Friday, July 24, 2009
Stretching
When was the last time you did something that required you to stretch your faith? How do you respond to something that challenges your perspective? Do you look for these types of things or avoid them at all cost? If you are like me, you probably enjoy the known and comfortable. Oh, you might not like some of the known situations you are in, but it can be easier than stepping out into the unknown. I wonder if our faith is kind of like our muscles? If our muscles aren't used or stretched, they eventually become restricted in movement and not usable to their full potential. Shouldn't we be looking for things to be involved in that only God could do? To me faith by definition requires it to be something I can't accomplish on my own. If I know I can do it, is that really requiring much faith on my part? So who or what challenges your perspective? Who helps stretch your faith? Lots of questions today. Curious about what is happening in your lives right now.
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2 comments:
Some of the people I work with stretch my perspective. I find that talking to people who are skeptical about God or don't live life with any preset theological boundaries challenge my perspective on life quite a bit. It's not to say that I come away changing what I believe from just having a conversation with someone, but working through it from their perspective is always helpful to me.
As far as acts of faith go, still living out on the limb in several areas of my life. Accepting a leadership position was an act of faith a few years ago, and then taking an active roll in moving The church forward in some areas that they had precommitted to was an act of faith. Helping to launch a ministry a few years ago was/is an act of faith. And trying to live a "naked" life is always an act of faith. Also writing something that for all practical purposes I have no real reason to write except that I continue to feel compelled to continue (faith).
Helped to teach a Sunday school class (public speaking is
not my thing) for a while, all as an act of faith. All of these things have stretched me, some in ways that have been really difficult, some in ways that I know have helped me to take the next step in my spiritual life.
That's me. Thanks for that topic. It helped me a little to work through all that.
Right now it seems there are some people in my life who have made me re-look at some long-held thoughts. I can't say I particularly enjoy being stretched this way. It's even caused some sleep-deprived nights. I have to say it's still good though. There have been some pieces of my convictions that I have to re-examine and see if they are manmade or Godmade, and this stretching certainly makes me do that. Over the last 5 years or so there have been many put-on pieces (whether self-imposed or imposed by others)I've taken off, examined, and tossed. But there's also been many I've taken off, examined, and hurriedly put back on! I have to say too, though that my pieces and others' pieces don't look the same. And that's ok.
And, btw, you're so right about perspective. What often seems so clear to us on the outside looking in is many times a blindspot for the individual, and vice-versa.
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