I've been sadly lacking in blog posts for quite some time now, but here we go. I have posted before about a potential non-fiction book idea called The Case for Death, which I spent a little time on recently. Here is the updated version of the first part of what I have so far.
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The world is full of a vast variety of life, and even within our own species, there is a plethora of diversity. We come from different places and go to different places. We are all different shapes and sizes, skin colors and personality types. Some of us play Duck Duck Goose, while others play Duck Duck Grey Duck. We have different likes and dislikes. Two people can look at the same thing and yet not see the same thing. We are each like the snowflakes of winter, for no two of us are identical in every way. God did not create us from an assembly line, choosing from a small set of default personality types, churning out human beings with limited variations. No indeed; he took great care to mold each of us with his hand. He made us each different, giving us each a uniqueness that is truly our own. Yet there are certain things that are true for each of us. First, we are each created and wholly loved by God. He created our lives for a distinct purpose. The second universal truth is often more difficult to accept.
One of the undeniable truths about our human lives is that, eventually, they end. Each of us was born of a woman, our bodies knitted together in her womb by the very fingers of God. We begin life as an infant, then grow big and strong and capable of amazing things. I see other people with accomplishments that I can’t even fathom. How did they do that? How is that even possible? I don’t understand it, but there are people all over this planet who amaze me on a regular basis. God created us to live big, amazing lives, full of great purpose, and there are many people out there who are living their lives to the fullest.
However, we are not meant to carry on with such amazing things forever. Someday, each of our bodies will lose its vibrancy; blood will no longer flow through our veins, our minds will no longer churn with imagination, and life will no longer pour out from within our physical selves. This is not something we can outrun or evade or deceive, for death is simply an inevitability that we must accept. Yes, science is continually looking for ways to extend our lives, which there is nothing wrong with, of course. We long to be immortal, to never have to say goodbye to the existence we know. Yet even the most brilliant advances in science or the most impressive technological innovations will not defeat the inevitability that is coming for every one of us, eventually. Each of us has a day, the final day of our Earthly lives, perhaps soon, perhaps not for many years. Only God knows the day, for He is the one that created that day, and every day from now until then.
Even as we acknowledge and understand that our future includes death, it is true that we often fear it and despise it, holding on to our lives and our remaining time with all our might. Humans fear their death like nothing else, and that fear stems from the fact that we simply do not fully comprehend the part that death plays in our lives. We look at it from the human perspective, not from that of an eternal God. We miss His plan for us; His plan for the end and the beginning of each human life. For all things, good or bad in the sight of men, work together for the goodness of God. We find it difficult to understand that God’s plan for our lives includes the day they end.
The scriptures tell us not to fear. Once Jesus has become our lord, and God becomes the center and purpose for our life, there is nothing to separate us from Him and the salvation that we now have. Nothing in this world, no powers in the spiritual realms, and not the eventual death that leads from this life into the next. Once the choice has been made, God will never leave your side.
I’ve found that most fears are inherently irrational. We fear spiders, despite the fact that they are tiny, fragile, and usually harmless. One of my main fears in life is public speaking. It turns me into a man who can barely put together a coherent thought. When I’ve been in the unfortunate position of having to give a speech, I need to have every word printed out before me. If I don’t, I my mind will likely become a completely blank.
Here’s a true story. During a speech class in grade school, I stood up in front of the class to give an instructional speech on how to fold a paper airplane. I got up with my piece of paper, and my mind went blank. I had absolutely no idea what to say. I was completely terrified. And so, I didn’t say anything. Not a single word. I simply stood there, folded myself a paper airplane while my hands were shaking, and then sat down. I got in C in the class, which was probably much better than I should have received. Oh, I hated speech class, so very much. I hated the way it made me feel, from the moment I knew I had to give a speech to the moment it was over, and then some more. It wasn’t until a speech class I had in college that I received better than a C in such a class. I still hate it when I have to talk in front of a group of people, even if that group is fairly small.
Is this fear rational? Of course not. What do I think is going to happen? Did my fellow students in speech class surround me and beat me up? Do I get taken outside and dragged through the street whenever I open my mouth at work? No, of course not. There is nothing truly bad that happens when I speak in front of people. The bad things that happen are occurring all in my head, due to the fear I’ve built up over the things that won’t actually hurt me. The pain and suffering that comes from fear is usually self-caused and worse than the actual consequence that result from the thing we fear.
We fear things because we do not understand them, or because we give them too much power. We make ourselves weaker than we need to be. We allow ourselves to be overtaken by things that have no real power over us. This includes spiders, public speaking, and, of course, death.
We must change the way we view death, for it is not the end, but merely a time of change. It is not something to be feared, but something to be understood and accepted. As strange a thought as this might be, death is actually something to look forward to. Not in any depressive or suicidal manner, but in such a way that we long to be with Christ in the world to come. For this world is not our home; we are as aliens in a foreign land, and Heaven is our true home. Our father waits there for us, ready to welcome us into his glorious kingdom, and we should wait patiently and yet with excitement for the day when we walk those streets of gold. We will no longer be strapped with the problems of this world. We will no longer live in fear, but will have all of eternity to be with Christ.
Our time on this Earth is precious, and even while we are young and the years seem to stretch out before us, death is coming for each human, some long before they expect it. We know not what day will be our last, but that is not for us to choose. God has planned each day of our lives, and He knows what day He will call you away from your body and into His presence. Do not fear that hour, for a greater glory awaits us than we could ever experience in these bodies. Live each day as though death was around the corner, for it truly is, even if we do not see it.
In The Case for Death, in order to improve our understanding, we will consider seven different myths about death. These are things that, as a race, we humans often believe as fact, and yet, they are not true in the eyes of God. Some of these myths may be difficult to accept, yet we should be striving to see things as God sees them, for he is the ultimate source of all knowledge and truth. If we rely on our own understanding, we are putting our faith into something that is terribly flawed and limited. God is eternal, and only through Him and His word will we be able to truly understand and accept death.
I am not writing this book as a theologian (because I’m not one). I’m not a Bible scholar, though I feel like I could defeat the average American in Bible trivia (which my family did play often growing up). I do not perceive myself as having a better understanding of the infinite truths of God than any other soul in the history of the world. I am merely a Baptist preacher’s kid, now in my mid-thirties, who wants the world to know Jesus. I want the truth and the good news of my savior to be known and accepted by everyone in the world, because the eternal fates of all unbelievers hang in the balance. I also want today’s Christ followers to be lights shining to the world, not fearing the world or the difficult truths it holds.
