Christianity & Complacency

I guess I do a lot of thinking once I crawl in bed to unwind for the day and tonight I can't help but think about Christianity and complacency. I recall several years ago I was involved in a wonderful ministry. At the time I thought that some of their beliefs were a bit over the top and didn't necessarily agree with them. I thought the only hug from the side if it's a guy and a girl thing was just ridiculous. I thought it was kind of stupid that as a leader we had to sign a contract saying we wouldn't drink. But now I am thankful for all of that and even wish I would have continued to follow that in my own life.

With the psychology and counseling background that I have, I am very familiar with A.A. Although it was originally created as a spiritual recovery program it has since then become more secular. I think about what an alcoholic goes through and the difficulty of abstaining from alcohol. I know that they have to truly have supportive friends that won't allow for alcohol to be around when the alcoholic is present and some friends and family go as far to abstain from alcohol themselves. What a powerful impact those friends and families have on the life of that specific alcoholic allowing them to recover a little bit easier by deciding to take those things out of their own life in order to help prevent relapse.

Thinking about this kind of frustrates me when I then think about Christians and the roles played out relating to sin. 1 Corinthians 8:13 says "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall." Also in Romans 14:12b "Make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." and then versse 21 "It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall." These verses have really spoken a lot to me this week. As the alcoholics family gives up alcohol in order to help their friend or family member shouldn't we also give up some things in order to keep our brothers or sisters from stumbling? Perhaps this is where that "over the top" Christianity comes back into play for me.

Say I have a lot of friends come over to hang out and we decide to have margaritas. Margaritas in and of themselves are not a bad thing, but say an alcoholic comes to the party. What then have I done? Let's take this down a notch. Say that a friend cusses thinking it's funny and not necessarily all that wrong, but another person struggles with keeping a pure mouth...what then have I done? This one is a little different since none of us should really be talking that way in the first place, but the point being I then cause my brother to stumble. "Avoid Godless chatter because those who indulge in it become more and more ungodly." 2 Timothy 2 :16. For the females, knowing that guys tend to struggle with lust shouldn't we then make sure we cover ourselves well? I have always been conservative in the way I dress and tend to always put a tank under low cut shirts. Why would we put our ladies out there to taunt our guy friends and possibly cause them to stumble. Put your ladies away girls, pull them out on the honeymoon but until them keep them in a safe place. 1 Timothy 2:9a "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety."

In this I am saying that there are things that we do in our lives that are not sinful in and of themselves, but could cause someone close to us to stumble. But then there are also things in our lives that I believe we as Christians have justified as being "ok" to do. When really we need to stop justifying our actions and live Godly lives. I see a lot of justification of sin and it's really a crock of a crap if you ask me. I am not saying that I in any way have mastered any of these things and probably struggle with a number of them, but God is doing something in my life and I want to make a change. I love that we justify a friends actions instead of doing what the bible tells us to do. Luke 17:3 "So watch yourselves. 'If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.' "

Just now I sit here flipping through my bible pulling verses for this post and I run across this one...2 Timothy 4:2-3 "Peace the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." Perhaps this verse speaks a number on why we justify things we know are clearly unacceptable and wrong.