Posted by John on April 17, 2001 at 10:09:06:
In Reply to: Re: why is it? posted by Bryon on April 17, 2001 at 08:39:23:
: : If we are supposed to have the joy of Christ and the hope of salvation, if all of our needs are met, then why is it that so many of our interactions are characterized by negativity and down-turned minds. Maybe it's just me, but I realized today, only moments ago that I don't have to feel this way. All it takes is the proper perspective, but we so quickly turn down again. Yes this world sucks, but I am not part of it. I want to feel good more than not, strangely I know that I don't feel good because of things I have placed in my own way. I want peace, joy, clarity, kindness. And I want it persistently. I know that I will continue to vacillate, butI want it to trend upward and minimize the extremes. I can accept nothing less than all of it and have to keep trying. In short, I'm tired of feeling tired and generally bad. Gratefully, I don't have to.
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: I'm definately there with you. I think it will be a lot less strenuous for us as christians when we really learn that God is everything. He is all. Once we truely realize this, all else will fall to the wayside as chaff, waste if you will. I think people feed on the whole downcast thing, because it seems to give place to a breeding ground of hopelessness (all the while being blind to it), which will bring sympathy or at least empathy. The problem here is that sometimes we as christians fail to give that up because we are still looking, in a weird sense, for the approval, or validation, of man. I could be way off here, but this is what I can sense. I mean, it defined the 90's music! Generation X. Kurt Cobain.
"yeah, man I know what you mean." This phrase seems to be the mildest form, but illustrates what you said. We are selfish by nature. We cling to our own problems and ordeals, and it seems we have developed a culture in which we exist by complaining to each other. I listen to you and nod a few times then its my turn and we both feel better in our misery. But even by ourselves we recount everything bad to ourselves, we spin it downward instead of up. We fail to recognize that our existence is defined by our perceptions and nothing more. Granted there is an ultimate reality that happens to us no matter what we think or do, but we are all so far removed from that we don't even know what it is. We create these intricate and precise fabrege worlds for ourselves and we allow certain people and things into them. The better the construct, the easier it is to decieve ourselves that it is reality when outside forces threaten it. I think perhaps our circle is less good at this construction and hence we are all miserable. Well, then we need to change our perceptions and watch to see how our new world looks. It is that easy, it only seems that it isn't. Especially since we have a God who promises that we can jump and not fall. We can chance to NOT understand and be okay. We don't have to figure out our world to survive, we are well-kept. This makes so many things possible. This means that i can wake up tomorrow and instead of groaning about how tired i am and how I have to drive to work and be cold and bored. I can wake up in the hope of feeling the air and tasting food and experiencing stimuli, even those that may be unpleasant because I know that my God has crafted my path and will keep me from harm. I don't have to worry about food, or money or clothes because my God knows that I need them and will provide them. He says the godless chase after these things. I can choose to believe this and be happy, or I can choose to follow the world's logic. If we can do this, then the hinderances will fall away like chaff. We will be able to see what matters and pursue those things because they will shine like gold before us and the rest will be dull. This will allow our physical lives to unite with our spiritual desires, instead of interpreting our spiritual needs and deisres BY our physical lives. Does God say take up your cross as long as it doesn't interfere with your career development and follow me as far as you can before you go to work and then clean your house, while leaving enough time to rest so you can get up to do it all over again? Ludicrous... I want life and I want it more abundantly!