We do not know what tomorrow holds, but the unknowns of tomorrow should not hold us back from living well today. God holds your life in His hands, and His timing is perfect. Trust in Him and do not fear the future, and do not fear death, for on the other side of our last day is the first day of a beautiful beginning.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
You Need Jesus
Yes, you. Whoever and wherever you are, you need Jesus.
But you don't know it.
You know you need something. You know something is missing.
There's a gap in your life. An emptiness that nothing can fill.
You know you need to fill that gap. Every day you look for something, and every day you come up short, you still feel empty.
You've tried everything. Sex, money, drugs, love, or a million other things. The world has so much to offer, and yet it has never been enough, not even close. The gap remains, the nothingness, the void.
You've tried everything. Why not Jesus? What have you got to lose?
But you don't know it.
You know you need something. You know something is missing.
There's a gap in your life. An emptiness that nothing can fill.
You know you need to fill that gap. Every day you look for something, and every day you come up short, you still feel empty.
You've tried everything. Sex, money, drugs, love, or a million other things. The world has so much to offer, and yet it has never been enough, not even close. The gap remains, the nothingness, the void.
You've tried everything. Why not Jesus? What have you got to lose?
Thursday, October 15, 2015
I Don't Like Christians, Either
I mean, just look at them. They've got major problems.
They're liars and cheaters. They're hypocrites. They're fools. They're judgmental and selfish. They're often not very likeable. Christians are just as likely to be at the center of a scandal as anyone else, just as likely to throw away friendships, marriages, careers, and lives due to foolish choices and sinful living. They say they believe in kindness, but they're just as likely to walk by the needy without lending a helping hand, just as likely to waste their resources on themselves and things of this world. They say they believe in purity, but they're just as likely to be into pornography, just as likely to be unfaithful and engage in sex before marriage. When things get difficult or monotonous, they're just as likely to walk away from their commitments, even if those commitments were made with sacred vows before God.
Christians are totally messed up.
Did I mention that I'm one of them?
To those of you who walked away from God because of your dislike of Christians, I completely understand your sentiment. Why would you want to be involved with these people? They've got some serious issues. However, that's kind of the point.
Don't judge God based on his followers. God is not limited by the foolishness of his people. God is the creator of the universe and all that it holds, which includes you. He loves you more than you could ever know. Your choice to follow God is between you and God, not between you and the Christian community. The truth of the gospel is not affected by its followers' ability to be sinless. Don't reject God because of Christians. Instead, accept God because He loves you. He loves you despite the sins you've committed, despite your flaws and mistakes. As humans, we've all got problems. A Christian is simply someone who has accepted that, due to their own sinfulness and their own long list of problems and mistakes, they need a savior. And the only true savior is Jesus.
As Christians, we certainly should be striving to be living righteous, godly lives. The Bible tells us to follow God's commandments, and that should be our goal. However, even those who seek to live righteously will fail. Some fail more often or in bigger ways than others, but we all fail. One thing we should not do is sit around comparing each other's sins. You sinned in this way and I sinned in that way, and perhaps my sins are greater than yours, but sin is sin and you need just as much grace as I do. God doesn't have a sin meter for each of us. The mere fact that we are sinful at all is what separates us from God, not the amount of sin. It is the same Jesus that wipes all the sin away and promises us eternal life, where we will all be sinless.
We should not live our lives in order to look good to everyone else. We're all sinners and we all know it. We're going to make mistakes. We're going to have foolish moments, and we're going to made bad decisions. A Christian who says they have no sin is a liar and a hypocrite. There is no such thing as a perfect Christian. The fact that we are all sinful is part of the point of our message: we all need Jesus. We all need to be saved. God will take us in not because of anything great we've done, but because of his love for us and the sacrifice of his son Jesus on the cross. He loves each and every one despite our sins. Don't turn him away because of the rest of us. Accept his love because it is real and true.
They're liars and cheaters. They're hypocrites. They're fools. They're judgmental and selfish. They're often not very likeable. Christians are just as likely to be at the center of a scandal as anyone else, just as likely to throw away friendships, marriages, careers, and lives due to foolish choices and sinful living. They say they believe in kindness, but they're just as likely to walk by the needy without lending a helping hand, just as likely to waste their resources on themselves and things of this world. They say they believe in purity, but they're just as likely to be into pornography, just as likely to be unfaithful and engage in sex before marriage. When things get difficult or monotonous, they're just as likely to walk away from their commitments, even if those commitments were made with sacred vows before God.
Christians are totally messed up.
Did I mention that I'm one of them?
To those of you who walked away from God because of your dislike of Christians, I completely understand your sentiment. Why would you want to be involved with these people? They've got some serious issues. However, that's kind of the point.
Don't judge God based on his followers. God is not limited by the foolishness of his people. God is the creator of the universe and all that it holds, which includes you. He loves you more than you could ever know. Your choice to follow God is between you and God, not between you and the Christian community. The truth of the gospel is not affected by its followers' ability to be sinless. Don't reject God because of Christians. Instead, accept God because He loves you. He loves you despite the sins you've committed, despite your flaws and mistakes. As humans, we've all got problems. A Christian is simply someone who has accepted that, due to their own sinfulness and their own long list of problems and mistakes, they need a savior. And the only true savior is Jesus.
As Christians, we certainly should be striving to be living righteous, godly lives. The Bible tells us to follow God's commandments, and that should be our goal. However, even those who seek to live righteously will fail. Some fail more often or in bigger ways than others, but we all fail. One thing we should not do is sit around comparing each other's sins. You sinned in this way and I sinned in that way, and perhaps my sins are greater than yours, but sin is sin and you need just as much grace as I do. God doesn't have a sin meter for each of us. The mere fact that we are sinful at all is what separates us from God, not the amount of sin. It is the same Jesus that wipes all the sin away and promises us eternal life, where we will all be sinless.
