Sunday, July 17, 2011

What Kind of Christian Are You?

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. -- Proverbs 9:10

What kind of Christian are? Are you content to stay where you are, living in the knowledge you’ve been given but never striving to understand anything more? Or do you constantly seek to know God more intimately? Do you believe because your parents believed or because life has taught your heart that God is real and present in every circumstance?

In his book Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White, Adam Hamilton gives his interpretation of James Fowler’s book, Stages of Faith. I was a little skeptical at first. And I’m certain there are exceptions to everything. But it amazed me that I could actually place people in one stage or the other. It helped me understand them a little more.

The six stages are pretty basic. Stage one refers to the faith of a young child who might not understand that God is way different than Santa Claus.

Hamilton says the second stage tends toward a simple rule: “If I am good, then God will bless me.” I thought of someone who fit this right away. I would never have guessed until she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. She had no foundation, no rock to lean on, because her faith was a surface belief that never touched her heart.

The third stage characterizes people who believe what they believe because it’s what they’ve always been told, Hamilton explains. They’ve never questioned the faith of their parents. They belong to a particular denomination because it’s what they know. They’ve never questioned whether the rituals and interpretations are what they truly believe. That’s the key. They never question. I know a few of those too.

Stage four is for folks who have gone through some sort of trial. “Individuals are claiming their faith for themselves and not simply the faith that belonged to a parent of authority figure,” Hamilton writes. Yeah, I know about that. It’s when you hold on to God with everything you have because you know deep inside if you let go you won’t survive.

The fifth stage happens when people become more open and tolerant of the views of others. The sixth stage is reserved for people who offer others a selfless, unconditional love and who are willing to suffer for others. Hamilton offers up Mother Teresa as a good example.

According to Hamilton, most people never progress past stages two and three. They’re content to believe what they’ve been told and to live in that little dream world that assumes when something bad happens, you did something to deserve it. They tend to be quite judgmental until they’re faced with a serious crisis. At that point, their faith either deepens or they become angry with God and shove Him away from their hearts.

I’ve never understood people who refuse to read and study the Bible. They’re cocky almost, certain that they know everything they need to know. Maybe they do. As for me, I don’t think I’ll ever know everything I want to about God and all He does for me. I want to feel His Presence in every moment, to grow and, hopefully, become more like Jesus as I age.

I know. Lofty dreams. And, yet, I do seek that knowledge. Maybe you’re one of those content to stay where you are in faith. Maybe that works for you. But for those of us who have faced the fire and learned that the only truly safe place is in God’s loving arms, faith and knowledge go together. I will forever seek Him until I stand before His throne.
　

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Drink In God's Word

"Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing oHebrewsf God." --  6:7

As is often the case in the Bible, this passage of scripture isn't about farming. At least not the farming we see every day in this part of the country. No, this farming refers to people. To believers. To us.

The land is those of us who seek the Word of God. We study and learn from the rain (scripture) that falls on our ears. It can happen in church, in Bible studies, in private reading and contemplation. But merely showing up to hear isn't enough. After all, how can anyone know we've heard if nothing changes. It's like when the rain falls down on a crop. We know it rained because the plants become lush and green, producing spectacular crops. Drought will kill those same plants. Just like drought from God's Word will destroy our own foundation.

I am so thankful that a distant cousin pushed me into an in-depth Bible study. Maybe pushed isn't the right word. I wanted to attend the Beth Moore study. My heart cried out for it. But I was so aware of my own inadequacies. I would be surrounded by people who grew up attending church. People who could not only name all the books of the Bible but who could actually find them without checking the table of contents. Didn't you have to actually know the Bible to study it?

Actually, no. Because once I got there, I found that willingness to learn was all that God required. Beth is wonderful when she asks listeners to turn to a certain passage. She assumes no one knows how to get there and gives hints as to where it is. It was okay to fumble along. Now, years later, I know mostly where things are. But I still have to check the table of contents sometimes. And that's okay. Really. God doesn't test us on things like that. He only ever tests our hearts and I know when He sees mine, He sees love for Him.

I figure He'd rather have me stumbling along than to have me be one of those people who already knows it all. You know who I'm talking about. They're the ones who never do Bible studies because they've studied it all. They don't read the Bible regularly because they've read it before. They know it all. Just ask them. It is so sad. They are missing so much. The Bible lives and breathes. It's Words touch us where we are, while we are there. I am so amazed every time I read a passage I've read many times before and discover something new. I'm thankful too.

I want God's blessings to pour down on me. I want to learn and study, to absorb all He has to offer me. I want to be like the crop that received needed rain and produced in abundance. My arms are outstretched to receive His wisdom. His knowledge. His love.