more
about
'the
question'...Click here to take the
"Jesus: true or false?"
test
...a workshop for anyone
brave enough
to honestly face the REAL
"inconvenient truth"...
confessions
of an american
christian
...for him who
has ears
to hear...
more
about
'the
question'...(Continued from
the Believers' entry page)
___
- so, what's driving YOU?...
The thing is, that unless we truly face the question (that is, being honest with ourselves), we will most likely spend our entire lives pursuing the wrong answers - and sadly, perhaps never even knowing why.
For some, that means pursuing the 'American Dream'... 'til they drop.
For some it means doing things that you as a believer wouldn't dream of doing.
But for some (american christians like me), it may mean doing (or going to church?) ... more. But that's just another wrong answer, too.
PLEASE do not get the wrong idea here. I'm NOT saying that church is bad! What IS bad is when we allow any activity - even 'good' ones - to distract us from dealing with the truth - which is what we must do to get truly free and hear his voice - which is (as Jesus said!) the only way that we will EVER courageously, effectively and joyfully...
- determine and then DO the real work of God - which is...
- exercizing the courage to TAKE ACTION on the unique opportunities that YOU (and only you) get - to perform the unique, fulfilling accomplishments that he prepared for YOU and only you to do -
- and thus being set truly free; experiencing overflowing LIFE.
...but we will never be free until we finally stop...
...to first hear - then honestly embrace - 'the question', the one that will lead us to truth.
It is there - already planted in our hearts. We MUST stop avoiding it.
- someone doesn't want you to hear the question...
Since I have now re-started my life/faith journey (this time with the question), I have come to find this same principle at work in many others;
The question ignored eventually drives us to futility, loss and/or frustration - but the question honestly confronted leads us to being set free, empowered, made abundantly alive... and truly dangerous - which is exactly why the evil one will do anything to keep you from it - even if the only way he can do it is to cloud the question just enough so that it 'drives you to church' - instead of driving you to that intimate friendship with God - like Abraham had - that changes everything.
He will gladly let you busy yourself with many, many 'good' activities (going to prayer meetings or Bible studies, possibly serving as a deacon or elder, leading youth or men's groups, 'leading worship'... etc...) Again, all good things, but never good enough - if your 'busyness' sidetracks you from receiving the true, deep healing and intimate connection to God that he desperately wants you to have; that truly overflowing LIFE... that can only come from walking daily in deep, intimate friendship with The Living God - the true friendship that he gave his life to have with you.
'Selah'... (Please! Take a moment and ponder that!)...
...
...So, how 'abundantly overflowing' is your life looking lately?
How 'truly FREE' are you?
How has the enemy clouded your question - and where has it driven YOU so far?
- when hiding looks like 'seeking'...
As it turns out, american christianity is a wonderful place to hide from the truth. (Who knew?) That's what makes the deception so insidious. I 'fell for it' for many years:
We all want to look good. We enjoy doing good. And nobody ever calls us on it, because as long as everything looks o.k., well, then, it must BE o.k., right?... As long as you're doing 'the right things', then everything must be fine... After all, 'you can tell a tree by its fruit' - and as long as the fruit looks good, then why would anyone rock your boat?
And THAT, my friends, is the dilemma of the american christian.
I've been there. Many of my friends are still there.
What about you?
...is there a deep-down "tiredness" or vague frustration about you?
Perhaps it's from 'dodging the question' for so long. You can't hold it off forever.
(...Or can you? :-o)
The GOOD news is that the question is still there - even after all these years - still driving you. (Well, that can be good...) And leave it to our Loving Father to plant a question deep in your soul that rocks your boat, and - when you finally face it honestly - will rock your world.
The problem is, we are saturated in a society that is all about appearances - not the truth. Americans don't want questions; we want answers - and we want 'em NOW! (And any half-satisfying or "popular" answer will do...) We have learned to push away the question (which can be painful to raise) and at all costs avoid the deep, hidden truth - about US.
But the hidden truth must be revealed - to get us truly free.
... if you want to find out,
we'll see you in the
confessions of an
american christian
workshop.
(Please press your browser's BACK button
to return to the page you were on previously.)
© 2007-2009 Paul Andrews
Maybe now might be a good time for you to think for a moment...
- Is there a feeling deep inside you (even though you may be a committed believer)
that something is still wrong... ...that there's 'something else' you should be doing?
In short, what is YOUR question?
Your spirit knows the question, because God built it into you. And it will never go away - never. He put it there to drive us to the truth - continually; to that intimate connection with HIM where we finally receive healing, true freedom, a true (not 'put-on') knowledge of our purpose and real power.
... so why don't most believers exhibit that kind of life?
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