Don't Swallow the Hook & Don't Drink the Kool-Aid

Obviously...I'm trying to get your attention. I guess if you are reading then it worked. For years religion has been viewed as an opiate for the masses. A way to kill the pain of life. Some have said that Christianity is a crutch. It's something that we lean on because life is too hard. While I disagree with all of those statements, I understand why they have been made. So I want to issue a challenge to you (maybe even a warning): KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE & WHY YOU BELIEVE IT!

2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right." NLT

I have run into a great number of people who are really good at regurgitating everything that has been fed to them. It's rare to find people who really know what they believe and why they believe it. Take for example the Christian faith. We have countless denominations of people who say that what they believe is biblical truth. It's one of the obstacles that we must overcome in reaching people for Christ. These different sects of faith have created more questions that answers & more problems than solutions. Too often we hear the banter between opposing sides about who is right and who is wrong, who is going to heaven and who is not, etc. Believe it or not, I'm not here to tell you who is right. I'm not here to defend a particular denomination. I'm just here to stir up your thinking.

The danger is that we can so consume the belief systems and practices of a particular group of believers that it becomes fatal. Where do you think the term "kool-aid drinkers" came from? Just as fatal as a fish swallowing a hook - trying to rip out false belief systems can be detrimental to the life of a believer. Trust me when I say that there are a lot of genuine believers who have nothing to do with organized religion because they have been through this process. If you are a follower of Christ then I want to encourage you to Pray, Read your Bible, and Trust the Holy Spirit. Does this mean you will never get it wrong? No. However, the Holy Spirit will never get it wrong.

The picture that I place above speaks volumes. What if the "Truth" we say we believe is founded in lies? Maybe a better question to ask is "What if what we believe is right is built upon the wrong perspective?" If you have all of these groups that say they are believing biblical truth and yet they disagree - then what should we believe? The truth of the matter is that all truth is discovered in the TRUTH - Jesus Christ. How many times did Jesus say "You've heard it said, but I say to you..."? Whatever we believe should be grounded in the life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. The question that should be asked is "Is what I believe consistent with Him and His nature?". This is where the Holy Spirit plays such a vital role in our lives. He is the Teacher and Jesus promised that He would guide us into all truth and call to remembrance everything that He taught.

The Holy Spirit is our guide to understand the Scriptures that are according to Paul "God breathed" & "Useful for teaching, correction, reproof, and correction." What needs to happen in your life and mine is that we place our belief systems before the Lord and a Bible and we ask Him to give us direction. We allow Him to tell us what is right and what needs to be corrected. We ask Him to lead us into all truth. And by design - that is exactly what the Holy Spirit will do.

With all that being said, I want to give a warning. I'm not trying to put you into a place of doubt. I don't want you to become so critical and full of questions that you cannot receive from anyone. I've seen that happen even with the best of intentions. What I am saying and what I am trying to encourage you to do is to take everything before the Lord. Whenever someone teaches something or says something that seems to be out of line with what you think or believe - ask the Lord to give you understanding. I'm learning to do this with people who think differently than I do. I'm also learning that not everything I believed was right. I've had to be willing to change. I've had to be willing to be challenged. I've had to be humbled. Even when it comes to beliefs that have been handed down through the centuries. Even when it would have been way easier to "Toe the line", I've had to endure the scrutiny of others to follow after what I believe to be the Lord. This isn't easy in our culture. When it comes to beliefs people dot their "I's" and cross their "T's". There's not a lot of room for error. The question you need to answer is what do you want your life to be built upon?

This life is a journey. And in the journey we will make mistakes. There will be times of being right and there will be times of getting it wrong. But I honestly believe if following the Lord is what is in your heart then God will work it all out. In the end, you will be stronger in your faith, stable in what you believe, and excited to share what the Lord has revealed to you.