We should not live our lives in order to look good to everyone else. We're all sinners and we all know it. We're going to make mistakes. We're going to have foolish moments, and we're going to made bad decisions. A Christian who says they have no sin is a liar and a hypocrite. There is no such thing as a perfect Christian. The fact that we are all sinful is part of the point of our message: we all need Jesus. We all need to be saved. God will take us in not because of anything great we've done, but because of his love for us and the sacrifice of his son Jesus on the cross. He loves each and every one despite our sins. Don't turn him away because of the rest of us. Accept his love because it is real and true.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
What Are You Worshipping Today?
"Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry."
- 1 Corinthians 10: 14
Idolatry is first defined as "the religious worship of idols." Well, this seems an easy enough thing to avoid, doesn't it? I certainly don't own or use anything used in idol worship. I don't bow down to a physical object and worship it or pray to it. So I should be in the clear here.
Right?
The second definition of idolatry is "excessive or blind adoration, reverence, devotion, etc." I would define it more specifically as "excessive time or thought spent on something unhealthy or dangerous, or something that detracts from or causes harm to the much more important things in life."
In today's American culture, idol worship is rarely overtly worshipping an object. And yet, idolatry is a major problem today, it's just that we usually don't know or recognize it. But it is rampant, and it affects each and every one of us.
The subtlety of idolatry is what makes it so dangerous. We often don't even realize that we're doing it. There may not even be anything directly wrong with what we're doing; it's the amount of focus and energy we put toward it that can turn it into idolatry. One of the examples in today's society is people who spend all of their time playing computer or video games. They basically live their lives online, neglecting their real life responsibilities, and completely shutting out the influence of God in their lives.
There is certainly nothing wrong with having hobbies, computer games included. I have several hobbies, including computer and card games. The issue with such things is not what you do, but how you're doing it. If your hobby is taking up all of your time and not allowing you to be present in other real life situations, then you may have an issue with idolatry.
There are certainly seasons of life where certain activities or responsibilities take up more of our time. It all comes down to this: God should always be the most important thing in our lives. If anything, whether it be a person or thing or activity, takes that top spot away, that's when it becomes idolatry. That's when we start to have other gods before the one true God, who is more than worthy enough to take that top spot. The most important thing in our life is the thing that has the most impact on us, and granting that role to anything other than our creator is foolish. We often wonder why we do not feel God moving in our lives. Perhaps it is because we do not give Him top honors in our life, and our attention is instead diverted elsewhere.
Worship is not just direct praise and bowing down; we worship with our time and our thoughts. Giving all of our strength and attention to something is a form of worship. Are you worshipping the world, or something or someone in this world? Or are you worshipping the one who created the world? What are you worshipping today?
God has given us more than we could ever deserve. He sacrified His son Jesus Christ so that we may be saved. Idolatry is the way we sinners say that such things are not enough; it is how we choose the world over God. We all must reevaluate our priorities and ensure that only God is the most important thing to us.
Thank you God for all you have done for us, all you have given us, all of which we could never deserve or repay. Forgive us for the times we give in to the allure of the world and look to it more than we look to you. You are the one true God, and may we ever look to you as our source in life. Amen.
- 1 Corinthians 10: 14
Idolatry is first defined as "the religious worship of idols." Well, this seems an easy enough thing to avoid, doesn't it? I certainly don't own or use anything used in idol worship. I don't bow down to a physical object and worship it or pray to it. So I should be in the clear here.
Right?
The second definition of idolatry is "excessive or blind adoration, reverence, devotion, etc." I would define it more specifically as "excessive time or thought spent on something unhealthy or dangerous, or something that detracts from or causes harm to the much more important things in life."
In today's American culture, idol worship is rarely overtly worshipping an object. And yet, idolatry is a major problem today, it's just that we usually don't know or recognize it. But it is rampant, and it affects each and every one of us.
The subtlety of idolatry is what makes it so dangerous. We often don't even realize that we're doing it. There may not even be anything directly wrong with what we're doing; it's the amount of focus and energy we put toward it that can turn it into idolatry. One of the examples in today's society is people who spend all of their time playing computer or video games. They basically live their lives online, neglecting their real life responsibilities, and completely shutting out the influence of God in their lives.
There is certainly nothing wrong with having hobbies, computer games included. I have several hobbies, including computer and card games. The issue with such things is not what you do, but how you're doing it. If your hobby is taking up all of your time and not allowing you to be present in other real life situations, then you may have an issue with idolatry.
There are certainly seasons of life where certain activities or responsibilities take up more of our time. It all comes down to this: God should always be the most important thing in our lives. If anything, whether it be a person or thing or activity, takes that top spot away, that's when it becomes idolatry. That's when we start to have other gods before the one true God, who is more than worthy enough to take that top spot. The most important thing in our life is the thing that has the most impact on us, and granting that role to anything other than our creator is foolish. We often wonder why we do not feel God moving in our lives. Perhaps it is because we do not give Him top honors in our life, and our attention is instead diverted elsewhere.
Worship is not just direct praise and bowing down; we worship with our time and our thoughts. Giving all of our strength and attention to something is a form of worship. Are you worshipping the world, or something or someone in this world? Or are you worshipping the one who created the world? What are you worshipping today?
God has given us more than we could ever deserve. He sacrified His son Jesus Christ so that we may be saved. Idolatry is the way we sinners say that such things are not enough; it is how we choose the world over God. We all must reevaluate our priorities and ensure that only God is the most important thing to us.
Thank you God for all you have done for us, all you have given us, all of which we could never deserve or repay. Forgive us for the times we give in to the allure of the world and look to it more than we look to you. You are the one true God, and may we ever look to you as our source in life. Amen.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Crutches
"Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers. It tells people to go out and stick their noses in other people's business."
- Jesse Ventura
I remember when this quote was made years ago, back when Jesse Ventura was the governor of my state. It is a point of view shared by many others around the world. Many other such quotes have been made, of course, but this is the one I'm going to focus on.
Here's the kicker: I don't completely disagree with his assessment.
Just most of it.
When people say that religion is a crutch, I have this to say: they're right, and for followers of Jesus, that's the way it should be.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
- Proverbs 3: 5-6
"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
- Philippians 4: 19
God is our great provider, and part of surrendering our lives to Him is accepting that we need Him. The Bible does not say that we are strong enough on our own, or that we do not need anything from God in order to survive and live successful lives. No, it says to rely on Him for everything. So yes, God is our crutch, for without Him we cannot walk. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Most importantly, salvation comes to those who believe in Jesus Christ and accept His salvation for our sins. This is something we cannot acquire on our own: Jesus died for us, and only by leaning on that salvation can we enter Heaven once we die. Attempting to get to Heaven on our own is foolishness. Jesus is our crutch to get there, and accepting this truth is the only way to salvation.
