I stumbled upon an article today about Independence Day & Christianity. The article challenges some of our assumptions and understanding of what we are really celebrating and the implications of it. Though hard to swallow, I find myself agreeing with the author. Here is a quote from the article:

No matter what position you hold in regards to being a Christian and war (I happen to hold to nonviolence), I believe we cannot justify glorifying the ‘winning’ of our independence from our friends across the pond. How can we celebrate that we killed thousands upon thousands of people because they were taxing us without giving us representation in parliament?

What do you think? Jump over to Sojourners for the full article.

“When I am consumed by my problems—stressed out about my life, my family, and my job—I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God’s command to always rejoice. In other words, that I have a ‘right’ to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities.” – Francis Chan, Crazy Love

What a great quote! This challenges the way we face the struggles and everyday living of life. I don’t know about you, but joy isn’t my normal response when I have a ton on my plate and they all demand a ton out of me. I get stressed and consumed with the issues.

I’m curious on how the world would change if Christians really rejoiced always. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not talking about that fake “Praise God!” or “God is good!” when you are asked how you are doing. That just annoys me. I’m talking about a sincere joy to be facing the struggles that come our way because we have a great God who is walking with us through it all and is more than powerful enough to get us through.

I think it would rock the world if we started living that way.

The truth is I try too hard. It’s something I recently realized. I’ve been trying too hard to be who I think I should be compared to others. And the thing about it is that there isn’t any one thing that I compare myself to. There is always something that I’m not good enough at or can’t do.

The reality is that I am good enough and okay. I read a great quote from Oswald Chambers recently that got me thinking about this.

“Never make a principle out of your experience; let God be as original with others as He is with you.”

I am okay with me. I’m going to start living that way. And I think you’ll notice it on the blog too.

“The tongue has the power of life and death…” – Proverbs 18:21

Our communication has huge implications for the lives of those we come in contact with. It’s a fact that most people realize, but rarely think about. Lately, the fact has been haunting me a little.

A couple days ago, I was told about Walmart’s branding principles and guidelines. The company makes sure every ad and graphic communicates three things—which couldn’t all be remembered at the time. But the summation of the three points is hope and a better life. That is what Walmart is communicating to its audience.

Pursuing the concept of the common good can powerfully transform the lives and worldviews of Christians. “The common good” is the concept of what is good and best for those in society, not just the majority, but even what Jesus would consider “the least of these.” Living out the common good is practicing a faith that looks to the good of others before the good of one’s self.

I was listening to the radio this morning and happened upon a preacher that was preaching about a Christian view of government. I’m currently struggling to develop a good understanding of how a Christian should engage in politics and interact with government entities, so I decided to keep listening.

After about a minute or two, the preacher started talking about how capital punishment is a God-appointed institution. Instantly, I started feeling uncomfortable.

Reading Less Clutter, Less Noise, I came across a great sub-point about responsibility. Too often we feel like we are responsible for other people’s spiritual growth. The reality is that Jesus has called us to be responsible to people regarding their spiritual lives. It’s our responsibility to help others and give them opportunities to go, but we are not responsible for their growth. That’s between them and God.

Here are two quotes from Mark Waltz (as quoted in Less Clutter, Less Noise about the freedom we have when we are responsible to people, not for people:

“When I’m responsible to people, I know they must figure out their next step. When I’m responsible for people, I try to tell them what their next step is….

When I’m responsible to people, I talk to God on their behalf. When I’m responsible for people, I talk to people a lot on God’s behalf.”

Let me ask you: Do you feel like you are responsible to people or for people?