Beyond Sentimentality

I am a sentimental person; I’ll just admit that up front. I can tear up at Hallmark commercials, that’s how bad it is. I cry at movies, try as I might not to do so. I just can’t help it. I try to act like my eyes are bothering me so it won’t look like I’m crying. What I see affects me greatly and I often cry. What I hear causes me to cry too sometimes. Music that brings back memories, as well as music that is simply beautiful and moving. And what I read can do the same. I can cry at the drop of a hat.

While sentimentality isn’t a bad thing, it’s just a surface emotional expression. Crying at movies is not the same as crying at a newscast of violence tearing apart neighborhoods, or the hearing of soldiers being maimed and killed in a terrible war. While I am sentimental, the real events of this world move me even more. Tragedy should cause an emotional reaction to prompt responsive action. Otherwise, we would be observers only.

God is not an impassive observer. He is moved by suffering as well. Humans are fashioned in his image and though some ignore that by not living by their God given conscience, those who do, take action to alleviate pain. God uses us to help those who experience tragic events. It is our responsibility to provide aid to those who suffer whether it is because of a flood, or a death in the family. Wherever people are, we are to take help to them.

God has tagged us to do the work of helping those who are in distress, whatever that may be. Ask yourself if you are responding to those in need of comfort and basic needs. Give to charities that provide services to victims of natural disasters. Volunteer at a food pantry or a suicide hotline. Volunteer to work at a hospital or hospice. Organize care packages for soldiers. Seek out ways you can actively respond to those who need aid.

Maybe you don’t cry as I do, but your heart should be moved by human suffering. God has given us his Spirit, and he grieves over our sorrows. Let that same grief move you to action. People are counting on you, and God is, too.

Resisting the Good

Lately I’ve been having trouble sleeping. I am a chronic insomniac, have been for the past twenty years. I’ve been though all the sleep drugs and, of course, all the remedies that folks have suggested. None have worked until recently when a new drug was tried. I had been sleeping like a baby until the past couple weeks. I might already be developing resistance to the drug which will be depressing if that is the case. I hope not.

I’ve had resistance to other things in my life, too, some that should be resisted, but others are not such a good idea. I’ve resisted the effort to lose weight at times. I’ve resisted exercising. I’ve resisted turning the TV off more often. All these and more are things that I really shouldn’t resist. But there are those things that are vital to my emotional and spiritual well being that I should not resist, yet have at times.

I’ve resisted prayer, reading the Bible and spending time with others. I resisted taking medications for my bipolar disorder for quite some time, feeling taking them meant I was a defective failure. The truth of the matter is that resistance to those things that will benefit me will hurt me in the long run. But it will also hurt others as I am not at my best physically, emotionally and spiritually. That should be a great motivator for me to do rather than resist.

The reasons for resisting are varied, but none are excuses for neglecting to do what is right and seeking God for the desire to do right. My resistance should be directed toward those things that harm not aid. If I do not resist sin in my life I will find myself resisting God in my life, which is disastrous for a Christian.

We all need to take stock of our lives and take an honest accounting of what we may be resisting right now. It matters greatly for our well being and for our relationships with others and with God. Resisting what God has for us is to miss the opportunity to grow, and in the end, it is to our sorrow if that is the case. Resisting the wonderful grace of God might mean his plan for our good in some instances may not come to pass and who wants that? I know there are some things in my life that I am not resisting anymore and I need to feel good about that. But I also know there are a couple things I need to stop resisting and to ask for greater grace to accept and do them. In the end, I will never regret doing them; I will regret the failure to do so. It’s my choice.

Warming Our Hearts

I’m sitting here sipping a mug of coffee trying to get warm. We keep the house cool to save money. It does help with expenses, but right now I am typing with fingerless gloves to keep my hands warm. I will acclimate to it soon enough, but I’m just not ready for the cold. Summer wasn’t a typical one and I missed the sun and heat.

Sometimes, it feels like our relationship with God is cold, too, at least mine seems that way at times. I suspect it’s the case for others though they may not admit it. Just as there are periods of drought when we seek the Spirit’s presence with great intensity, there are times of chill. But the coldness is not the same as drought. It is a time in which we simply do not feel like being with God.

I hear a collective gasp right now. By that statement, I simply mean that the passion to be close to God wanes and we become cold. Many things can take precedence before God. It might be our job and over working for money. It might be time spent on the internet or zoning out in front of the TV. Perhaps sex or alcohol/drugs consume us to the point of obsession and cause us to forget about God. It might even be our church work. All of us could list more, I’m sure.

The fact is, when other things catch our attention too much, God will come in a distant second. We will not spend time in prayer or reading our bibles. Connections with others will be curtailed. We go through the motions, but the passion is lacking. I must honestly confess there were definite times when my desires were focused elsewhere, and when that happened, I grew cold toward God. I really didn’t mean it to happen, but it quietly escalated little by little and soon, whatever I was concentrating on became my complete center of attention.

I am not suggesting that we become hermits and cloister ourselves away from the world and all that it offers. But we should stop now and then to do some soul searching to see where our priorities lie. And just in case our vision is clouded and our hearts already cold, the Spirit illuminates and shows us the truth. Then grace kicks in and we are gently prodded toward seeking God again with all our hearts, to have the fire stoked again.

I cannot speak for anyone else, but it’s about time for me to do some self assessment, a spiritual checkup. I hope to see that all is well, but if through the intervention of the Spirit I find I need to make some changes, I pray that the grace of God will enable me to do just that. I want a clean bill of spiritual health.

Knowledge That Impresses

I subscribe to a service that sends me a daily word that includes pronunciation, meaning, origin and examples of usage. Virtually every word is one I’ve never seen before. I learn a lot of words that I promptly forget because I do not use them. Even if I did remember them, I would probably not use them because I think many readers would be clueless as to what I was saying. It would only show off my expansive vocabulary, however innocent that might be, or not.

Knowing scripture can be like that. We can learn the bible backwards and forward and impress others with our knowledge of it. Maybe we wouldn’t be doing it intentionally, but it does happen nonetheless, and I know this because I have often been commended on my grasp of scripture, of knowing the “address” of particular passages. I have a bible translation on my PDA that I can refer to. It also has a search function if I do draw a blank. Impressive, yes?

But no matter how much I or anyone else may know, it’s not all that impressive to God if we do not live it. He is even less impressed if I, like a Pharisee, live without grace toward others. Paul made a bold statement about this very thing. Knowledge of words and of scripture can be quite meaningless:

“If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy, but don’t have love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day…but do not have love, I’m nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:1-2, The Message)

We can know and believe everything in the bible, but if we do not live and love by it, extending grace to others, it’s worthless in the eyes of God. All the big words and the knowledge of the bible are meaningless without love for others. Scriptural knowledge should lead to transformed lives, softened hearts, pure thoughts, and graciousness acted out in everyday living.

Perhaps I will appear to be less learned by my limited vocabulary, but I would rather be understood. And I will continue to learn scripture, but only with love in my heart to all, and hope that is what impresses.