Have you ever had really weak coffee?
I'm not talking about the light roast or anything like that. Though we drink mostly bold, dark roast in our house, a few of my favorite k-cups are light roast flavors. No, I mean the stuff that's really weak--so watered down that it looks more like tea than that heavenly beverage (that I'll be drinking once again on Easter--you don't know how excited I am for that small joy!).
It's not really good for anything. The smell is barely there, the caffeine is non-existent. You don't get that happy, relaxed feeling after you take that first sip (can you tell I've missed my daily cup?). It becomes so weak that it is useless.
There are a lot of crazy things going on in our world right now that I'm not going to get into, a lot of controversies I'm choosing to back away from. Those who truly know me know where I stand on all of them, and for the moment I'm okay with letting it go at that.
One thing I'm increasingly bothered by, though, is how watered down Christianity is becoming to so many people. What people once held as convictions are being pushed aside because those ideals might make somebody else uncomfortable. It seems people are trying to turn Christianity into a pretty package tied up with a bow, something nice and comfortable. They are painting a picture of God as being that grandfatherly type, sitting in Heaven and patting us on the head, telling us it's okay to do what we want as long as it makes us happy and nobody else gets hurt in the process.
If you have kids, you know what I mean--unless it's just my kids that get spoiled when they go stay with their grandparents!
If it isn't the Grandfather they're pushing, it's the genie in a bottle who will jump out and fulfill every request as long as we rub the bottle the right way and say the magic words when we ask.
Biblical truths and principles are being pushed aside or totally ignored, God's message to us called "outdated" or written for a "different time." I even saw a statement on facebook the other day that said we shouldn't be ruled by regulations from such an old tome.
People still quote verses, but most of the time they are the happy verses that give the impression that as Christians we should accept any actions because we are called to love one another. Yes, I fully believe God tells us--even commands us--to love, but I don't believe that means we are supposed to condone actions that go against His truth.
Jesus loved everyone when He walked on this earth. When He entered the temple, I don't doubt that He loved everyone He saw there--but that didn't stop Him from making a whip and driving the money changers and those selling sheep and oxen out of the temple when they were corrupting the house of God. Yes, He loved the people, but He did not weaken the message He was here to spread by condoning their actions.
Just like weak coffee isn't good for anything, weakened Christianity is useless, too. Yeah, I know that sound harsh and may raise some hackles, but I'll stand by what I've written. When we water down God's word so nobody is offended, or focus on the verses that make us happy but avoid the ones that make us uncomfortable, we dilute the Word to the point of uselessness.
Christianity isn't supposed to be a comfortable thing. Denying yourself daily and taking up the cross to follow Christ is not something that screams happy go-lucky. We are told in Matthew that the way that leads to God's kingdom is a narrow gate and a hard road to follow, yet so often we're painting a picture of a smooth path.
Let's stop watering down the message and get back to the real thing--the full bodied, rich, good stuff that can actually make a difference.
I pray we can all be strong enough to once again cling to the Truth--and not be afraid to admit that we stand alongside the ideals laid out for us by the Only One whose opinion of us really matters.
I'm not talking about the light roast or anything like that. Though we drink mostly bold, dark roast in our house, a few of my favorite k-cups are light roast flavors. No, I mean the stuff that's really weak--so watered down that it looks more like tea than that heavenly beverage (that I'll be drinking once again on Easter--you don't know how excited I am for that small joy!).
It's not really good for anything. The smell is barely there, the caffeine is non-existent. You don't get that happy, relaxed feeling after you take that first sip (can you tell I've missed my daily cup?). It becomes so weak that it is useless.
There are a lot of crazy things going on in our world right now that I'm not going to get into, a lot of controversies I'm choosing to back away from. Those who truly know me know where I stand on all of them, and for the moment I'm okay with letting it go at that.
One thing I'm increasingly bothered by, though, is how watered down Christianity is becoming to so many people. What people once held as convictions are being pushed aside because those ideals might make somebody else uncomfortable. It seems people are trying to turn Christianity into a pretty package tied up with a bow, something nice and comfortable. They are painting a picture of God as being that grandfatherly type, sitting in Heaven and patting us on the head, telling us it's okay to do what we want as long as it makes us happy and nobody else gets hurt in the process.
If you have kids, you know what I mean--unless it's just my kids that get spoiled when they go stay with their grandparents!
If it isn't the Grandfather they're pushing, it's the genie in a bottle who will jump out and fulfill every request as long as we rub the bottle the right way and say the magic words when we ask.
Biblical truths and principles are being pushed aside or totally ignored, God's message to us called "outdated" or written for a "different time." I even saw a statement on facebook the other day that said we shouldn't be ruled by regulations from such an old tome.
People still quote verses, but most of the time they are the happy verses that give the impression that as Christians we should accept any actions because we are called to love one another. Yes, I fully believe God tells us--even commands us--to love, but I don't believe that means we are supposed to condone actions that go against His truth.
Jesus loved everyone when He walked on this earth. When He entered the temple, I don't doubt that He loved everyone He saw there--but that didn't stop Him from making a whip and driving the money changers and those selling sheep and oxen out of the temple when they were corrupting the house of God. Yes, He loved the people, but He did not weaken the message He was here to spread by condoning their actions.
Just like weak coffee isn't good for anything, weakened Christianity is useless, too. Yeah, I know that sound harsh and may raise some hackles, but I'll stand by what I've written. When we water down God's word so nobody is offended, or focus on the verses that make us happy but avoid the ones that make us uncomfortable, we dilute the Word to the point of uselessness.
Christianity isn't supposed to be a comfortable thing. Denying yourself daily and taking up the cross to follow Christ is not something that screams happy go-lucky. We are told in Matthew that the way that leads to God's kingdom is a narrow gate and a hard road to follow, yet so often we're painting a picture of a smooth path.
Let's stop watering down the message and get back to the real thing--the full bodied, rich, good stuff that can actually make a difference.
I pray we can all be strong enough to once again cling to the Truth--and not be afraid to admit that we stand alongside the ideals laid out for us by the Only One whose opinion of us really matters.
Well said, Mandy!!!
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