I remember the time on Baptist Summer camp that two young and “very much in love” young people (she was a camper, he was a leader) came to me to ask me to pray for their relationship. He was from Cape Town, she was from Joburg and “God had told them that they needed to be together.” He was particularly convinced that she was “The One”.
I was immediately suspicious. Having been on those kinds of camps and seeing people “fall in love” after being together for a couple of days combined with the practicalities of them living on other sides of the country I was not convinced. I told them the best I could do was pray that God’s will would be done in the situation.
It barely lasted a few months and then suddenly there was a new “The One.”
BUT GOD HAS PLANS FOR ME
I cringe when I hear people quote Jeremiah 29:11 which says:
“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.”
It sounds so great which is why so many people quote it to each other and why it appears on greeting cards and bumper stickers. And it has a very me-centric feel to it which is why we love it today (despite the fact that if we read the Bible honestly, we soon find that it has a very God-centric approach).
The reason I cringe is that this is taken horribly out of context. It was written specifically to a people who were currently in exile. And also it is followed two verses later by this one:
“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all of your heart.”
I have never heard anyone quote that part with the first part. Because it feels too much like work. Or effort. Or accountability. I’m happier with God having a plan for me and giving me hopes and futures. Let’s focus on that.
THE PEAR OF JABEZ
It happened when the book ‘The Prayer of Jabez’ came out – another prayer from a specific person in a specific situation where God answered a specific way that was not intended as a teaching for all followers of God. It became a mantra for comfort and material hungry christians to hold aloft and wait for “the blessing to fall”.
The book of Job contains whole chapters of prayers with lines such as “May the day of my birth perish” and “”Does it please You to oppress me?” but no-one has tried to push ‘The Prayer of Job’ on us, because it clearly won’t sell.
IT’S OKAY FOR CHRISTIANS TO USE THEIR BRAINS
There has been an ongoing battle between Christianity and Science with many people suggesting they are at loggerheads as if Science is all about thinking and Christianity is all about feeling. Or something like that.
But did it ever cross your mind that perhaps science is the man-made study of the things that God created and put into being? Could it be possible that both can stand alongside each other and maybe even confirm and back up the other one?
When an argument happens on Facebook or some other social media and a Christian jumps on with the words “the Bible says so” but doesn’t in any way back it up as to how or where or why the Bible says so, is it strange at all that people think we’re ridiculous?
Imagine how those who don’t believe what we believe might respond if we started putting together more solid answers than “Just because” or “I read it somewhere” or a badly out of context quoted verse.
What if when Jesus said the most important command was:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” [Matthew 22.37]
He was giving us permission to use our minds, even encouraging it?
Being a person of faith does not mean retiring your brain. Rather it means we engage more deeply by connecting our understanding and experience with our faith and the knowledge we find in scripture. And then engage more authentically with those around us and show them we really know what we’re talking about.
Are you ready to grow a brain?