake).
The Bible tells us to think on good things. So when we talk, we should try to stick to good things too as much as we can. There are so many bad things in this fallen world. God doesn't want us to be looking down at those or focusing on those. He wants us to look to him and hope and the beautiful gifts he's given us. If we focus on negative things, it's like being given a gift at a birthday party but instead of enjoying it and thanking people and talking about it, right away focusing on how small details in the party are wrong or some person is wrong.
Living in this way of being authentically positive as much as we can helps the person doing it, but it also encourages and helps others. If you want to encourage people, it's much easier to do it when you're in the habit of focusing on good things, compared to focusing on all the sad things.
Michelle Dowell, Co-Contributor
Every person has a wealth of stories and details that can be shared in everyday conversation. Some sad, some boring, and some happy or interesting. Too often stories or details are shared without thought being taken to see if the end result of telling a story or details is truly beneficial to anyone.
If you've ever had a conversation and felt exhausted after, it could be that the person--or even yourself--has been talking non-stop about a sad event. To clarify, sharing about needs when asking someone for prayer, or sharing with a trusted friend about something that's bugging you and you think sharing will help is fine and healthy.
But it's the many times when people decide to talk about a sad event just because they find it interesting or they are complaining (often people don't admit to themselves when they are complaining). They don't realize that the people who had been listening walk away tired and sad, possibly without realizing that's why they're sad.
I also want to clarify that I don't mean people should pull out fake smiles and pretend to be happy in what they say when they're not. That is not good. First of all it's creepy: people who aren't doing that feel lonely around people who are doing that--they sense an inauthenticness, the odd wall the faker is putting up so you can't see their true feelings. Another reason it's not good is that people who are following these people faking to be happy may become depressed in thinking that they can never figure out how to be happy like that person (not realizing it's all fake).
The Bible tells us to think on good things. So when we talk, we should try to stick to good things too as much as we can. There are so many bad things in this fallen world. God doesn't want us to be looking down at those or focusing on those. He wants us to look to him and hope and the beautiful gifts he's given us. If we focus on negative things, it's like being given a gift at a birthday party but instead of enjoying it and thanking people and talking about it, right away focusing on how small details in the party are wrong or some person is wrong.
Living in this way of being authentically positive as much as we can helps the person doing it, but it also encourages and helps others. If you want to encourage people, it's much easier to do it when you're in the habit of focusing on good things, compared to focusing on all the sad things.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
The Messiness of Life
Post by
Michelle Dowell
Co-Contributor
A theology that is missing an acknowledgement of the messiness of life is deficient. I heard a pastor say once "God is a God of order." That is absolutely true, but I am more encouraged to know that God is a God who, in his mercy, allows people in a messy world with a messy nature to still take part in serving him.
This fallen condition of the world and humans is a hard reality, but the fact that we are allowed to participate in God's work of loving and helping people and honoring him in the midst of it all--that is what is encouraging. It's broken, but we're called to work with that brokenness, to help when we can to put pieces back together if it's possible. Let's focus on that, but also not forget the state of everything being tainted by the Fall. It's discouraging to always try to grasp for the impossible of perfection in this life.
It's sad to see so many Christians try so hard to always force a smile. It's as if they feel if they don't appear that everything is perfect and in order in their life and if they aren't happy in that moment, something is missing. They may feel that their smile doesn't look forced, but often it's easy to see if a person is forcing it if a person is really wanting to know.
I'm not saying that Christians should grumpily walk around. Christians should show more genuine emotions. They should trust that it's okay to not feel happy every moment of the day, and to allow others to see that. It may mean not having much of an expression but it's honest and frees others of the pressure to pretend to be what one is not.
It's not one or the other: Not happy or sad all the time. But a variety of emotions at different times. This is life. It is an adventure, a calling, a journey.
