This week the Gospel in Life series that we're working on in church and in small groups is about Community. I thought it would be difficult to take on, but actually the sermon was pretty straightforward and not too difficult. I'm sure it had a lot to do with the fact that I really looked into my heart and found what my idol was and prayed about it. I even wrote it down so that I would remember.
Going back to my idol briefly: What I found interesting was that there was, in fact, only one at the root. But the things I had been focussing on were the results or 'sub-idols' and were not the main issue. My idol, it turns out, was me. I wanted to do things to ensure that I was worshipped and that the focus was on me. I think this was really helpful for me. It made it much easier to swallow the teaching about community because of course it is about the 2 commandments that summarise the Law: Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul and mind and Love your neighbour as you love yourself. God first, then people. NOT God first, then me.
During the sermon, my gut reaction was to recoil and say to myself, "Yeah, but what if I do this and no-one else does". There is of course a very simple answer to that, "Obey". I think the right thing to do and what I have to do is simply to obey God. Regardless if other people are. Going through the study for small group tomorrow should be really interesting - especially looking at areas I should improve in. One of them being loving people who are unattractive. My idol showed me that I only wanted to be 'friends' or associated with certain people because they would in turn make me look attractive or popular. That is in fact not what we should be doing as Christians. We should love our brothers and sisters in Christ as He loves us. All of them - not just the pretty ones, nice ones or popular ones.
Then I would like to learn what I should do with the people who are already in my life. How should I best love and serve them? I have a friend who is very similar to me in that he also wants to live in isolation. For me, I still want to be around people though I find it difficult to admit I need help and to ask for help because I don't trust people. For him, he seems to trust people, yet very rarely wants to be around them. Our pastor spoke about how the Western world view is all about being an independent, self-sufficient individual, but God's view that we are an interdependent community, family or a body, where we work together for the good of all and not just for ourselves. God is already working in me on this area and I'd like to learn how to also help others. Not fix them, because I am no better.
Actually, that was another really good thing about the sermon - the reminder that we are not better than anyone else. We are all - ALL - sinners saved by the grace of God and that any good in us is really the outworking of the Spirit living in us and not actually us. That was a great reminder and puts Philippians verse in context -"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves". We can't be conceited because we have nothing to be conceited about. What I can boast about - God's saving grace, the Gospel of truth- is the same thing my brother or sister in Christ can boast about too.
Anyway, I have forgotten the reason I wanted to post in the first place... So, I'll stop now before this stream of consciousness distracts me any further...
Going back to my idol briefly: What I found interesting was that there was, in fact, only one at the root. But the things I had been focussing on were the results or 'sub-idols' and were not the main issue. My idol, it turns out, was me. I wanted to do things to ensure that I was worshipped and that the focus was on me. I think this was really helpful for me. It made it much easier to swallow the teaching about community because of course it is about the 2 commandments that summarise the Law: Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul and mind and Love your neighbour as you love yourself. God first, then people. NOT God first, then me.
During the sermon, my gut reaction was to recoil and say to myself, "Yeah, but what if I do this and no-one else does". There is of course a very simple answer to that, "Obey". I think the right thing to do and what I have to do is simply to obey God. Regardless if other people are. Going through the study for small group tomorrow should be really interesting - especially looking at areas I should improve in. One of them being loving people who are unattractive. My idol showed me that I only wanted to be 'friends' or associated with certain people because they would in turn make me look attractive or popular. That is in fact not what we should be doing as Christians. We should love our brothers and sisters in Christ as He loves us. All of them - not just the pretty ones, nice ones or popular ones.
Then I would like to learn what I should do with the people who are already in my life. How should I best love and serve them? I have a friend who is very similar to me in that he also wants to live in isolation. For me, I still want to be around people though I find it difficult to admit I need help and to ask for help because I don't trust people. For him, he seems to trust people, yet very rarely wants to be around them. Our pastor spoke about how the Western world view is all about being an independent, self-sufficient individual, but God's view that we are an interdependent community, family or a body, where we work together for the good of all and not just for ourselves. God is already working in me on this area and I'd like to learn how to also help others. Not fix them, because I am no better.
Actually, that was another really good thing about the sermon - the reminder that we are not better than anyone else. We are all - ALL - sinners saved by the grace of God and that any good in us is really the outworking of the Spirit living in us and not actually us. That was a great reminder and puts Philippians verse in context -"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves". We can't be conceited because we have nothing to be conceited about. What I can boast about - God's saving grace, the Gospel of truth- is the same thing my brother or sister in Christ can boast about too.
Anyway, I have forgotten the reason I wanted to post in the first place... So, I'll stop now before this stream of consciousness distracts me any further...
