Our care group is covering a series taught by Andy Stanley from North Point Church called breakaway. Basically it addresses the overwhelming feeling of "sameness" that we experience as we realize how average we really are. So many people find themselves trying to breakaway by running away only to find that in the next experience they are getting the same results. Of course, the common denominator is YOU. So if YOU are the reason for your same results then it is time to re-evaluate. Most of us feel that our poor outcomes are from poor decisions which is true, but he is challenging us to dig deeper and realize that our decisions are made due to our beliefs. That is the faulty part when we are experiecing unwanted outcomes. So here is the basics:
BELIEF====DECISION====OUTCOME
Now, I gave you all of that background so that I could make this one point that was such an "AHA moment" for me. As christains we even skip the belief part when trying to reach out to others. We bring others to church and encourage them to make "right" decisions because that is what christians do. Of course, that leads to frustration and exactly why so many won't come to church. They see it as a place that tells you "what not to do" and "what you have to do". Instead we should be helping them to transform their beliefs so that they see clearly (through God's eyes) and will want to make good decisions. Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. I am afraid that is why we struggle to "church" others. It is not about transforming their decisions first so that they fit into our molds and can sit neatly next to us in the pew, but that they renew their minds so that they see that the will of God is good. We also discussed that "renovation" is messy. It takes a long time to get the old stuff out and the new stuff in. I'm afraid that we sometimes give up on others too early when it gets messy. Any thoughts?
3 comments:
Good points, Monica.
I worship with a group of believers who have basically adopted the following mottos: [1] God is more interested in your future than he is with your past, and [2] The church is a hospital for sinners, not a monument to the righteous.
The difference such an attitude makes is that it allows room for individuals to grow in understanding, which results in transformed minds and lives.
Again, good stuff.
chrisclouse.wordpress.com
Too many time we try to "church" people. We try to get them to come back to "church" not come back to God. To many times we try and chain God to our churches and say "you'll only find Him here."
It's about relationship, it't about God, it's about salvation and transformation, and yes, it's about church. But NOT church alone.
Good thoughts
Great thoughts, Monica. I guess I'll have to steal your Aha moment, because it became an Aha moment for me too. I don't have too much experience teaching someone, but I think that my attitude probably has been that I need to change them, rather than my focus being on just teaching them Jesus and letting the change come after that, not of my doing.
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