Michelle Dowell
Co-Contributor
A theology that is missing an acknowledgement of the messiness of life is deficient. I heard a pastor say once "God is a God of order." That is absolutely true, but I am more encouraged to know that God is a God who, in his mercy, allows people in a messy world with a messy nature to still take part in serving him.
This fallen condition of the world and humans is a hard reality, but the fact that we are allowed to participate in God's work of loving and helping people and honoring him in the midst of it all--that is what is encouraging. It's broken, but we're called to work with that brokenness, to help when we can to put pieces back together if it's possible. Let's focus on that, but also not forget the state of everything being tainted by the Fall. It's discouraging to always try to grasp for the impossible of perfection in this life.
It's sad to see so many Christians try so hard to always force a smile. It's as if they feel if they don't appear that everything is perfect and in order in their life and if they aren't happy in that moment, something is missing. They may feel that their smile doesn't look forced, but often it's easy to see if a person is forcing it if a person is really wanting to know.
I'm not saying that Christians should grumpily walk around. Christians should show more genuine emotions. They should trust that it's okay to not feel happy every moment of the day, and to allow others to see that. It may mean not having much of an expression but it's honest and frees others of the pressure to pretend to be what one is not.
It's not one or the other: Not happy or sad all the time. But a variety of emotions at different times. This is life. It is an adventure, a calling, a journey.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
God the Same through Eternity
Winston Churchill "To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often."
Hopefully the error in this quote is obvious immediately to Christians. God is the ultimate standard of perfection.
He is the same through out all eternity. All human wisdom must be measured against the bible.
While change often has value in a fallen world – it cannot be absolutized as an absolute good.
Some statements seem true when we look at them in isolation. However once we compare them to the truth of the bible we see their error.
To change does not imply perfection. Actually it was man's first change of state which lead to his state of sin in the world.
Hopefully the error in this quote is obvious immediately to Christians. God is the ultimate standard of perfection.
He is the same through out all eternity. All human wisdom must be measured against the bible.
While change often has value in a fallen world – it cannot be absolutized as an absolute good.
Some statements seem true when we look at them in isolation. However once we compare them to the truth of the bible we see their error.
To change does not imply perfection. Actually it was man's first change of state which lead to his state of sin in the world.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Martyn Lloyd-Jones Quote on the Fall
A Bit from Martyn Lloyd-Jones, that I liked, on the Fall:
“You know the final tragedy is due to the fact that man turns away from God, instead of turning to him in his trouble and misery. In his folly man has put his own ideas in the place of God’s and thought nothing of this idea of judgment; but when he begins to awake to the knowledge that something is wrong – when he hears the voice of God – then his instinct is to get away from him. This is the greatest tragedy of all. When man fell, when he began to feel he had done wrong and was filled with this sense of unworthiness, why was it that he did not seek God and make a friend of him? If only he had gone to God! If only he had cried ‘God, I realize my folly, I have sinned against thee; I acknowledge it, wilt thou pardon me?’ But no, once he had sinned he went away from God and when God called him his instinct was to go still further. That is the ultimate tragedy of man, that in the debts of his need and misery and same he avoids the only One who can really help him.”
Old Testament Evangelistic Sermons (pg 9)
“You know the final tragedy is due to the fact that man turns away from God, instead of turning to him in his trouble and misery. In his folly man has put his own ideas in the place of God’s and thought nothing of this idea of judgment; but when he begins to awake to the knowledge that something is wrong – when he hears the voice of God – then his instinct is to get away from him. This is the greatest tragedy of all. When man fell, when he began to feel he had done wrong and was filled with this sense of unworthiness, why was it that he did not seek God and make a friend of him? If only he had gone to God! If only he had cried ‘God, I realize my folly, I have sinned against thee; I acknowledge it, wilt thou pardon me?’ But no, once he had sinned he went away from God and when God called him his instinct was to go still further. That is the ultimate tragedy of man, that in the debts of his need and misery and same he avoids the only One who can really help him.”
Old Testament Evangelistic Sermons (pg 9)
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