Breaking The Routine Supplement

 

This New Year provides the opportunity to tackle whatever obstacle that is on the horizon. This even means breaking the routine itself if must.

Here is the supplement for the previous message: Breaking The Routine. The supplement is basically the items that were left out of the final message. Parts that at the last minute were deemed irrelevant, didn't flow with the final message, or in some cases, read more like a rant than anything else (ie. irrelevant).  The nice thing about having a blog is that I can still share the proper message as well as what the bits that got left out. 

No Spiritual Brownie Points For You!

While on the pursuit of starting the new year on good ground, it’s important not to pursue “spiritual brownie points”. The pursuit of spiritual enlightenment is not a self-fulfilling game where one keeps score. If someone ask what you would do if you saw a angel, “don’t respond that you would feel peace with God”, especially when those around you know that realistically, would would need a new pair of pants to replace the ones that you were wearing when you saw that one. Trying to take on the image of piety will bear false witness and make you look silly in from of others and God, and will probably result in unnecessary humiliation down the road. 

No meaningful relationship can be built if the person in question thinks that his/her spirituality have transcended themselves beyond the human realm. Jesus was a spiritual being, but yet fully embraced his role as a man on this world. He maintained his spiritual role will still being able to invest in the lives of those around him and relate to those he was speaking too.

Our actions speak louder than words. What we do can affect our witness. This is why the acts of love, kindness, and compassion must become a integral part if not already. This needs to be displayed in the various aspects of our life. Just walking down the street, doing small acts of kindness can speak volumes.

Tales Of A Bellringer

While bellringing at Hobby Lobby one day, a guy on a bicycle came by. He asked if I could watch it. “Sure” as I responded. About 10 minutes later, he came out, we just started talking. I don’t remember what sparked the conversation, but it lasted about 20 minutes. We were talking about spirituality. He was conversing about lessons that was covered by his priest. For example, one of the topics examined was taking the Lord’s name in vain. Most simply assume that this means don’t insert a profanity in God’s name. However, reading more in-depth, one realizes that what it means is that one doesn’t bear false witness. For example, one would be taking the Lord’s name in vain when making claim about one spirituality without actually living up to those claims presented. For those providing the standard text-book response of don’t use God’s name as a profanity, a opportunity is lost when examining that word with deeper insight. The person in question felt empty about the provided responses.

Confusion insures as in many cases, spirituality and religion are treated as one and the same. This is not the case. Spirituality, as defined by Christianity, is the pursuit of Salvation through the sacrifice that God provide through his son, Jesus. The description in the Gospels are to reinforce Jesus’s ministry of Salvation. Religion is the standardization and formalization of spirituality in a defined environment. In short, while spirituality is a gift of God, while religion is a creation of man.

For those not familiar with the teachings of Jesus, religion can be of great guidance. However, because religion was a creation of man, it’s prone to the moral and ethical shortcomings of man as well. It can also be a hindrance when one becomes consumed its trappings and the structure rather than the spirituality behind that structure. In many cases, the pursuit of spirituality is lost. Emptiness ensures for those that feel that spirituality can only be achieved by conforming to the rules that are defined by that particular establishment. This could apply equally to those who are Catholic, Orthodox Christians, Baptist, or any other denomination that often places structure above spirituality. Anyone consumed by the structure can be confined to it, regardless of denomination. It’s important to develop pursue spirituality without becoming consumed in the routine.

The person I talked too that particular day was very well researched in God’s word. He read the Bible constantly, and he wanted to get more from God’s teachings. An opportunity presents when least expected. We both agreed that when it comes to the Bible, their was a lot more to it than what meets the eye.

Conclusion (In Regard To Faith When Applied To Personal Hygiene and the 2020 Outbreak)

Faith is essential to the Christian faith. However, the concept of blind faith is being horrible abused by those that use it as a excuse to not exercise their critical thinking skills. They won't act on vital advice because they aren't quote "trusting God". Many won't exercise caution because they know more than their doctors. God did create them for a reason you know. When one jeopardizes their own health with little regard because of quote "faith"; that's not trusting God, but testing him. God will only bail you out so many times. Many who could have had enriching lives have instead incurred permanent suffering because they didn't rest and let their bodies and recuperate at the time. Rest isn't a sign of weakness. Those that didn't have anything to prove ended up paying unnecessary consequences because they had misplaced priorities that was re-branded as "faith".  

Faith isn't treating your own health in a destructive manner and with little personal regard while expecting other to do the same because if they don't, then they aren't quote "True Christians". Faith isn't doing anything to your hearts content while assuming that God will bail you out. Christians are called to treat their body as a temple. They are also called to display consideration and responsible for the health of others as well. We don't purposely put our own health or that of others in danger because one feels as they have quote "something to prove". Faith was not intended on being abused in this manner.

Exercising caution, being responsible, and taking preemptive steps isn't a sign of "lacking faith". It's important to have faith, but it's also important not to unnecessary take chances, and being vigilant. Faith is misunderstood if one doesn't exercise these attributes because that's not quote "trusting God". Not taking preemptive health measures can cause real world harm down the road. Not exercising caution also shows  the complete disregard of others people's health and lack of consideration for others. Not exercising caution while taking unnecessary chances isn't faith, but the abuse of it. Taking chances because one feels that they have to quote "justify their faith" is the mentality of a pompous, self-righteous dolt, and not a true believer.    

This is a mockery of what Faith is, which is the belief in a ideal because you know its true  in your heart. Jesus values those that puts his teachings into their heart because they put deep thought into  his teachings, and not some nincompoop that blindly nods their heads up and down without taking his teachings into consideration. Critical thinking compliments faith, not competes with it. Faith requires action. Action requires understanding evaluating the situation, and what actions are required for one to have a fulfilling life not only for themselves, but others around them. We should strive for a rich and fulfilling life, and we must do what must be required to get their. The health of others shouldn't be jeopardize just because one sees the situation as quote a "test". We could have richer lives down the road as a result while looking out for our own well-being and respecting the well-being of others. Faith is the enrichment of spirituality, not a contest where one test God to see what see how how many chances one takes before its "game other". That's not spirituality, but one scoring brownie points for self-serving ambitions.

The pursuit of Salvation is a vital one. This is more the reason to be invested in it. It’s the reason why the teachings of Jesus should be at the forefront and spread rapidly for those that seek it or are in need of it. The New Year provides that grand opportunity to embrace our spiritual walk. It’s a pursuit that we are all called to partake in because we love God. This is the first and foremost reason to undertake it.