Five Things I'll Never Say Again
I've learned a lot in 2013. I'll be publishing a post all about that before the new year. In the meantime, I posted a comment by Derek Webb on my facebook and it has made me think about a lot of the cynical things I have been known to say. I would like to publicly denounce some of those things now.
5. I am doing it right. Emulate me.
This is covertly cynical, and obviously arrogant. I don't know that I ever said this with my words, but I definitely have said it many many times with my attitude. I'm sorry for saying it. Please don't emulate me. Ever. Anything I post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or this blog is just me trying to make you smile, or make you feel not alone. Sometimes it's to make myself feel not alone. It used to be to try to impress you, or make you jealous that you weren't me. It won't be doing that anymore, because frankly and for the permanent record, my life is nothing to be jealous of. I am happy, content and have purpose. My life is no more special than yours.
4. Those people just don't have a heart for God.
When I'm feeling especially smug, I like to generalize other groups of people whom I think aren't loving God or others as well as me. Whether it's the rich, the rebellious, Indian men, or people who don't volunteer their time...it's a mean thing to think and completely unrealistic and immeasurable. Technically, the people with the biggest hearts for God are the ones not broadcasting it, so the absence of visible good deeds might actually signal a purer heart and deeper love of God. Keep fighting the good fight quiet backstage soldier. I aspire to be you.
3. Quoting a Bible verse at me is so trite.
I used to say this a lot. I feel exceedingly worse every time I think of a moment where I said it. Picture it: you're hurting, you're broken and someone quotes God-breathed scripture at you and you respond with, "Well that was just trite." Further, I've prefaced quoting scripture with, "This might sound trite, but God works all things together for good for those that love Him and are called according to His purposes." No verse, no matter how over-quoted needs to be prefaced with, "I know this sounds trite." Nothing is trite in Scripture. The creator of the universe does not need ME to caveat His wisdom so that it will be meaningful. I'm sorry for this. And will only preface my own "Wise Sayings" with warnings of their simple-minded-ness.
2. That's not what real faith looks like.
This thought comes from the hipster Christian in me. I firmly believe my generation began the hipster movement and it just grew uglier in the following generation. There is a movement to seek out "Truth" and "Reality." Like we're the first people in history to discover Christ and we're the only ones serving him out of a genuine heart. Like every deep thought we've had wasn't covered in Ecclesiastes thousands of years ago. Another remark for the permanent record: I do not know the difference between real faith and fake faith. I would like to defer all judgment of real faith to The One who sees the hearts of men. I can't even decide which of my actions are of real faith and which are cowardice. I'll do my best to refrain from trying to make that judgement on others.
1. God just doesn't work like that.
God does what He wants. He does it in His time. He uses His methods. And He promised to work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. "All things" include things I don't like. Things I wish I hadn't done, and things I wish you would stop doing. It's all things. And I only need to trust His promises, not map out His plans and processes or predict His next move to ease my own fears.
I officially apologize to all of the victims of my cynical remarks, both those who have been the object of my judgment and those whose own cynicism has been amplified.
5. I am doing it right. Emulate me.
This is covertly cynical, and obviously arrogant. I don't know that I ever said this with my words, but I definitely have said it many many times with my attitude. I'm sorry for saying it. Please don't emulate me. Ever. Anything I post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or this blog is just me trying to make you smile, or make you feel not alone. Sometimes it's to make myself feel not alone. It used to be to try to impress you, or make you jealous that you weren't me. It won't be doing that anymore, because frankly and for the permanent record, my life is nothing to be jealous of. I am happy, content and have purpose. My life is no more special than yours.
4. Those people just don't have a heart for God.
When I'm feeling especially smug, I like to generalize other groups of people whom I think aren't loving God or others as well as me. Whether it's the rich, the rebellious, Indian men, or people who don't volunteer their time...it's a mean thing to think and completely unrealistic and immeasurable. Technically, the people with the biggest hearts for God are the ones not broadcasting it, so the absence of visible good deeds might actually signal a purer heart and deeper love of God. Keep fighting the good fight quiet backstage soldier. I aspire to be you.
3. Quoting a Bible verse at me is so trite.
I used to say this a lot. I feel exceedingly worse every time I think of a moment where I said it. Picture it: you're hurting, you're broken and someone quotes God-breathed scripture at you and you respond with, "Well that was just trite." Further, I've prefaced quoting scripture with, "This might sound trite, but God works all things together for good for those that love Him and are called according to His purposes." No verse, no matter how over-quoted needs to be prefaced with, "I know this sounds trite." Nothing is trite in Scripture. The creator of the universe does not need ME to caveat His wisdom so that it will be meaningful. I'm sorry for this. And will only preface my own "Wise Sayings" with warnings of their simple-minded-ness.
2. That's not what real faith looks like.
This thought comes from the hipster Christian in me. I firmly believe my generation began the hipster movement and it just grew uglier in the following generation. There is a movement to seek out "Truth" and "Reality." Like we're the first people in history to discover Christ and we're the only ones serving him out of a genuine heart. Like every deep thought we've had wasn't covered in Ecclesiastes thousands of years ago. Another remark for the permanent record: I do not know the difference between real faith and fake faith. I would like to defer all judgment of real faith to The One who sees the hearts of men. I can't even decide which of my actions are of real faith and which are cowardice. I'll do my best to refrain from trying to make that judgement on others.
1. God just doesn't work like that.
God does what He wants. He does it in His time. He uses His methods. And He promised to work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. "All things" include things I don't like. Things I wish I hadn't done, and things I wish you would stop doing. It's all things. And I only need to trust His promises, not map out His plans and processes or predict His next move to ease my own fears.
I officially apologize to all of the victims of my cynical remarks, both those who have been the object of my judgment and those whose own cynicism has been amplified.
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