What My Grandchildren Won’t Let Me Say
At times, I want to make a statement-one simple statement. Here it is: “That is STUPID.”
Yet, I know one of our five grandchildren is sure to remind me, “Daddy says you can’t say stupid.”
Then the goal for today is to come up with another word for stupid. How about, “That is confusing; that is ridiculous; that is way off base.”
I’ve just realized you haven’t been told what has set me off. It is confusing, ridiculous, way off base information that some folks try to pass off as the central truth of the Christian faith.
I believe what really needs to be passed on is this one bit of information: Christianity is all about establishing and maintaining relationships. That’s it.
That is what God desired when He sent His Son to make a way to establish this one time lasting, loving relationship with Himself.
Preachers call that justification. We can call it a once is a lifetime event when we go through Jesus to establish a relationship with God.
Preachers talk about sanctification, too. We can call it a growth process that never ends. We can identify ourselves as Becomers and not as one who has arrived.
Preachers also talk about glorification. We can call it a reward. Let me try to explain. Do you know the words of this great old hymn, “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be; when we all see Jesus, we will sing and shout for victory?” Now that’s an event and a reward I don’t want to miss.
Could it be that if our PRIMARY focus is on programs and strategies and constitutions and by-laws and marketing the Christian faith we are pursuing something that is just plain ________?
How do we come to know the truth about what is important? I don’t know about you, but I know my relationship with God and his values and his children is the only lasting commodity in my life. Nothing else really matters. The final question is “What really matters to you?
I asked my preacher husband what he thought of this column. He listened and said, “You what me to tell you the truth?”
I knew where that was leading, so I thought about saying, “No.”
He was going to tell me anyhow, so I just listened. His exact words were,”It is too preachy. You may want to think about writing another one.”
I did think about it. Then I decided it would be _______. |