When it comes to organized religion being a sham: I wouldn't stretch it that far, but I will say this: organized religion has some major problems. Why is that? Because the organization of religion is run by sinners like you and me. It is run by people with major problems, just like every religious and secular organization in the world. I do believe that Christian leaders should hold themselves up to a very high moral standard, but expecting such people to have perfect records is expecting the impossible. The only human to ever have a perfect record was Jesus Christ. The Christian church can be a wonderful thing that spreads the good news of Jesus, but it is still run by sinners in a sinful world.
Oh, and we're all sinners with major problems, by the way. I couldn't do any better.
Yet I am not a Christian because of the church. My belief in Jesus is not based on the quality of religious leadership or the inner workings of the Christian organization. I am a Christ followers for this reason: it's true. Don't let Christians turn you off from Christianity, because ultimately, for you, it's not about the rest of us. It's not about how Christians behave or how sinful they are, because we're all sinners. It's about love and salvation. It's about your eternity. It's about you and Jesus.
I have no doubt in my soul that Jesus Christ is not a fairy tale, and that there is a true God in Heaven looking down on me. I believe that there was real blood shed on a real cross by a real human, and that the death of Jesus and His resurrection on the third day is the reason that I will spend eternity in Heaven. This is not some work of fiction I enjoy, it is the truth that I follow in my life. It impacts everything I do.
On a side note, and I have posted about this before in more detail, but we are not really meant to be religious. Religion is man made and run by those pesky sinners. Religion is traditional and ritualistic. Religion is following rules for the sake of following rules. The world sees me as religious, but I try to live beyond that. I try to live as a follower of the one and true God, and the choices I make are due to them being the right choices, not simply because a religion tells me so.
There are many around the world who think that anyone who believes in God is weak minded, which is just a politically correct way of calling someone stupid. They say we invented God because we wanted to believe there is more to this life, more than just birth, death, and a few meaningless years in between. First, it is hard to talk to anyone who things anyone with a differing opinion from them is "weak minded." I would never define an atheist or otherwise non-Christian person as weak minded. I may think they need Jesus, but that certainly doesn't mean they're unintelligent. Also, believing in God is not something to be done only by those who turn their brains off. To me, it is only logical that there is a God, and I cannot fathom a universe coming to existence without such a being.
Finally, Ventura is certainly right about one thing: going out and sticking their noses in other people's business. We Christians should be involved in the lives of non-believers, so that we can minister and witness to them, giving them opportunities to accept Jesus as their savior. Is this because we're nosy? No, it comes down to one truth: without Jesus, everyone on this planet will be alone for eternity. It is our duty as Christ followers to spread the gospel, not because we're trying to increase our religion's dominance or get more people to come to church. No, we do this because the love and grace of our lord Jesus Christ compels us to, because we do not want to see anyone perish. We share the gospel because it's true.
In closing, Christians are imperfect beings whom Jesus died for, just like everybody else. The difference is that we have chosen to believe it. We have chosen to accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. We have accepted the fact that we need God to have a full and fulfilling life. Even if the world chides us and does not understand, Jesus is our crutch, because without Him we cannot stand.
- Jesse Ventura
I remember when this quote was made years ago, back when Jesse Ventura was the governor of my state. It is a point of view shared by many others around the world. Many other such quotes have been made, of course, but this is the one I'm going to focus on.
Here's the kicker: I don't completely disagree with his assessment.
Just most of it.
When people say that religion is a crutch, I have this to say: they're right, and for followers of Jesus, that's the way it should be.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
- Proverbs 3: 5-6
"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
- Philippians 4: 19
God is our great provider, and part of surrendering our lives to Him is accepting that we need Him. The Bible does not say that we are strong enough on our own, or that we do not need anything from God in order to survive and live successful lives. No, it says to rely on Him for everything. So yes, God is our crutch, for without Him we cannot walk. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Most importantly, salvation comes to those who believe in Jesus Christ and accept His salvation for our sins. This is something we cannot acquire on our own: Jesus died for us, and only by leaning on that salvation can we enter Heaven once we die. Attempting to get to Heaven on our own is foolishness. Jesus is our crutch to get there, and accepting this truth is the only way to salvation.
When it comes to organized religion being a sham: I wouldn't stretch it that far, but I will say this: organized religion has some major problems. Why is that? Because the organization of religion is run by sinners like you and me. It is run by people with major problems, just like every religious and secular organization in the world. I do believe that Christian leaders should hold themselves up to a very high moral standard, but expecting such people to have perfect records is expecting the impossible. The only human to ever have a perfect record was Jesus Christ. The Christian church can be a wonderful thing that spreads the good news of Jesus, but it is still run by sinners in a sinful world.
Oh, and we're all sinners with major problems, by the way. I couldn't do any better.
Yet I am not a Christian because of the church. My belief in Jesus is not based on the quality of religious leadership or the inner workings of the Christian organization. I am a Christ followers for this reason: it's true. Don't let Christians turn you off from Christianity, because ultimately, for you, it's not about the rest of us. It's not about how Christians behave or how sinful they are, because we're all sinners. It's about love and salvation. It's about your eternity. It's about you and Jesus.
I have no doubt in my soul that Jesus Christ is not a fairy tale, and that there is a true God in Heaven looking down on me. I believe that there was real blood shed on a real cross by a real human, and that the death of Jesus and His resurrection on the third day is the reason that I will spend eternity in Heaven. This is not some work of fiction I enjoy, it is the truth that I follow in my life. It impacts everything I do.
On a side note, and I have posted about this before in more detail, but we are not really meant to be religious. Religion is man made and run by those pesky sinners. Religion is traditional and ritualistic. Religion is following rules for the sake of following rules. The world sees me as religious, but I try to live beyond that. I try to live as a follower of the one and true God, and the choices I make are due to them being the right choices, not simply because a religion tells me so.
