seriousness, laid back and the middle ground of seeking God

The topic of Religion and belief can always becomes contentious and become a kind of war many times. So much so that I think the carnal man takes over more than the leading of the Spirit leads.

I think we can be so serious with our faith that we can take offense to anything that comes against it. Religious minded people are seen as too serious with their faith with seemingly no room to be laid back or have any middle ground. Why do you think this is? I propose it helps to start religious wars because it takes on a 'my way or the highway' attitude or maybe 'repent or die' type thing. See how serious and in your face that is?

Does God require a Christian to be so serious so much of the time? What about middle ground or being laid back a bit. Doesn't God use all the sides of souls characteristic to reach a persons heart?

I have a serious side as well as being very laid back. I know when to turn each one so that I have balance. It allows me to avoid religious contention when I see there is no value in the conversion or to throw a stick in the conversion to pull someone's attention away from the contention if that makes sense?

I think being so serious so much of the time poses issues within the Church because it causes so many to see God as a task master and not one who can laugh and have a sense of humor. Ever heard the phrase 'God is going to get you"? Why do you suppose that is said. It is like a form of judgment and it comes from being too serious sometimes.

What are your thoughts?

John

Wonderful post, John!

I'm with you. It's wonderful to see someone manage oneself wisely in a debate by even just pulling out of it if necessary in order to keep things peaceable.

I think debates and arguments in general can become an empty lure to vent to no end with no gain. Besides, how many times has anyone been won over to the other side of a heated argument? Everyone just digs in . . . and it bears no fruit.

So I think one has to always keep a strong anchor in questions like 'is this edifying anyone?' and 'am I being pleasing to Christ?' and 'Lord, do You want me in this?'

I think much of the issue is about where our hearts are, and what is our purpose in the whole thing. Do I speak to show how much I know, or do I speak out of love for the brethern and the lost. What is my motive?

Gal 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

1Ti 6:20 ¶ O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane [and] vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

Tts 3:9 ¶ But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

God will give us wisdom to know when to share the revelations that we have received, and when not to. If we are with someone who only wants to argue and dispute about points of doctrine we are casting our pearls before swine and just wanting to be right all the time to no advantage. If the word of God dwells in us richly we don't have to be right all the time, because He is right all the time, and we err often. Sometime we just want to show how much we know and will fight to prove it to the point we are not christlike.

Again we need to question our motives, is our motive to show the great love we have in our hearts for the hearer, or are we just trying to show how much we know? The motive has a great effect upon the hearer, if love is the motive their heart will be more tender, if self promotion is the motive they will see right through us.

I have been saved for 36 years now and I have gone through all the different stages of motive, I have found that when I begin to share something and it is met with resistance I wait for another opportunity, after much prayer to present itself. God is able to allow circumstances to come into folks lives to make them more open to the word, like slavery in Egypt did for the children of Israel.

I believe that we should know what we believe and why, and stand strong on what God has given us, but disputing is never the way unless it is from a heart of love and through a door that God has opened. It will be seasoned with tenderness, and slam like a sledge hammer. There is a good reason Jesus spoke in parables, it gave them time to think, maybe we need a few of our own parables. I find sharing a testimony of what God has done in my life works much better than disputing points of doctrine.

There was a point in my life in which I was very serious with my faith but that seriousness got misguided along the way and I became a bit judgmental and it all came back to me. Eventually I crashed and run away from everything having to do with the church. In my slow assent back I have taken a different approach. One that engages in conversations and learns more about culture and how to bring the Light of the Gospel to that cultured instead of just using spiritual laws and resorting to there churchy things to preach the gospel

I am more of a laid back middle of the road person and this helps me to hear people even if I disagree with them whether it is a religious belief or in politics. I believe it is this kind of trait/characteristic that will allow the worldly mindset to hear the Gospel.

Ironically, in the past as I have carried on deep conversations about the church I always noticed that people would gather around and just listen. Many times people would tell me they got more out of my conversation than if they went to church. I would just laugh because when I engaged in conversation I am very open and candid. I explain what I think and why I think. Then I put on the table the way I think something is being presented and why it is being presented that way. I supposed it is the mark of a teacher?

Not sure if any have heard of Steve Brown of Steve Brown ETC but I love his style because he shows the laid backness of how I am and the genuiness that I like. He will tick off some religious people because of some of the stuff he says but in my view, they need to be ticked off then, lol.

I just think in the end that when the church is too serious with the gospel the carnal nature comes out and instead of loving and listening we judge and humiliate because we preach with anger.

I noticed a girl on youtube who did a video in which she held up cards informing viewers of this very thing and how she was ashamed that she did this.

In the end, when we have disagreements on this board do you find yourself having to win in the conversations? If so they you are guilty of the seriousness of which I speak. Is it really hard to lay back a bit and process what you read and hear before you speak? Even if it is on a topic that is very sensitive to your heart? Don't allow the carnal nature to supersede the spirit because we can all say something that sounds religious but if it said malice then that 'love' will turn into poisonous darts.

John

One other thing, are you so serious about your faith that you beat yourself up when certain things are not accomplished on a constant basis when it comes to 'sin' things in ourselves? And then later on that disappointment translates to anger or depression directed elsewhere as in with your kids, your spouse, you or with friends? Maybe it is time to lay back a little bit.

I often times wonder if when we read the letters of Paul and his inward reflections as he writes about sin and ourselves if we think Paul was serious all of the time to the point in which he had no time for much humor because sin is so serious. I think often times we can become so OCD that we are misdirected in our faith to go in certain directions of person discipleship and evangelism and do more harm to ourselves and others than we realize as a result.

How many times have we tackled a hot button issue and used a passage of scripture to 'prove' our point and yet we did it in anger or just to prove a point and in which it came to make the other person just 'mad' and they closed up their ears. Yet we 'had' to do it?

Does this make any sense? Sometimes I think I am rambling on and on and on.

John