Reflecting

How rare is reflection in our Christianity today? Is it because the majority of American Christians own an actual Bible? Has a hard copy of the Scriptures kept us from going deeper in our understanding? One author has said, "To read without reflecting is like eating without digestion." Think about that statement. Paul, when writing his young disciple Timothy said as much: "Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this."
2 Timothy 2:7

Maybe part of the problem is that most of us have received a packaged faith. Wrapped up neatly in our dogma are all the verses, bullet points, and cross references that you will ever need. There's really no need to think for yourself. Just accept what we say as fact, own it, and you will be an fine. It is exactly this approach to our faith that has caused the majority of our divisions. Evangelical Christianity is filled with various denominations who all say they believe the same thing about the main thing. Yet we continue to divide ourselves. Has anyone ever asked how long it took for us to get to where we are today? Are we arrogant enough to think that we have it all figured out?

I wonder how many Christians realize that it took about three centuries to discover the Trinity? In other words, it took 300 years of reflection, contemplation, and meditation for the Church to grasp something as essential as this belief. For those of us who grew up in the church, reciting the Nicene Creed, and being taught about 3 in 1 (which actually may be an over simplification) this may seem shocking. However, we have to recognize the fact that much of what we say is essential in what we believe has not always been believed, or at least was not communicated in the same way we communicate it today.

Why does this matter? It matters because you and I were given a belief system and never taught how to question it, reflect upon it, reject it, or go deeper into it. The topic really didn't matter. We were just handed something and said to memorize it. Which, by the way, doesn't make for very mature believers. Many of these topics have been so ingrained in our thinking that we cannot read the Bible without seeing them. Therefore, we struggle with new ideas, concepts, or interpretations. We meet someone who is very strong in GRACE and we label them. Have a conversation with someone who is really engrossed in the LOVE of God and we call them heretical. Listen to someone who is convinced of the FINISHED WORK of Christ and we might even say they are a false prophet/teacher. All because it looks and/or sounds a little different than what we believe. The reality is that over the last 2,000 years the church has continued to grow and to develop in our understanding of God. We continue to search the Scriptures, reflect upon what we have read, investigate church history, and give room for the Spirit to help us in this endeavor. We are learning what Paul taught his young disciple. "Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into this."

Reflection - serious thought or consideration - is necessary for anyone who wants to walk with the Lord. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that there are some things we have said, taught, and done throughout the centuries doesn't seem to jive with what we know about Jesus and the faith that He offers to us. What we have often labeled as movements within the history of Christianity are simply a recapturing of what has always been true. We just lost these truths somewhere along the way. And while we may accept them as truth now there is great difficulty in getting them to fit into our current structures.

I'm telling you right now that if you will seriously think and consider about the love that God has for you - you will be undone.
If you seriously think and consider God's grace in your life - you will be transformed.
If you seriously think and consider the finished work of Christ - you will stop striving for what the Father has already granted to you.
The list goes on and on. But we will never truly enjoy these things until we stop the madness. Stop running around in our religious hamster wheels. Stop long enough for the Lord to actually speak to us about these things.

I wish that each of us could read the Bible in its original language. I wish that we could dump everything out of our minds that we have been taught and see it for the first time ourselves. I wish that we could take such an approach to the Bible where we actually ask the Spirit to lead us, to teach us, and to enable us to communicate it for ourselves. Those first two wishes may not take place, but the last one can. The Spirit of God is all too willing to do lead, teach, and enable. If we will let Him.

We have so much more to learn. So much more to understand about our identity in Christ. So many more experiences of the reality of God in our lives. The Kingdom of God is ever increasing. Why wouldn't we take the time to reflect upon the GOODNESS of our Heavenly Father? It is such an incredible journey. So...I dare you to carve out some time in your life just to reflect. Seriously think and consider some of these things for yourself. You don't need to protect a belief system. You need to encounter the living God. Enjoy the journey!