An if or a though christian?
Just back from the Far East. Had a great time with christian leaders from restricted access nations. [not allowed to mention the names] And you know what? They aren't much different from us. They get tired, stressed, it's hard, marriage strains, sexual temptations, discouraged at times, enjoy a laugh... the list goes on. One of the brothers told me if Adam and Eve had been from his country there would have been no original sin!! That's because if the serpent [snake] had approached them they would have eaten him!
But they are decidedly in the "though" camp of christians. That's the big difference. I didn't meet many "if" christians there. They made that decision a long time ago. [ My wife has just said "what are you on about?"]
Some of us say "IF all goes well in my life, if I have money in my pocket, if nobody belonging to me gets cancer and if I am happy and if I get my payers answered then I'll follow God."
Most of them say "THOUGH I have nothing, though I am penniless, though I suffer for Christ and though I pay the ultimate price for following Christ I will still following Him."
So what are you? An if or a though.
posted by Paul Reid at 9:23 PM
2 Comments:
Good thoughts - but don't forget Moses' big IF in Exodus 33 following the Israelites disobedience and God's threat not to go with them."If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here." So are there some 'conditional' ifs during our journey of discipleship?
12:45 PM
Very interesting. So interesting in fact that I used it in last night's evening service! I did acknowledge that it was from your blog though! Feel this is a very relevant point as particularly in our consumer focused society we can view Christian committment as dependent on what is in it for us. I can honestly say that I never say ' I wish that had never happened to me'. I have no desire to seek out suffering as a means to spiritual growth BUT without the suffering in my life, how could I have grown, how would I have become the person I am now and how would I really know that Jesus is there in every situation. We are not called to embrace hardship as a means to salvation but we are called to embrace our salvation as a means to deal with hardship.
Helen Mills, South Africa
6:24 AM
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