Faith Plus

I am one of those people that is enthralled by little things. Today I saw three BIG elk........one with a HUGE rack, near my kids' school. It was beautiful. I like to enjoy the sun coming up or going down. I enjoy watching the flames of the fire in my fireplace. I can see pictures in teh texture on the wall. Who knows, we probably have one of the Virgin Mary that we could sell for big bucks.
All of that to say that it doesn't take much to get me to thinking.
It's an enjoyable way to be. And frustrating. Because I wonder about things.
Like today.
I'm wondering how it is that we have come to add so much to what it means to be a people of faith. I think that the Bible is pretty clear that it is simply believing what it says. Don't add. Don't take away.
So why do we adhere to "cleanliness is next to Godliness" as if it's in one of the gospels? Why do we equate what a person does for a vocation with some things being more spiritual and others being less so?
Why can't we walk our walk without adding to the whole thing? I think that it's fear. We are afraid that we won't know if we are failing or succeeding. We want a thermometer, a meter, a measuring stick. So, we make up rules to give us indicators of how well we are doing in relationship to others.
Unfortunately, our rules generally have very little to do with what Jesus was talking about. They are good things. Being clean is a plus. Washing the sheets. Mopping the floor. Brushing your teeth and washing your hair. But does it really make someone closer to God?
Is the job that you do a good indicator of your spiritual walk? Is a pilot less close to God than a pastor? I don't think so. Each person has callings and purposes. They are close to God if they are fulfilling those. Some people become pastors for the wrong reasons. Preaching does not indicate closeness to God.
The main things are lost in the minutiae. We lose ourselves in checking if people's clothes are matched, their houses adequate, their cars clean, their yards pretty, their children in sunday school, their checks in the offering plate, their skirt long enough, their movies clean enough, their books christian, their marriages looking good. And we lose the whole point. The point is for each individual to seek God. To love Him. To believe that Jesus made the way to Him.
And the Bible says that you'll know those people by how they love. Period. The homeless. The down and out. The drug addict. The prisoner. The realtor. The preacher. The rich. The trash collector. All have one standard. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?
From there, God works with people. He gave us a little measuring stick because He knows us so well. Love. Love God. Love the people around you like you love yourself. That's it.
When kids see our long lists, they are put off of faith. It is just another way to control. The thing is that God didn't say that either. He said that in Him we are FREE.
So, take a deep breath. Explore the idea a little bit. Maybe you will find that freedom is just what you are looking for. But beware, it's scary. It's hard not to stand next to a measuring stick and be able to compare yourself to the people around you. I mean, we ten to compare ourselves based on what we do well.......and we can feel pretty good about ourselves.
I think the point is that none of us should be thinking about ourselves more highly than we should. We are all people. All in need of a bridge to the Father. All on a journey. No point in comparing. None of us are God.
Faith plus anything else creates despair. To be hope in our world, we must offer faith without offering our own measuring sticks as part of the "deal."
Today, shed the things that hold you back and keep you tied up. If you are in Christ, you are free. Live.
blessings,
rhonda