Plinky... not one for keeping to polite dinner table conversation. Today's topic is 'Would you describe yourself as spiritual, religious, or something else?'. Now I am not usually one to shy away from the good old dinner table picker. In our mess the more often you can bring up the topics of 'sex, politics and religion' the better, though perhaps most frequently the first one.
I suppose with this one you really have to jump in head first with your pick. For me I'd say I something else. I have a faith, I am convinced, I am convicted but I am not religion nor to I like the airy fairy connotations I get when people use the word 'spiritual'. Put simply I am a Christian. I have little to do with the denomination debate and less to do with the concept of religion.
If I was trying to be religious I would be failing to be a Christian. And right about now I have 90% of the universe against me. Some because I am claiming a faith in God and Jesus without claiming a faith in tiresome dedication to the church by-laws others because I am claiming to be Christian at all.
I am actually finding this pretty difficult. Writing about my beliefs on a free-to-air blog (not that many people read it I'm sure). Its not that I am not open with my faith, or that people will judge me without knowing me because of it. It is that maybe the way I explain something isn't just right, maybe I use a word that people don't like and that will blame my God and the very concept of Christianity for it.
To get on the the prompt points 'How did you form your beliefs?'. Well some parts of Christianity are big on the huge and fancy testimonial. Not that they aren't inspiring and powerful - it is always great to hear about somebody on the edge of breakdown turning to Christ and being restored. No Christian influence in their life until that moment where they suddenly realised God's grace and what it means.
For me though my greatest conviction came not through the big story but through knowing that I don't need the big story. When I stopped needing to compare myself with others. I grew up in a Christian home. I went to a Christian primary school, and attended Sunday School, and listened to Christian songs in the car. I was memory versed and parabled and had been in the Christmas play. Basically I had all the luxuries, was it just a product of my childhood that I would be a Christian too?
Some kids from Christian homes still do the great turn around. They think it is all boring, the rebel, refuse to attend and then turn back to Christ. I didn't do that. As I got older it just made more sense. For me God is and I never needed to question it. So my Christian story came in the knowing that Jesus died for me, for knowing that while I am a Sinner, while I could never measure up, he took my punishment.
And by knowing this that I don't need to measure up, my story doesn't have to be flashy, I don't need to remember the moment it happened down to the second. I live for Christ because Christ died for me. Its that simple. Living for Christ doesn't mean tiptoeing around the planet, it doesn't mean being a teetotaller or judging those around me for their 'wicked' ways. I live to love, to serve, and to be a living testimony to the love of Christ in my life.
To emphasise the don't be tiptoeing around the planet - I JOINED THE MILITARY of all professions. There is an entire debate topic in whether or not Christians should serve in the military but beyond that. It certainly doesn't make me less Christian. In fact it is one of the best things that ever happened for me as a Christian. I can't say that my faith would be as strong as it is now without the Christian fellowship I belong to now. Goes to show God works, God calls, and He will save.
Without God, without Jesus, without the cross, I would be dead.
For our sake he made him sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. -- 2 Cor 5:21
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