Chad made a comment on the last post that really made me stop in my tracks, think it over, and read it again: "I've known a few people in my life that spend so much time trying to be '"great thinkers of the faith' that they lose sight of the key." I've been guilty of this a few times in my life: spending so much time thinking theology, brain-storming theology, that I lose sight of my pursuit after God and my becoming like Christ.
On The Ooze, someone said, "One can get mired down in all sorts of theological stuff. Then the need to get the right angle or version can take the place of the desire to be Christlike and be a blessing to others." From someone who likes to exercise the brain muscle (a little Dodgeball pun), I admit that sometimes getting the right angle--the right theology, the right philosophy, the right understanding of a passage or bit of scripture--and even just getting the right version of the Bible--a year or two ago I went through a crises of the versions, researching and studying and comparing versions for the one most able to aide my spiritual journey--can overrule the call of Christ to be like Him and to love others as Christ loves us. There is nothing wrong with the pursuit of knowledge, but when it takes over the pursuit of God, something wrong has happened.
On The Ooze, someone said, "One can get mired down in all sorts of theological stuff. Then the need to get the right angle or version can take the place of the desire to be Christlike and be a blessing to others." From someone who likes to exercise the brain muscle (a little Dodgeball pun), I admit that sometimes getting the right angle--the right theology, the right philosophy, the right understanding of a passage or bit of scripture--and even just getting the right version of the Bible--a year or two ago I went through a crises of the versions, researching and studying and comparing versions for the one most able to aide my spiritual journey--can overrule the call of Christ to be like Him and to love others as Christ loves us. There is nothing wrong with the pursuit of knowledge, but when it takes over the pursuit of God, something wrong has happened.
3 comments:
I'm a recovering theology debataholic...
A year ago, my free time was spent mostly online debating Arminianism vs. Calvinism on...get this...a Christian guitar web site. Yeah, it doesn't make much sense.
I bought a ton of books, did a ton of research, and won a ton of battles. I was claiming victory for the Arminians! I envisioned my Calvinist enemies laying at my feet, my sword of the Spirit having cut off all of their heads. I had fifteen verses memorized to go against every petal of the TULIP.
Then, at some point, I realized that although I had become a good Arminian defender, I was further from God than I had been in twenty years. I was angry at Christians all the time, I was bitter, and I spent most of my time treating the Bible as a defense manual rather than the living Word of God.
I no longer debate theology. Now I have to find something else to be competitive in (which it all boils down to, I think) - if I could only find my X-box...
Thanks for your guys' comments.
I'm gonna have to put you on the links, Adam. At first I was trying to figure out if you were the worship Arts minister and it took me a while to make the connection.
I've also noticed, Adam, that you tend to acknowledge an X-Box in almost every comment :-)
Jeff... I think the sloth is a God-thing. Ams brought it up out of the blue three hours after you and I were talking about it. I'd get to Roger on this one... :-)
Well, I miss my x-box. And I can't find it. :(
Post a Comment