Humpty dumpty sat on the wall of Jericho
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
probably because i am more black and white than gray all over, it's very difficult for me to take a stand on more gray area topics. such as: -how much tv is too much? -where should we spend most of our time and with whom? -is this movie okay? -what kind of music should we listen to? -should we eat organic? -what kind of beef should we buy? -how green should we be? -should we paint the walls blue or green? -homeschool or public school (note: we do not have children yet!!) i think by now you get what i mean. my mind is daily bogged down by questions that remain unanswered and in all truth will probably not be all that important at the end of the day. i'm like humpty dumpty up there on the wall, not knowing what to do. i need joshua's army to come and rescue me with the blasts of the trumpet, to crumble the wall before i fall and my pieces are unable to be pieced together. i think my black and white mentality makes this even more difficult, because one way has to be the best. wow, that is so wrong. one way will be the best, but it will be what is best for our family:) can you help me...what are some ways you tackle the questions...do they fall to the wayside? do you take a stand? or do you prioritize what is most important? i think the latter may be the best way. it's so overwhelming.
1 comments:
Good post Andrea!
I think having kids sometimes forces these questions to be answered. (Although, it's better to get a grip on them pre-kids).
I also think you're absolutely right that they are gray areas. Treating them as black and white will be a sure path to legalism and fewer friends.
That said, you still have to make up your mind on them. And when you have a family, simply the act of making the decision may offend some people. If you choose to homeschool, some people will assume you think public is wrong, or vice versa.
If you eat organic, people may assume you think McDonalds is of the devil. I think it's right and necessary to get a conviction on these issues. If you homeschool, you should be fully convinced of the "rightness" of it for your family and your circumstance, while at the same time recognizing your family isn't every family and God will lead others to different conclusions. Same with tv, movies, music, and "green-ness".
Lest I sound like a relativist, saying that the each person's standard will be "what's right for them," let me quote Paul from Romans 14:1-8:
"As for m the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 n One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's."
The phrase I focus on is, "each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.." Or as Pastor John says of this passage, "Get a conviction!!"
Sorry this is so long.
Abigail
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