Continuing the conversation

This is a conversation that shouldn't be left behind.

I completely agree that people come to a deep personal relationship with Christ in different ways. Just like Chris Coli said in Sunday's talk, there are certain things that we, as followers, should be pursuing, but how we go about doing them can be very different.

(begin slight digression)
This idea became clearer in my mind while listening last night. We allow for individuals to be different, the hobbies they enjoy, the jobs they want, their favorite colors, the music they listen to; pretty much, the right to enjoy what they enjoy. People are believers in individuality, showing it in many ways.

So, how come this doesn't often extend into the Church? There is the idea that one must look a certain way or do certain things in order to be a "proper" Christian. But this isn't true, God is the one who spent the time to make each one of us unique, to give us each different likes and dislikes and strengths and weaknesses. For me personally, my strong point isn't being up front leading; instead, my leadership skills are best used behind the scenes, organizing things and following through. I'm not supposed to be the person on stage. That's who I am, that's how I'm made.
(end slight digression)

I want to flesh out the main idea with an example from my own experience: the world of design.

Having the design software or a brand new Mac doesn't make you a designer. Just like doing the "best practices" doesn't make you a Christian. Carrying your bible with you everywhere, getting up at 4 a.m. and praying doesn't make you a Christian.

We're different, there's other stuff involved.

Graphic designers learn in different ways: school courses, books, web resources, job experience or even just messing around with the program, trying stuff out. In fact, this seems to be one of the only fields where an applicant can either have a college degree or the same number of years of working experience. My point is, there are different ways to become a graphic designer, depending on how you learn. Just like there are different ways to talk to God (pray), different ways to spend time being quiet with Him, different ways to worship and different ways to interact with the bible.

There's no formula to follow that will guarantee a healthy ongoing relationship, just as Chris pointed out. We know that, as Christians, we need to pursue God, but how we engage in that looks different for each one of us.

I think part of individual faith maturing is coming to grips with being made individually and pursuing God through the methods he calls to us through, not just what we see others doing.

in thought,
faye