Monday, June 6, 2011

good works?

I know I just posted a few minutes ago, but I had a new thought that just came to my head. I was reading Donald Miller's blog (like I always do, I am a little obsessed), and he had a really good point. He was discussing 'working together with God to do His work'. He was right in saying that people downsize and limit what they think God's work is. People define God's work as doing something through the church. God's work is much bigger than that. God's work is everywhere. God's work is in the beauty of the world. It is in every brain busy at work trying to find a cure for a disease. It is in every artist and writer and scientist. God is working everywhere, and it should not be narrowly confined to the church. As you know, I am disappointed with most of the modern day church. I am a 'Book of Acts' type of person. I believe in doing works. I do not like confining God to a building. I also do not believe someone can do a bunch of good deeds, but not have a relationship with God. I know, that is confusing. But, having a great love for God will cause someone to want to do good deeds. I spent many years measuring how good of a person I was by all of the deeds that I did. I am still not perfect in my relationship with God, but it is evolving and growing stronger. I want to help better the world. I want to show love and help others have a better life. I cannot stand injustice. It infuriates me to see people being hateful to other people. Everyone is the same. Nobody is better than someone else. So how can we judge someone else and their life. People are handed circumstances, and they do the best they can with what they have. I know I mess up sometimes. Sometimes I mess up worse than other times. But, I want to be a better person. I want to keep learning from my mistakes and grow into a better person. Some of the most wise people that I know have the worst pasts. You have to go through dark, tough times to grow into a better person. You have to learn how to deal with bad times and celebrate the good times. 
Back to doing God's works. I also do not believe that you can confine God's works as 'being good'. People who put themselves on a throne because they are good really tick me off. Just because someone goes to church twice a week, and does not cuss, and does not drink and is on the church softball team, does not make them better than anyone else. Good job for being a good person, but don't put other people down by bragging about it. I am discussing this because I heard someone talking the other day about everything that they do with the church. I am not putting down churches with softball teams and other such things. I like playing softball. But, telling someone that you are 'on the church softball team', should not make you feel good about yourself. I have caught myself doing this same thing. I felt really bad when I started thinking about it. Great, I am involved with the church, but what am I doing for the rest of the world? What am I doing for the hungry and homeless and sick and the lost? Isn't that what God said to do? So should going to church twice a week make you feel like a better person? Because it sure doesn't make me feel like one. I love going and seeing everyone and learning more about God. But lately, I realize where I need to be at. So, I do not believe we can judge someone by whether they are 'good' or 'bad'. 
This was just on my heart and I wanted to write it out. It has really been on my mind lately. 

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