There are many around the world who think that anyone who believes in God is weak minded, which is just a politically correct way of calling someone stupid. They say we invented God because we wanted to believe there is more to this life, more than just birth, death, and a few meaningless years in between. First, it is hard to talk to anyone who things anyone with a differing opinion from them is "weak minded." I would never define an atheist or otherwise non-Christian person as weak minded. I may think they need Jesus, but that certainly doesn't mean they're unintelligent. Also, believing in God is not something to be done only by those who turn their brains off. To me, it is only logical that there is a God, and I cannot fathom a universe coming to existence without such a being.
Finally, Ventura is certainly right about one thing: going out and sticking their noses in other people's business. We Christians should be involved in the lives of non-believers, so that we can minister and witness to them, giving them opportunities to accept Jesus as their savior. Is this because we're nosy? No, it comes down to one truth: without Jesus, everyone on this planet will be alone for eternity. It is our duty as Christ followers to spread the gospel, not because we're trying to increase our religion's dominance or get more people to come to church. No, we do this because the love and grace of our lord Jesus Christ compels us to, because we do not want to see anyone perish. We share the gospel because it's true.
In closing, Christians are imperfect beings whom Jesus died for, just like everybody else. The difference is that we have chosen to believe it. We have chosen to accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. We have accepted the fact that we need God to have a full and fulfilling life. Even if the world chides us and does not understand, Jesus is our crutch, because without Him we cannot stand.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
A Firm Foundation
In many ways it made perfect sense to us. We had a goal, and so we formed a plan. However, the dreams of the young are often bigger than their brains.
At the age of ten, I was far away from being able to reach the basketball hoop in our driveway. No matter how hard I tried, or how much I reached, I couldn't even come close to touching the net. My fifteen year old brother could brush the net with his fingers, but couldn't reach the rim. Fueled by the same dream of dunking the basketball, we set into motion the perfect plan, one my parents were not home at the time to evaluate.
We had a small trampoline, maybe only five feet wide. We pulled it out from the garage and placed it next to the hoop, but it wasn't quite enough to reach the heights we were looking for. So we looked around for something else. What we found were blocks of wood of varying sizes. We brought them to the driveway and built a base to put the trampoline on, and then lifted the trampoline onto our structure. We knew this would work; it should give us the height we needed to be able to jump and dunk the basketball, just like Michael Jordan. It was going to be awesome.
My brother went first. He stepped back, and got a good running start toward the hoop. He leapt into the air, landing his feet on the trampoline.
I was so excited. This was going to be epic.
It wasn't.
The moment my brother's foot hit the trampoline, we got a lesson in physics and architectural design. The entire structure we had carefully built crumbled like it was built from toothpicks. My brother flew through the air, coming down hard on his wrist, fracturing it. I ran to a neighbor's house, and she took him to the hospital. I then put the trampoline and blocks back in their proper place, and it wasn't until several years later (after the statute of limitations had passed) that my parents found out the truth of what happened.
We had a dream. A great hope. Was it a bad dream? No, not at all. It is, in fact, quite common for children of that age to want to do such things. The problem came in the execution. We put our hopes onto something unstable. Even though we did not see the flaws at the time, before the jump, those flaws caused the plan to fail.
We see the same thing in life all the time, but instead of broken wrists, the consequences can include financial hardships and broken marriages. The world is full of people who are living their life on unstable ground, unaware that they are moments away from everything crumbling around them. These are people who are living generally "good" lives in our eyes, but they're missing the one thing that makes everything else work: Jesus.
This isn't about religion. This isn't about following the rules and merely making yourself feel like your life is stable. This is about the true God that created you, loves you, and wants the best for you. God isn't a figment of man's imagination. He's no work of fiction. He is just as real as you and me, and He is the only foundation that is worth standing on.
We live in a world where nothing is ever good enough. We complain about the good times because we still don't have it as good as the guy across the street. When the bad times come, we complain even louder, angrily cursing the universe for being unfair. We wonder what we did to deserve such treatment. When life is rough, we fall back on our own strength, or the strength of our friends and family. When that fails (as it often does), what do we look to then for strength? There are a million options the world has to offer for how to make yourself feel better and how to put your life back together. They may work on the surface, or for a period of time, but only one thing is strong enough to stand on for all the years of your life.
God is the beginning and the end, the great creator, the one who holds all the secrets of the universe in His hands. He will not allow to you fall apart. He will never crumble beneath you, and He will never forsake you. God will work miracles in your mind when you surrender your life to Him. When you give God your life, saying that you will rely on Him instead of this world, He will become everything you ever needed. The way you see things will start to align with how God sees them.
We must bring everything to God: the good and the bad, the joyous and the shameful. He loves us no matter what, and we can live knowing that everything we place at His feet is sitting on a firm, unshakeable foundation. When you place your life on the rock that is Jesus, there is nothing that this world can throw at you that will cause you to fall apart.
The next time you stand back and examine your goals in life, don't simply come up with the quickest, easiest path possible to fulfilling those goals. Pray that God will be your strength and your foundation, and that His will be done in your life. Place your goals at His feet and allow them to happen in His timing.
At the age of ten, I was far away from being able to reach the basketball hoop in our driveway. No matter how hard I tried, or how much I reached, I couldn't even come close to touching the net. My fifteen year old brother could brush the net with his fingers, but couldn't reach the rim. Fueled by the same dream of dunking the basketball, we set into motion the perfect plan, one my parents were not home at the time to evaluate.
We had a small trampoline, maybe only five feet wide. We pulled it out from the garage and placed it next to the hoop, but it wasn't quite enough to reach the heights we were looking for. So we looked around for something else. What we found were blocks of wood of varying sizes. We brought them to the driveway and built a base to put the trampoline on, and then lifted the trampoline onto our structure. We knew this would work; it should give us the height we needed to be able to jump and dunk the basketball, just like Michael Jordan. It was going to be awesome.
My brother went first. He stepped back, and got a good running start toward the hoop. He leapt into the air, landing his feet on the trampoline.
I was so excited. This was going to be epic.
It wasn't.
The moment my brother's foot hit the trampoline, we got a lesson in physics and architectural design. The entire structure we had carefully built crumbled like it was built from toothpicks. My brother flew through the air, coming down hard on his wrist, fracturing it. I ran to a neighbor's house, and she took him to the hospital. I then put the trampoline and blocks back in their proper place, and it wasn't until several years later (after the statute of limitations had passed) that my parents found out the truth of what happened.
