christian "mountain top" bible crack (as in cocaine)
Warning--not meaning to offend anyone, just throwing thoughts out there into space, looking for responses to sometimes temporary insanity. In other words, I am sweating that I will offend someone. After all, I am speaking also about myself here. Okay, to my point.It seems like that we Christians go around looking for that bible "high" all the time. I know I do. You know, the mountain top. We've all been there, and let me tell you, it is fantastic. Like no other "feeling" or place on earth. Peace flows, love flows, joy flows, and this actually DOES happen and does exist, and is an awesome part of Christianity. But, can we live there all the time? That place where pain goes away, and you feel like you are close to...Heaven. I love it. People who use drugs and abuse drugs are looking to escape. Escape from pain. We are all looking to do that. Christianity provides that kind of escape on the "mountain top" and it works. But, can we live there all the time? Or, can we accept the valley from God sometimes? Are we still going to believe in God if he doesn't always take us to the Mountaintop when we ask him to? Can we accept pain from God, and still believe in him? Job did. "though He slay me, I will praise Him." Whoa, that is TRUE Christianity. Saying, "God, I believe in you, even if you don't give me that Mountaintop right now. I accept this pain from you." I seem to remember Jesus praying "God, take this cup from me, if it be your will." Did God take that cup from him? Nope, and we are all better for it. Thankyou Jesus, for accepting the pain and not the mountain top.
posted by operamom at 11:16 PM
13 Comments:
I think everyone has gone through a phase where they seek the mountaintop experience. Just my opinion, but I believe this stems from a deeply seeded desire to have a physical manifestation of some type to prove to ourselves that God is really real. But as we discover that the walk is spiritual rather than physical, we begin to realize that we are just exhausting ourselves in order to have an experience that God intended (in fact, worked hard to make) to be simple. He is with us, walking with us, helping us to show others his love, giving us the tools we need to do so. We don't have to jump around and wear ourselves out to get his attention. WE HAD IT FROM THE BEGINNING.
campfirehottie. amazing. i never thought of that before. a physical manifestation. so true! i keep trying to make God physical. but, you are right. he is truly spiritual. i have proof of that almost daily. sometimes i have wanted him to come down and show himself to me though. i have asked him to. i'll just have to wait until i die. morbid thought though it may be.
snoopy, i want to put your post on my fridge. this too is the only time in my life where i have trouble with prayer. it's so true though that this is where faith has to kick in and you have to let the storm be. there is a christian song that say, "i'll praise you in the storm," that is completely popular right now, and it is no wonder. we just have to praise him, trust him, and not let our emotions get the best of us, throughout our lives. also, it does build our faith, even if it is scary, to experience a storm.
snoopy-i always think of your mom when i hear that song, "thankyou for giving to the Lord." have you heard that?
campfirehottie--is the jump around part referring to assembly of God people? hee, heee, heee!
Brennan Manning writes about the ups and downs of Christianity in his book, The Ragamuffin Gospel. (great book)
He talks about the monotonous times of our walk with Christ. When it feels like we're just going through the motions, and it seems that God is silent. He says that we shouldn't be afraid of these times, but instead, know that if our faith withstands these times, we are stronger for it. Even though it doesn't feel that way. That when we continue to pray in these times, that God delights in our faith. I think so, too.
CFHottie and Snoopy, great thoughts. Thanks for the reminder, OpMom, that God hasn't abandoned us during the pain.
kamela-great to have you back. yes, despite our feelings, if we still follow Him...I know He does love that. I just hope for faithfulness. Commitment.
fancy--you're like the 3rd person to recommend that! I really need to take note and just get that book! I'm excited! Maybe it will show me something that i need to know.
Snoopy: How'd you guess about the A/G? Hee hee.
I'm so sorry about your mother. My husband and I went through a cancer battle with his mother last year and I understand. I think the pain and changes she went through prior to death were even harder to accept than her death itself. But we know she is not suffering any longer. In fact, I had a wonderful dream in which she appeared to my husband, our children, and myself. She was a beautiful and happy child and was wearing two princess rings. She kept saying she was so happy to be home. I feel that God gave me this dream to comfort our spirits.
OpMom: Yes, it is hard when we want a physical manifestation. But remember how powerful God is and that it might be better for us if we didn't have a lot of those manifestations. Remember that Moses had to be hidden in the cleft of the rock as God passed by for his own safety. These mortal shells can only take so much of His powerful presence.
Of course, that doesn't mean we have to stop seeking Him!
Oh, sorry, I thought snoopy asked about A/G and just realized it was operamom. Chalk up another ADD moment.
c-hottie--that helps me to remember how powerful God is. YOu are right, if he showed himself to me, i would die of shock. It's good things are the way they are.
Good discussion here. I think we've too long been forced to see the world in polar terms that aren't actually opposites. For example, God's goodness and our suffering are not diametrically opposed states of being. Neither is mountaintop vs. suffering. What I think we should do is take a bigger view of our life and relationship with God. A view in which goodness and pain are not opposites, but compliments. A view in which joy and suffering are not poles on a continuum, but simply two parts of the human existence.
cach--yes, lately, i have been thinking of more of the yin and yang of God, not that that is what you were saying exactly. but, i am trying not to consider myself a failure as a christian, if i suffer.
sarah--prayer of jabez? i have heard of that a lot. i will look into that. for some reason, i always feel guilty for asking God to bless me. Wierd hugh? and i need whiter teeth anyways.
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