Dale Cresap's blog

Are you a trusting person? Have you ever been cheated? The obvious risk of being too trusting is that you will be taken advantage of. Is it possible that you are not trusting enough? The risk here is less obvious. Are you aware of the missed opportunities for connection and for growth and beneficial interaction because you were suspicious? This is a great and real cost that you will pay whether you are aware of it or not. So is the risk of being cheated greater than the risk of rejected opportunities of connection?

What food do you enjoy most? Do you eat it in unlimited amounts, or do you discipline yourself to eat limited quantities? Most people learn to control their appetites even for things they like for their ultimate benefit. How do you view your spiritual life? Is it a matter of denying yourself things that you want? There may be some validity in this concept, but it presents spirituality from a negative viewpoint. How do you present your faith to others? Is it primarily positive or negative? Do you see a correlation between this and the number of people who respond to your message?

Do you belong to a church? Churches keep track of their members, so if you do your name is recorded on a membership roster somewhere, or in a database. Some churches have formal membership requirements and others do not. Have you ever changed churches? This may involve a transfer of membership, but does it change the essence of your faith? Your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. This isn’t a database that you can search, but it also isn’t an entry that any church can grant or revoke.

Have you noticed that people use the term ‘absolutely’ casually in everyday conversation? This dilutes the true meaning of the term. There are, or should be, some absolutes but the concept cannot be applied to everything, for most things are passing away. Yet there is a deep, innate human desire for some firm ground to stand on. How could you live and orient yourself in life if everything was shifting and up for grabs? I told a story about a wise man who built his house on a rock and a foolish man who built his house on sand. They both built houses, but only one would endure.

Are you familiar with the Lord’s Prayer? This is the most commonly known of scripture passages. Do you think of it as collective or individual? Consider that it uses the terms ‘Our’ and ‘us’ rather than ‘my’ in reference to Father in heaven, daily bread, forgiveness of sins, temptation, and deliverance from evil. So it implies connectedness, community, and relationship. Have you ever recited it by yourself? Did you keep the same wording or adjust it for individuality? If you use the standard text even when alone then you are implying these connections even if others are not present.

Are you aware of the spiritual climate you experience? Do you discern places that are full of light and divine presence? Do you also discern places that are full of darkness and oppressive energy? Do you seek the first and avoid the latter? Be careful that you don’t enter into unrighteous judgment about the places you do not favor, and realize that I may call you to go to places you would not choose. If you are led by the Spirit, you will always be in the right place at the right time. Are you also aware that your presence affects the spiritual climate?

Are you aware of how much emphasis the Bible places on being kind to the least of these? How well do you carry this out? Do you trust your own judgment on something so important? Fortunately there is an easy, reliable, objective, and readily available way to make this evaluation. There can be no question that children are among the least of these. The way you treat them says a lot about you, and they provide unsolicited feedback for you if you are paying attention. They know and respond to things at an intuitive level. If children aren’t attracted to you should ask yourself why.

If you are generous you will share what you have. This isn’t limited to money. People share food as well, and give rides to those in need when they have empty seats. There is no limit to the resources that can be shared, and a good mood is one of these. Have you noticed that a good mood is contagious? Have you noticed the same thing about a bad mood? These are contagious as well, and this could be considered sharing, although it could hardly be considered generous. Do you have an abundance of joy or misery? It will overflow one way or another. What are you sharing? 

Do you do good works because you will receive a reward in heaven? Skeptics consider this to be an ulterior motive and claim that their good works are superior because they have no expectation of a reward. Is there an immediate reward of satisfaction for having done the right thing? This would apply to believer and unbeliever alike, here and now. At mature levels belief should move you to comprehend the world around you, and your place in it.

 Do you judge your own group, or church, or denomination by the best examples and other groups, etc. by the worst examples? They do the same for you. Are there no bad examples of Christians for them to choose from? In reality these are broadly overlapping distributions, so it would be an extreme claim to say that the worst of your group is better than the best of another group. This situation does not lend itself to an exact scientific analysis, for adherents of any faith tradition start in different places and progress at different rates. Is the practice of your faith making you better?