Balance...
BALANCE
What does it mean to have balance? If you want to get technical Dictionary.com says: A state of equilibrium or parity characterized by cancellation of all forces by equal opposing forces. I guess that would help shed some light on the topic. The reason I write about this topic is that I really try had to be a balanced person. To never find myself in the extremes on a topic or argument. Sometimes I find that people accuse people like me of being spineless and never having a stance on anything. If that is balance then I know that I don't have it. I see balance more as a disciplined effort to see both sides of an issue. To make sure that you don't dive off into a discussion without fully understanding both sides of an issue. Lets take for example theological beliefs. I used to consider myself a conservative until I found that to that to some my conservative theological views were considered liberal by some. Labels really are useless. We need to learn to look past them and see that we can never really live by them. I know that you have heard this before but I really think it is more important then even that we just be Christians. Not liberals or conservatives but Christians. If you want to be liberal then be liberal in love, liberal in forgiveness, liberal in the time you give to the Lord. You want to be a conservative or an "anti" then be anti sin, anti hate, anti pride. Let us be people that are more worried about how we look to God then how we look to each other. A lot of the blocs that I am reading by Christians are of men and women struggling with issues. They are struggling on the right stance of these issues. I say trust God. Trust is His Word. Trust Him in prayer. Let us know that we will never have it all figured out. We will have things that we believe today that we may look back on in 20 years and say I am not sure why I struggled with that. If you are struggling then that is ok. Just don't struggle alone, let Jesus walk with you and guide you. Let us focus on Jesus.
Ok now back to something else I wanted to talk about as long as I am talking about balance. I need some advice on something. Maybe from another minister or maybe from someone that can help slap some common sense in my head. How do you balance theology and practical everyday living. Some of the things I discuss with my ministry buddies I would never discuss in lets say a Junior High Bible class ( which is what I am currently teaching on Wed nights.)or really in my sermons for that matter. I see the need for theology because it helps me develop my faith. Sometimes thought I struggle with all of our theological talk because I wonder how it helps me reach out to the average person that does not know Jesus Christ. I guess you could say that I have been thinking about this because after 3 years of full time ministry I am thinking about doing some grad work part time. I will stay in ministry full time ( I am hooked!) and try to get an MDIV part time, at least I think. I struggle with where to do my schooling and what type of training I should seek. It all boils down to the whole balance issue. Anyone able to make any sense of this or am I just to far all over the place today ??
Balance is such a hard thing to obtain... everyone wants to label you either a conservative or a liberal. So, how do you prevent labeling?
Posted by
Anonymous |
1:47 PM
Labeling is something that I don't think we can prevent on a wide scale basis. On the other hand as ministers we can have a great influence on this issue. For example we people make unsupported claims about preachers are being "written up" we can call then to the Bibical pricinpals of not partaking in gossip and share with them the danger of labels. We can also make sure that we do not encourage labels by not labeling ourself. Remeber your conservative is another persons liberal and vice-versa so really a label set by someone else in never really valid. Finally I close with one of the scriptures that would in my mind combat the idea of labeling
Luke 6:41-42 41"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
Clearly Jesus was telling the Pharisees to stop looking at other people so much when they themselves how so many personal flaws to work on.
Let us be people that are not quick to judge. We should be willing to consider both sides to every issue and do our best to avoid the practice of labeling, espically with it comes to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Posted by
Michael Potthoff |
9:24 PM