We had a dream. A great hope. Was it a bad dream? No, not at all. It is, in fact, quite common for children of that age to want to do such things. The problem came in the execution. We put our hopes onto something unstable. Even though we did not see the flaws at the time, before the jump, those flaws caused the plan to fail.
We see the same thing in life all the time, but instead of broken wrists, the consequences can include financial hardships and broken marriages. The world is full of people who are living their life on unstable ground, unaware that they are moments away from everything crumbling around them. These are people who are living generally "good" lives in our eyes, but they're missing the one thing that makes everything else work: Jesus.
This isn't about religion. This isn't about following the rules and merely making yourself feel like your life is stable. This is about the true God that created you, loves you, and wants the best for you. God isn't a figment of man's imagination. He's no work of fiction. He is just as real as you and me, and He is the only foundation that is worth standing on.
We live in a world where nothing is ever good enough. We complain about the good times because we still don't have it as good as the guy across the street. When the bad times come, we complain even louder, angrily cursing the universe for being unfair. We wonder what we did to deserve such treatment. When life is rough, we fall back on our own strength, or the strength of our friends and family. When that fails (as it often does), what do we look to then for strength? There are a million options the world has to offer for how to make yourself feel better and how to put your life back together. They may work on the surface, or for a period of time, but only one thing is strong enough to stand on for all the years of your life.
God is the beginning and the end, the great creator, the one who holds all the secrets of the universe in His hands. He will not allow to you fall apart. He will never crumble beneath you, and He will never forsake you. God will work miracles in your mind when you surrender your life to Him. When you give God your life, saying that you will rely on Him instead of this world, He will become everything you ever needed. The way you see things will start to align with how God sees them.
We must bring everything to God: the good and the bad, the joyous and the shameful. He loves us no matter what, and we can live knowing that everything we place at His feet is sitting on a firm, unshakeable foundation. When you place your life on the rock that is Jesus, there is nothing that this world can throw at you that will cause you to fall apart.
The next time you stand back and examine your goals in life, don't simply come up with the quickest, easiest path possible to fulfilling those goals. Pray that God will be your strength and your foundation, and that His will be done in your life. Place your goals at His feet and allow them to happen in His timing.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Ask Cooper Anything 4: Christian Legalism
"We see a lot of Christian legalism in our culture. Many people create extra rules about being a Christian. For example, can Christians get tattoos? Can Christians drink, smoke, or gamble? Listen to secular music? Send their kids to day care? Read Harry Potter (gasp!). What do you think about Christian legalism?"
- Gina C.
Christian legalism in an interesting topic. The term legalism is defined as "strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit." In Christian terms, it is more specifically defined as "the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works."
On the one hand, I completely and unquestionably reject the idea that salvation is gained through works. The Bible says that good works are the result of your salvation, not the cause of it. I don't believe there is enough time in our lives to do enough good works to earn our way to Heaven. We're not able to live perfect enough lives to undo the sins we've committed. We're saved through grace, through the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross, not through anything we can do.
The question of whether or not we should do certain things then becomes an issue of purity. If we're following Christ, we're aspiring to live as pure a life as we can, not to earn our way to Heaven, but to grow in relationship to God and to allow ourselves to best be used by God for His kingdom. God also has certain laws in place because they protect us. If you stay sexually pure, remaining faithful to your spouse, you are more likely to have a peaceful, harmonious marriage. If you have many partners, and then get married but are unfaithful, you are more likely to have problems, issues, and pain in your relationships and in your life. The commandment to not commit adultery is not to limit you from pleasure, it is to protect you from hardships, and to give you the best experience you can have. Having sex outside of marriage and committing adultery will not take away your salvation, but it may bring impurity and pain to your life, and damage your current and future relationships, including your earthly relationship with God.
We are meant to enjoy life, I do believe, but we must consider the side effects of our decisions when it comes to what we allow ourselves to do. Here's a rundown of what I believe in regard to these specific issues. There may be a theme here.
Alcohol. I don't drink - I recently turned 32 years old, and I've never had a drink of alcohol. This is simply a choice I've made. It may once have been due to a belief that there was something inherently bad about alcohol, but now it's just a lack of curiosity. I don't see anything wrong with having a drink. Remember, even Jesus drank wine in the Bible. So having a drink is fine, but you must know what you're dealing with, and you must know your limits. The Bible says drunkenness is sinful, and I understand why. Drunkenness leads to foolish behavior, and sometimes to terrible life-changing (or life-ending) decisions. Of course, alcoholism has ruined lives and families when it leads to abuse and neglect. Drinking to get drunk is foolish, and should not be done, because the side effects can be catastrophic. Simply enjoying a beer or a glass of wine, though, is just fine.
Tattoos. I don't have a tattoo either, and I have no plans of it. I just have no desire to do such a thing. However, I really don't see any problem with people getting them, as long as they are sensible and not impure. I will sometimes consider what kind of tattoo I would get if I were to get one, even though I never will. It would likely be a simple cross of some sort, probably on my upper arm, or something like that. I don't see anything wrong with such tattoos. However, getting a naked lady tattooed on your arm is a different story. I think it relates to what message you're trying to send with your tattoo. It's a simliar question to what kind of T-shirt you should wear. I won't wear a Playboy T-shirt, and I won't tattoo anything similar on my body. So, when considering a tattoo, consider these questions: Does the tattoo send the right message? Does it fit in with the pure Christian life? What would Jesus think of your tattoo? What would you think if your kid came home with that tattoo?
Gambling. This is another one of those things that depends on how it's done. My wife and I have been to Las Vegas, even though neither of us drink or gamble. (We just like to walk through the hotels and eat at buffets.) We did each play a dollar on a slot machine just to do it. I've also played $20 on a video poker machine (which I lost). If you look at it as just a form of entertainment, then I think the money spent is just like buying a ticket to a movie or a sporting event. Really, it could be considered gambling any time you put something of value down in the hopes of earning a return on your investment, though there is a chance (low or high, depending on the circumstances) that you will lose your initial investment entirely. Even churches will hold raffles. The problem isn't simply that you're risking some money. The problem comes when people lose control, and they gamble away their money until it destroys their life. Sure, you may get lucky, but casinos aren't rich because most people win. They've rigged the system to ensure that most people lose, while just enough people win to give the rest hope enough to keep coming back with their money. God wants us to be good stewards of His money, and gambling it all away is certainly not doing that, but neither is spending all of your money on other things. There are a million ways to be foolish with your financial assets, and excessive gambling is just one. I say, as long as you tithe your income and otherwise use your money wisely, there's no reason to say that gambling as a whole is a sinful activity. If you go to a casino to go gambling, let it just be a hobby or a form of entertainment. Be wise about the money you take, budgeting that money responsibly, and then know when to walk away.
