We have all seen them.
You know what I am talking about: Those Facebook posts (or emails, etc) that say if you love Jesus you'll share/like the picture, and they imply that if you do not do what it says then you do not love Him or believe in Him?
I hate those.
I hate those so much.
There are several reasons I hate them. One of those is because I absolutely despise manipulation. I can put up with a lot of things, but being manipulated is the one thing that I have almost no tolerance for. Manipulation is so blatant and purposeful by the person doing it, it drives me nuts.
Another reason is the implication that you have to do something in order to prove you are a Christian. My relationship with the Lord is very personal, and things like that undermine not only your confidence in Him and your relationship, but they undermine His grace as well.
We have a tendency to feels as if we have to prove ourselves, whether to us or to others, or even to God. The easiest way to do this is through works:
Re posting these pictures, or forwarding emails
Volunteering for as much as possible at church.
Praying so much or so long, or reading your Bible so much at a time.
All of these things, with the exception of those re-posting things, in and of themselves are not bad. Our motivation is what I am calling in to question.
I cannot think of a good motivation for re-posting those pictures, they are purely wrong, and I do not know of any good that comes from them.
Being involved in your church is not bad, God calls us to be a part of a community, and He has given us gifts that make us beneficial to that community. However, if you are doing it to "do your Christian duty", or to prove to yourself or others that you are a good Christian, then your motives are completely wrong.
Praying, and reading your Bible are great, but if you are doing it to prove something to yourself or God, then it is just a tedious task that leaves you feeling resentful towards yourself and God.
Doing these things out of the wrong motivation create more and more dissatisfaction with your walk with the Lord, and yourself. They perpetuate a sense of guilt that cannot be assuaged, until you find your identity in Christ.
The trick is being truly honest with yourself. Yes, you say you love children's ministry and that is why you are doing it, but are you doing it because God has called you to do it, or are you doing it because you feel like you have to? It is difficult to be honest with yourself, but maybe a little honesty will help put a stop to the condemnation you feel every time you wish you were not doing it.
Remember, condemnation just makes you feel bad, conviction challenges you to seek the Lord for a change of heart.
You know what I am talking about: Those Facebook posts (or emails, etc) that say if you love Jesus you'll share/like the picture, and they imply that if you do not do what it says then you do not love Him or believe in Him?
I hate those.
I hate those so much.
There are several reasons I hate them. One of those is because I absolutely despise manipulation. I can put up with a lot of things, but being manipulated is the one thing that I have almost no tolerance for. Manipulation is so blatant and purposeful by the person doing it, it drives me nuts.
Another reason is the implication that you have to do something in order to prove you are a Christian. My relationship with the Lord is very personal, and things like that undermine not only your confidence in Him and your relationship, but they undermine His grace as well.
We have a tendency to feels as if we have to prove ourselves, whether to us or to others, or even to God. The easiest way to do this is through works:
Re posting these pictures, or forwarding emails
Volunteering for as much as possible at church.
Praying so much or so long, or reading your Bible so much at a time.
All of these things, with the exception of those re-posting things, in and of themselves are not bad. Our motivation is what I am calling in to question.
I cannot think of a good motivation for re-posting those pictures, they are purely wrong, and I do not know of any good that comes from them.
Being involved in your church is not bad, God calls us to be a part of a community, and He has given us gifts that make us beneficial to that community. However, if you are doing it to "do your Christian duty", or to prove to yourself or others that you are a good Christian, then your motives are completely wrong.
Praying, and reading your Bible are great, but if you are doing it to prove something to yourself or God, then it is just a tedious task that leaves you feeling resentful towards yourself and God.
Doing these things out of the wrong motivation create more and more dissatisfaction with your walk with the Lord, and yourself. They perpetuate a sense of guilt that cannot be assuaged, until you find your identity in Christ.
The trick is being truly honest with yourself. Yes, you say you love children's ministry and that is why you are doing it, but are you doing it because God has called you to do it, or are you doing it because you feel like you have to? It is difficult to be honest with yourself, but maybe a little honesty will help put a stop to the condemnation you feel every time you wish you were not doing it.
Remember, condemnation just makes you feel bad, conviction challenges you to seek the Lord for a change of heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment