The Square Peg

What is a "Christian home?" I know what it means when someone says "this is a Christian home," but my question is "what makes a Christian home a Christian home;" what are the qualifications or requirements? And how do you know when a home isn't one? Is it lifestyle? Are there degrees of Christianity within a home? Is it measured by the sin tolerance level or lack thereof?

If a home has people in it who sometimes lie but go to regularly attend church and have a relationship in which they seek God's guidance and direction while trying to follow the path they think He's on, is it still a Christian home? How many lies does it take before it's not a Christian home anymore?

What about cussing? A lot of people think that's a good indicator of spirituality. Others don't.

And what about wife beating or child abuse? Does the man who beats his wife or the woman who beats her kids not counted as Christians because of their behavior? Are they considered Christians who just have demons to battle?

What about disrespectful attitudes from one spouse to another or both toward each other to toward a child?

How about smoking? Is it ok to smoke in a Christian home?

If both parents are Christians, but the grandmother and 2 of the kids are atheists, is it still a Christian home?

What are the rules and who defines them? Is it all left to the discretion or interpretation of the owner? Is there anything sacred about the dwelling? Is a Christian home something to be revered? Should we take off our shoes when we go in because we're on holy ground? Is a Christian home any different than a church?

I overheard a woman recently say she grew up in a Christian home but that it's not a Christian home anymore. When did it change? How did it change? What's the difference in how the home is taken care of, led, managed & lived in now, compared to when it was still a Christian home? Is it required that the home be redecorated so visitors will be aware of the change? I'm kidding about that last part.

Is labeling a home Christian another way of forcing authority over others? This is a Christian home, so you can't smoke, drink alcohol, express your claim to atheism or cuss when you're here. Those things have to be kept outside of these Christian walls.

Is it important to identify a home as a Christian home? Why?

I found a great quote at http://proudatheists.wordpress.com/ It said:

"The American brand of Christianity is unraveling while its hypocrisy is being weighed by the minds of our younger folks and discovering that questioning religious doctrine is a trait of human nature, not the voice of Satan."

I love this quote! And I totally see where the 'Cultural Christianity' I'm familiar with is unraveling because of its hypocrisy. Yet I seem to know a lot of people who aren't keen on the idea of their faith being discussed. That's really unfortunate because Ecclesiastes 7:18 says, "It’s best to stay in touch with both sides of an issue. A person who fears God deals responsibly with all of reality, not just a piece of it."

I don't think asking questions is bad; I think it's profitable. When I was growing up, I was told not to question things. This really bugged me because I wanted to understand why some things were the way they were. But there was no freedom to ask; only rules to follow. And rules without relationships often lead to rebellion. I'm proof of that. :)

I know some people think it's wrong to question things like religion and other 'hot topics,' but it seems that when people think questions are bad it's usually because they're afraid. Maybe they're afraid their faith isn't strong enough to stand up to the questions; maybe there's some other reason. But I believe questions aren't something we should fear. We should embrace them because they help us grow.

I’m so excited about Sunday! Forty-five days ago I told you about my decision to take part in Lent because I wanted Easter to be at the forefront of my mind this year. I have seen that desire reached. I’ve been keenly aware of this Easter season and have spent a lot of time thinking about different aspects of its meaning. I have also participated in a 28 day challenge to read the book of Matthew, one chapter each day beginning the 28 days before Easter. This challenge was extended by Pastor Pete in Nashville whose blog I read. You can read Without Wax here. This 28 day challenge has been instrumental in narrowing my focus during this time.
Today’s reading was chapter 26 and something struck me as I read.

Verses 40-41When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.”

Oh, that describes me so well sometimes! I can’t count the number of times I’ve wandered into temptation inadvertently. And like so many others, I’m both eager for God and too lazy to leave the coziness of the fire. But I love that Jesus gave the solution before He even pointed out the problem; stay alert and pray. Since I strive to be a person who is proactive rather than reactive, that’s right up my alley. By staying alert and praying, I can curtail the problem.

I told you I wanted to find a unique way to culminate the Lenten season and celebrate Easter. We decided to go hiking at Stone Mountain in Atlanta on Sunday. We’re gonna find a trail, hike up a hill, sit together and enjoy God’s creation. Don’t tell the kids, but we’re going to take communion in a different way. Since Jesus is the bread of life, and bread comes in many forms, we’re going to pick up donuts (preferably Krispy Kreme) to symbolize the body that was broken for us. I want us to associate the sweetness of the donut with God’s sacrifice for us. I often say that coffee is God’s nectar, and since I joke that it’s what gives me life in the morning, we’re going to use coffee to symbolize the shed blood. Like I said; unique.

I woke up with the thought of coffee permeating the entire essence of my brain. Most days, on a scale of 1 to 10, I’m about a 2 or 3 with regard to desire for coffee. This morning I was a big, ol’, fat 15. I honestly thought (for a few minutes) I was going to break my coffee fast. I don’t need to spend the money, don’t need the calories, and don’t need the sugar. But I wanted it.

I found out last night at dinner that Catholics partake (on the Sabbath only) in whatever it is they gave up for lent. And this morning I wanted to be Catholic. Real bad. But as much as I wanted coffee, I want this Easter season to be more more.

I’m still thinking about how I want to mark this Easter and the ending of Lent. I have an idea but I’m going to keep thinking it over and share it with you later. But I will tell you that this idea involves special shoes and, of course, coffee.

Ciao!

I’ve heard about Lent throughout my life, but never actually celebrated Lent personally. Until now.

For the past few years, I have felt as if Easter had sneaked up on me and was gone before I knew it, but I determined this year would be different. I wanted a fresh perspective for Easter this season and there’s nothing like intentional, laser-focused awareness to bring about a change of view (and heart). This year I am contemplating Easter and celebrating its meaning in a very deliberate way; by giving up coffee during the Lenten season.

I spent nearly two weeks thinking about what I would give up for Lent to assist with my paradigm shift. I considered giving up carbs, soda, caffeine, TV, and the internet before settling on coffee. I even toyed with the idea of doing it backward and adding something new into my life rather than removing something. But in the end, I kept coming back to coffee. I consider coffee to be my greatest indulgence, so giving it up will be a meaningful and challenging sacrifice for me.
I expect it won’t be easy. I expect to be challenged. I expect to miss it. But each time I think about coffee, I’m going to redirect my focus onto Easter’s meaning and purpose. I’m not sure how I’ll mark the finale of the Easter season yet. But I’ve got 46 non-coffee-drinking days to consider it.

Do you celebrate Lent? If so, I’d love to hear about what you’re giving up and why.
Peace out.

God's got a plan for your life and the level of sacrifice is different for the man (or woman) of God than for the Sunday Christian. If you want to be a man of God you have to allow people to speak into your life as an authority figure. Learn from someone in the next 5 years what you need to continue the race rather than learning alone in the next 20. Take what God has given you, dotting your I's and crossing your T's. Be faithful. God doesn't need another weekend warrior. As Momma Joyce says: "You've got to go through to get through because there are no drive-thru breakthroughs."

You can be powerful or pitiful but you can't be both at the same time. There's no room in your hands for a sword and shield if you're sucking your thumb & clutching your blankie.

To recap the truths that would revolutionize our decision making processes:

1) God knows what’s best for you better than you know what’s best for you
2) Everybody you lay eyes on is a person for whom Christ died
3) God is up to something in the world and you are invited to play a part

Ready for the fourth?

• The single greatest obstacle to living a breakaway life is that when we wake up, we don’t set out on a truth quest.

We only chase what makes us happy. When we become people who make decisions that will make us ‘happy’, we have to make up excuses to justify that decision.

If I bought a new car and told you I bought it because it’s safer than the Trailblazer, that’s crap. That’s not why I’d buy a new car. I’d be buying a new car because my ‘wanter’ kicked in and I ‘obeyed my thirst’ (no, Sprite isn’t paying me for that plug). And I’d get something with heated leather seats, an in-dash multiple CD player, GPS, MP3 capability, and a sun roof. And that’s just for starters. But buying a new car would only make me happy until I got the new payment and realized how much further in debt I am; then I wouldn’t be happy anymore. So which is it? Did buying the new car make me happy or not?

The thing is, when we make excuses to justify our actions, the people we tell don’t believe it. And we don’t believe it when they tell us their excuses, either. But we convince ourselves it’s true, and our self-deceit is our biggest hindrance to living a breakaway life.

Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? We already heard it once earlier in the series, and here it is again: you can’t trust your heart. If we pursue happiness rather than truth, God’s will will always seem extreme. When we chase truth, God’s will doesn’t seem so severe. In fact, when we seek truth, we’ll realize God’s will brings peace and contentment rather than the unrest that often follows carrying out our own will.

Joe wasn’t trying to change anybody’s behavior; his point was that we aren’t always honest with ourselves. He challenged us with these questions:

• Why am I doing this, really?
• If someone in my circumstances came to me for advice, what course of action would I recommend?

Since it starts here, I think I’ll go look in the mirror.

In 1 Chronicles 29, David’s son Solomon had been chosen to build the temple and it was a huge undertaking. David gave his resources to the buiding of the temple: gold, iron, silver, wood, bronze, onyx, turquoise, stone and marble. After he gave a huge amount (the Bible lists the specifics but I’m not going to), he gave his personal treasures to be used as well. Then he asked the assembly if any of them would be willing to give as well. Everyone gave willingly.

David never saw the temple built, but he gave a lot of resources to make it happen. Ditto for the folks under him. And the Bible says they did it willingly. Sidebar: I had to sit and let the principle of giving even though you might not see the result sink in. The point is that God owns it all. We can call stuff ours, but the truth is we’re just the managers of that stuff.

This is where it gets a little weird. Money is one of those things that makes people a little crazy or uncomfortable or trippy when it comes up. But money is just a tool; nothing more, nothing less. Most folks don’t think they have enough. Others seem to have an endless supply. But everybody has strong beliefs about how it should be managed. I’ve heard some say that you have to have money in order to have something to worry about managing. But that’s not true. There’s a Biblical principle that says if you manage what you have well, you’ll be given more to manage. And that’s pretty much true in all of life; employees who manage their tasks well are often given more tasks. Why do we complain about being given more responsibility at work to manage, but never about being given more money to manage? What’s up with that? I’ve seen people with plenty of money somehow manage to have nothing to show for all they’ve made, and others who have made very little, yet stretched it quite far. Most people fall somewhere in the middle.

What really stood out to me was David’s giving out of his kingly resources and then giving out of his personal accumulation. OK, I’ll bare my soul a little here: it seems that when I feel comfortable with what’s in my bank account, I tend to be more generous, but when I feel I have very little, I tend to become more stingy. But if I’m just a conduit, what am I worried about? God can give me some of His stuff to manage, and then move it right on along into someone else’s hands to manage for a while or maybe even for forever. Shouldn’t I care more about the way I manage His stuff, rather than how much of it I manage?

This week’s truth:

Sounds overly simplistic, doesn’t it? Sounds small, huh? Like it’s not that earth shattering. Like the sixth grade school play, right? Nu-uh. Not this. And definitely not when you read Psalm 33:8-11 (New International Version)

Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. (hint, ‘ALL’ means that none are left out!)

Warning! All your plans are candidates to be cancelled and He might not check with you first. But His plan CANNOT be stopped. No matter what people try to do to stop it. No matter what they say. No matter who they tell. No matter the circumstance. No matter the money situation. No matter how many times you screwed it up before. No. Matter. What.

If you don’t chase God’s plan rather than your own, when you get what you thought you wanted, you’ll discover it wasn’t worth the chase.

That’s freakin’ huge. At least it is to me, cause I’ve chased a lot of stuff that really wasn’t worth my time and energy.

God’s plan is gonna happen. And His plan for you is good. He said so in Jeremiah. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Have ya read “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren? That book confirmed what I’ve felt in my gut most of my life; that we’re meant for something big. Something important. Something more than we ever could’ve imagined on our own. That we’re meant to do something that’ll last forever; long after we’re gone.

Do you want to breakaway? Read Rick’s book.If you don’t have a copy, let me know and I’ll get one to you. Message me. It’s that powerful. And your life is that important.

When you were young, you wanted to blaze a trail (I still do, that’s why I drive a TRAILBLAZER!). But what happened? You woke up one morning and realized you’re nowhere near where you wanted to be. Culture tells us to runaway rather than to breakaway. Can the whole trajectory of our lives change in a moment?

The second life changing truth Joe shared this week is this:

That includes the well dressed lady you saw in the grocery story, the dirty, smelly guy you saw at McDonald’s, the kid with the mohawk, tattoos and piercings standing in front of you in line at the gas station, and the one whose reflection you see in the mirror every day.

Simple economics says that value is determined by what we’re willing to pay for something. Since God wants to have a relationship with us, He sent His Son to pay the price for our sin (which is death), so we could be with Him. The value of our souls was worth the cost of His Son’s death. Yeah, sit there and let that sink in for a second…I’ll wait.

OK, so that means the framework of every relationship we have needs to be based on the understanding that God valued every person you come into contact with so much that He died for him or her. God doesn’t love us because we’re valuable. We’re valuable because He loves us. Has anybody else ever offered to give up their life to save yours?

In Breakaway 1, I told you I’d share 4 truths that would revolutionize your thinking about decisions. Here it is; simple, yet threatening at the same time:

Sometimes when we reach a place in life where we want to breakaway, we end up running away instead. Is there another way to breakaway in life? What does it look like to be who you were created to be? A breakaway life is one that’s lived in sync with our Creator and how He designed us.

Romans 12:2 (The Amplified version) says: Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

What you believe fuels your decisions, and your decisions determine your outcome. Many times we get an outcome we didn’t want, so we go back to the decision we made to figure out what went wrong. That’s good. But sometimes we may need to go back farther. For example, if you believe that gravity isn’t a real force and you make the decision to jump out of a flying plane expecting to soar like an eagle, your outcome will be bad. *Thank you, Captain Obvious.* However, if you believe correctly that gravity is a real force that will pull you back down to earth, and decide to put on a parachute BEFORE you jump, your outcome will be better. See, the decision to jump out of a flying plane isn’t bad in and of itself, as long as your belief system is on track. *Not something I would do, but, hey, to each his own.*

Renewing your mind is similar to doing a renovation project in your house. If you’ve ever done any kind of remodeling, you know there are 3 truths that usually come into play: it’s messier than you thought, it takes longer than you thought, and it costs more than you thought.
It’s the same with renovating your mind.

What are the deeply held beliefs that led me to make the decisions that brought me to this place?

In the next Breakaway blog, I will introduce the first of 4 truths that will revolutionize the decision making process.