Smoking. Here's one I'm going to come down a bit harder on. Admission: I find the whole concept of smoking to be repulsive and disgusting, and I could probably fill a book just with my thoughts on it. It's a habit that not only causes cancer and other life threatening or limiting conditions, it fills the air with a wretched odor that sticks to your clothes and furniture. That all being said: I suppose, if you smoke in such a way that it won't affect other non-smokers, it's fine. Here is the part I find to be sinful: when you smoke in such a way that you make other people inhale your secondhand smoke, exposing them to the harmful chemicals. Parents who smoke around their children ought to be ashamed of themselves. Not only are there great health risks with smoking, and a terribly offensive odor that infiltrates everything around it, allowing oneself to become so dependent on something (other than God) is quite unhealthy. Whether it be cigarettes, or alcohol, or pornography, or video games, or any activity or person or thing, addictions are dangerous and unhealthy. I completely understand that they are very difficult to break, but I believe that any addiction can be broken, and that God will be your strength when the cravings come. Smoking is sinful when it causes issues to other people. Even if you're smoking in such a way where that never happens, smoking may or may not be sinful, but it is certainly never wise. I can see fine reasons to have a drink or get a tattoo, but smoking is one of those things that there is never a sensible reason to pick up or keep the habit.
Harry Potter. I'll start off by saying this: I've read all the Harry Potter books and seen all the movies. I've read and seen Lord of the Rings, and many other fantasy books, movies, and television shows that deal with magic. I've even written a couple fantasy novels that deal with magic. I've played Everquest and Diablo, along with many other games where magic is a central part of the story. I don't see any issues with enjoying these things for what they are: entertainment. The Bible is certainly clear about the evils of witchcraft, but that's witchcraft in real life. These are stories placed in fantastical worlds where magic has many purposes, both for good and evil. It can be a weapon for a wizard, just like a sword can be a weapon for a soldier. Magical worlds are simply the settings used for fantasy fiction, and nothing more than that. Magical worlds can be used for great Christian allegory, like C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. As long as you enjoy it as entertainment, as a hobby, keeping it its proper place, I have no concerns. If you decide to become a witch or a wizard in real life, or dabble in other things you're not supposed to, then the fault lies in your decision making, and your ability to differentiate the real from the fictional.
Secular music. I made a decision a long time ago to only own and listen to Christian music. The only exceptions to this are soundtracks (I love movie music) and Weird Al Yankovic. Because he's hilarious. (And his music is really quite clean). There was a time when I owned several secular CDs - my favorite at the time was one by Hootie and the Blowfish. But I sold them all at some point. That all being said, as with most of these subjects, I don't think the concept of secular music is wrong, but I do think we need to be careful of the kind of music and words we're allowing to flow through our brain (and the brains of our kids). There is a lot of secular music that glamorizes sinful behavior, and is full of messages that simply don't jive with the Christian view of purity. I don't want to be driving down the road, singing along to the radio, singing words that objectify women or otherwise completely go against what I believe. So I would say this: be careful of the secular music you're listening to, and make sure that its message is pure. Would Jesus like that song? Would He have it on His iPod? Would you want your children listening to that song, singing the lyrics themselves? Would you take the words from that song and wear a T-shirt with the lyrics printed on it?
Day care. I don't see any real issues with day care. This is more of a choice that parents make, and the best choice depends on the circumstances. Some situations, like being a single parent, often means there is only one choice. If you are going to send your kid to day care, however, I think there are two things to consider. First, you need to make sure you spend lots of time with your kids when you get home from work. Kids need time with their parents, and having them away for a good chunk of the day means you need to spend more time with them when you can. Second, be very careful when selecting which day care facility to send your children to. Make sure that place will not be filling their heads with things you don't want. If we end up having children one day, we will most likely not send them much to day care, but that's the choice that we feel (presently) makes the most sense for our family.
This world is full of things that are sinful, and we do need to be careful with what we do, but I think we can also be too overly cautious. We just need to make sure the things we do don't fly in the face of the life God wants us to live.
- Gina C.
Christian legalism in an interesting topic. The term legalism is defined as "strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit." In Christian terms, it is more specifically defined as "the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works."
On the one hand, I completely and unquestionably reject the idea that salvation is gained through works. The Bible says that good works are the result of your salvation, not the cause of it. I don't believe there is enough time in our lives to do enough good works to earn our way to Heaven. We're not able to live perfect enough lives to undo the sins we've committed. We're saved through grace, through the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross, not through anything we can do.
The question of whether or not we should do certain things then becomes an issue of purity. If we're following Christ, we're aspiring to live as pure a life as we can, not to earn our way to Heaven, but to grow in relationship to God and to allow ourselves to best be used by God for His kingdom. God also has certain laws in place because they protect us. If you stay sexually pure, remaining faithful to your spouse, you are more likely to have a peaceful, harmonious marriage. If you have many partners, and then get married but are unfaithful, you are more likely to have problems, issues, and pain in your relationships and in your life. The commandment to not commit adultery is not to limit you from pleasure, it is to protect you from hardships, and to give you the best experience you can have. Having sex outside of marriage and committing adultery will not take away your salvation, but it may bring impurity and pain to your life, and damage your current and future relationships, including your earthly relationship with God.
We are meant to enjoy life, I do believe, but we must consider the side effects of our decisions when it comes to what we allow ourselves to do. Here's a rundown of what I believe in regard to these specific issues. There may be a theme here.
Alcohol. I don't drink - I recently turned 32 years old, and I've never had a drink of alcohol. This is simply a choice I've made. It may once have been due to a belief that there was something inherently bad about alcohol, but now it's just a lack of curiosity. I don't see anything wrong with having a drink. Remember, even Jesus drank wine in the Bible. So having a drink is fine, but you must know what you're dealing with, and you must know your limits. The Bible says drunkenness is sinful, and I understand why. Drunkenness leads to foolish behavior, and sometimes to terrible life-changing (or life-ending) decisions. Of course, alcoholism has ruined lives and families when it leads to abuse and neglect. Drinking to get drunk is foolish, and should not be done, because the side effects can be catastrophic. Simply enjoying a beer or a glass of wine, though, is just fine.
