Dale Cresap's blog

Are you joyful? Is this obvious to people around you? Children don’t have to be taught to express their joy. You can read it on their faces quite easily. In many cultures and churches the same expressions are discouraged in adults. Do you belong to one of these? Does this suppression enhance or diminish your life? Do you find the expression of joy by other people to be uplifting or embarrassing? Your response to this may make you self-conscious about expressing it yourself. Self-consciousness and suppression do not serve you well. Find a way that you can make a joyful noise to me!

Are you happy when you are hungry? Have you found that other people are grumpy when they are hungry, and lacking energy and interest in anything besides food? Could this be true of you too? The same thing goes for thirst. But I tell you to hunger and thirst after righteousness. I go beyond this and say that those who do so are blessed. Why is this? For hunger also focuses your attention and serves as a motivator to seek fulfillment. You seek what will satisfy your appetite, and everyone has an appetite for something.

Are there self-righteous people in the world? Are you one of them? How would you know? You may recall from my encounters in the Bible that those whom I considered to be self-righteous didn’t think they were. And so it is possible to have this problem and not be aware of it. The same Biblical accounts indicate that this is a serious matter worthy of investigation. How can you find out? You could ask your fellow believers to examine you, but they may be too close to be objective, since they may have the same log in their eye that you have in yours.

Do you love your enemies? Do you think that this is the hardest commandment to follow, and even more difficult in concept than a camel passing through the eye of a needle? How is this even possible? Do you love me? Do you believe that all men (and women) are created in my image? If you hold this as a basic premise of creation, then can you see my image and likeness in every person you meet? This is an act of faith, and some people make it easy for you and others do not. Your enemies may make it hardest of all, but if you can see me even in them then you can love them.

Have you noticed a big increase in the number of atheists recently? It appears to be a trend. How many atheists do you know that didn’t come from a strict religious background? How many atheists arrive at their position from an objective evaluation of first principles, and how many take it on as a reaction against spiritual abuse? It grieves me to see my church creating atheists. How should you approach them? Know that the wounds that they have received and the pain they experience are real.

Are you familiar with the story of the prodigal son? This is one of the most familiar stories among believer and non-believer alike. Do you find it shocking? Do you relate to any of the characters of the story? No one likes to think of themselves as the elder brother. Do you see yourself as a prodigal son, or are you present in the story at all? Are you fearful of approaching me because you see me as a God of judgement and wrath? Was the son expecting a warm welcome?  Is it possible that you read the story and missed the main point?

Are you familiar with the concept of ruining your appetite? If you have a big snack of junk food just before dinner you won’t be hungry for dinner, which is probably better for you. This term is commonly used in regard to children, but the principle applies just as much to adults. Does it go beyond the physical and material? Do you have a spiritual appetite as well as an appetite for food? I said that those who hungered and thirsted for righteousness would be filled, so they were blessed. Have you ever sought out some substitute that ruined your spiritual appetite?

Do you have any cultural baggage that tags along with your faith? This may not be at all obvious if you remain in your familiar setting, but if you encounter Christians from a different culture or even denomination you may find that they accept things that you don’t, and reject things that you do, and that these things are not essential to the faith. The pure essence of the faith is simple, and you should beware of any cultural overlay that you would impose on it.

Do you surround yourself with people who hold the same opinions you do, and see the world the same way? Do you find this to be a great source of comfort and reassurance? Most people do, and it certainly provides that, but it will hinder you in ways you may be unaware of. I told you to take the log out of your eye that you could see clearly to help your brother take the speck from his eye. If your friends all have the same log they are not much help. You need some friends with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to help with this.

Do you judge yourself by your intentions and others by their actions? Does this make you seem more pure than they are? Are your intentions as pure as you perceive them? Do others perceive your intentions as favorably as you do? Does the reality in your mind match the real world? For it is only in this realm, that everyone can see, that judgments may be based on visible actions. Others will judge you by your actions the same way you judge them by theirs.