Path of Least Resistance

So a dear friend told me about the book “Christian Atheist.” I must say that I love it and as you could imagine, we all need it. ******************************************************************************************** It got something at the back of my mind niggling and I can’t get hold of it. So, maybe if I start writing, it will come. You see, last night when reading my bible, and rereading things I have already read multiple times, it just hits me as if I never read it, ya know? No matter how many times you read it, he always gives you new stuff to chew on. (mentally)********************************************************************************** You see, God didn’t mean for everyone to understand His message. And that ought to scare the dickens out of us. The disciples asked Jesus why he spoke in only parables. Listen to Mat 13:11: “And he answered them, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, bit to them it has not been given.’” ******************************************************************************************** So there are a multitude of people who this applies to: Look at Mat 13:14-15: “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.” ****************************************************************************************************** It got me thinking about the path of least resistance. We are all guilty of it. So many times we choose the easiest way, not the right way. I can’t count how many times in my life that I have said or done things wrongly to, with and at other people because it was easy, not right. If you have been a victim of that from me, please accept my humblest apologies. No one can grieve over it more than I have in the last decade and I suspect it will only get more intense. ************************************************************************************** I talk about this a lot in my blogs but I can never stress it enough because so many I love and care for are Christian Atheists even still. And I think it isn’t labels we are stuck with or boxes we fit in, but rather a resonating continuum that we traverse back and forth through at different stages of our lives. I know that I have lived at both ends and everywhere in between. And I am positive that you have to. ***************************************************************************************** You see, we all know that there is a big difference between believing in Him and knowing Him. The problem is we like to believe that WE are on the knowing side when we can’t even drag ourselves out of our comfort zone to go on a date with Him, so to speak. Worse, we haven’t tried to get to know Him or hear from Him and we have a bible collecting dust and our knees are perfectly healthy but never see the floor. You feel me?? **************************************************************************** The thing is, are you chosen like the disciples or have you been blinded because you are afraid to see or be what is expected? Do you always want to take the path of least resistance? Is the world and its frills more attractive than the expectations that truly being a Christian entails? Do you just throw money at the movement and think that should do it? ***************************************************************************** I know, I know. Maybe your group of friends expect you to be the entertainer, be inappropriate, swear to prove your cool and pick on someone for their beliefs. Maybe it is partying, drinking, drugs or food that you would rather over-indulge in. Maybe it is sleep that you crave, work that you wish to impress, family that takes all of your attention and God just has to understand, right? ********************************************************************************** The thing is, He does. You don’t. If you only REALLY understood what… WHO you are choosing when you choose to be too preoccupied for Him. And here is the rub… maybe YOU aren’t meant to understand. And THAT scares me. To think that He is not talking to you. It should terrify you enough to wake you up. **************************************************************************************************************** I am going to lay out the parable of the sower and then the explanation of it from Jesus.****************************************************** Mat 13:3-9: 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears,[a] let him hear.” ********************************************************************************************************************************* Mat 13:18-23: This is Jesus explaining the parable of the sower. See if God is talking to you or if you are numb to it: 18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.[a] 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” ***************************************************************************************************************** The one thing that I really want you to get is that every choice that we make either leads us closer to Him or farther away. • Never assume that you are going to Heaven. • Never assume that your works will get you there. Nor your money, contributions, volunteer work, blogs or whatever else you think will allow you to remain in the world but advertise your title (Christian) • Never assume that sin is what we DO, it is also how we think and feel and what we omit. In fact, I would wager that sin is a battle that originates in thought and grows from there. Ever commit adultery? You may think not but even in your mind, if you have, then you did. Ever hate someone? Still do? You are sinning. (Read your bible) • Never ignore His strong conviction in your life. Oh yes, He will try to guide you to where you need to be but if you continue to ignore Him, He may overlook you altogether. • KNOW that the more time that you spend with Him in prayer and knowledge seeking, believing in Him and listening for His guidance, the better chance you have of staying in His kingdom. **************************************************************************************************************** This one speaks to me: Mat 12: 36: “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” *************************************************************************** But know this. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. No one gets to the father except through Him. Start there. Start in the New Testament. Get on your knees and don’t ask, praise and LISTEN. More importantly, pay attention to what your thought life is doing. Yeah? No matter how “Christian” we think we are getting, our thoughts tell us otherwise. Use the rubber-band method. *******************************************************************************************************************