Tattoos. I don't have a tattoo either, and I have no plans of it. I just have no desire to do such a thing. However, I really don't see any problem with people getting them, as long as they are sensible and not impure. I will sometimes consider what kind of tattoo I would get if I were to get one, even though I never will. It would likely be a simple cross of some sort, probably on my upper arm, or something like that. I don't see anything wrong with such tattoos. However, getting a naked lady tattooed on your arm is a different story. I think it relates to what message you're trying to send with your tattoo. It's a simliar question to what kind of T-shirt you should wear. I won't wear a Playboy T-shirt, and I won't tattoo anything similar on my body. So, when considering a tattoo, consider these questions: Does the tattoo send the right message? Does it fit in with the pure Christian life? What would Jesus think of your tattoo? What would you think if your kid came home with that tattoo?
Gambling. This is another one of those things that depends on how it's done. My wife and I have been to Las Vegas, even though neither of us drink or gamble. (We just like to walk through the hotels and eat at buffets.) We did each play a dollar on a slot machine just to do it. I've also played $20 on a video poker machine (which I lost). If you look at it as just a form of entertainment, then I think the money spent is just like buying a ticket to a movie or a sporting event. Really, it could be considered gambling any time you put something of value down in the hopes of earning a return on your investment, though there is a chance (low or high, depending on the circumstances) that you will lose your initial investment entirely. Even churches will hold raffles. The problem isn't simply that you're risking some money. The problem comes when people lose control, and they gamble away their money until it destroys their life. Sure, you may get lucky, but casinos aren't rich because most people win. They've rigged the system to ensure that most people lose, while just enough people win to give the rest hope enough to keep coming back with their money. God wants us to be good stewards of His money, and gambling it all away is certainly not doing that, but neither is spending all of your money on other things. There are a million ways to be foolish with your financial assets, and excessive gambling is just one. I say, as long as you tithe your income and otherwise use your money wisely, there's no reason to say that gambling as a whole is a sinful activity. If you go to a casino to go gambling, let it just be a hobby or a form of entertainment. Be wise about the money you take, budgeting that money responsibly, and then know when to walk away.
Smoking. Here's one I'm going to come down a bit harder on. Admission: I find the whole concept of smoking to be repulsive and disgusting, and I could probably fill a book just with my thoughts on it. It's a habit that not only causes cancer and other life threatening or limiting conditions, it fills the air with a wretched odor that sticks to your clothes and furniture. That all being said: I suppose, if you smoke in such a way that it won't affect other non-smokers, it's fine. Here is the part I find to be sinful: when you smoke in such a way that you make other people inhale your secondhand smoke, exposing them to the harmful chemicals. Parents who smoke around their children ought to be ashamed of themselves. Not only are there great health risks with smoking, and a terribly offensive odor that infiltrates everything around it, allowing oneself to become so dependent on something (other than God) is quite unhealthy. Whether it be cigarettes, or alcohol, or pornography, or video games, or any activity or person or thing, addictions are dangerous and unhealthy. I completely understand that they are very difficult to break, but I believe that any addiction can be broken, and that God will be your strength when the cravings come. Smoking is sinful when it causes issues to other people. Even if you're smoking in such a way where that never happens, smoking may or may not be sinful, but it is certainly never wise. I can see fine reasons to have a drink or get a tattoo, but smoking is one of those things that there is never a sensible reason to pick up or keep the habit.
Harry Potter. I'll start off by saying this: I've read all the Harry Potter books and seen all the movies. I've read and seen Lord of the Rings, and many other fantasy books, movies, and television shows that deal with magic. I've even written a couple fantasy novels that deal with magic. I've played Everquest and Diablo, along with many other games where magic is a central part of the story. I don't see any issues with enjoying these things for what they are: entertainment. The Bible is certainly clear about the evils of witchcraft, but that's witchcraft in real life. These are stories placed in fantastical worlds where magic has many purposes, both for good and evil. It can be a weapon for a wizard, just like a sword can be a weapon for a soldier. Magical worlds are simply the settings used for fantasy fiction, and nothing more than that. Magical worlds can be used for great Christian allegory, like C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. As long as you enjoy it as entertainment, as a hobby, keeping it its proper place, I have no concerns. If you decide to become a witch or a wizard in real life, or dabble in other things you're not supposed to, then the fault lies in your decision making, and your ability to differentiate the real from the fictional.
Secular music. I made a decision a long time ago to only own and listen to Christian music. The only exceptions to this are soundtracks (I love movie music) and Weird Al Yankovic. Because he's hilarious. (And his music is really quite clean). There was a time when I owned several secular CDs - my favorite at the time was one by Hootie and the Blowfish. But I sold them all at some point. That all being said, as with most of these subjects, I don't think the concept of secular music is wrong, but I do think we need to be careful of the kind of music and words we're allowing to flow through our brain (and the brains of our kids). There is a lot of secular music that glamorizes sinful behavior, and is full of messages that simply don't jive with the Christian view of purity. I don't want to be driving down the road, singing along to the radio, singing words that objectify women or otherwise completely go against what I believe. So I would say this: be careful of the secular music you're listening to, and make sure that its message is pure. Would Jesus like that song? Would He have it on His iPod? Would you want your children listening to that song, singing the lyrics themselves? Would you take the words from that song and wear a T-shirt with the lyrics printed on it?
Day care. I don't see any real issues with day care. This is more of a choice that parents make, and the best choice depends on the circumstances. Some situations, like being a single parent, often means there is only one choice. If you are going to send your kid to day care, however, I think there are two things to consider. First, you need to make sure you spend lots of time with your kids when you get home from work. Kids need time with their parents, and having them away for a good chunk of the day means you need to spend more time with them when you can. Second, be very careful when selecting which day care facility to send your children to. Make sure that place will not be filling their heads with things you don't want. If we end up having children one day, we will most likely not send them much to day care, but that's the choice that we feel (presently) makes the most sense for our family.
This world is full of things that are sinful, and we do need to be careful with what we do, but I think we can also be too overly cautious. We just need to make sure the things we do don't fly in the face of the life God wants us to live.
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