Monday, March 31, 2008

Last Weekend at Kingston!

I went to Kingston Reformed Church last weekend. The first thing I noticed was that it was HUGE compared to the church I go to. Anyway, the speaker dude said something interesting. I wrote it in my phone so I'd remember it.

Bit of background first..

Most people would agree that in the postmodern times we're in (or is it post-post-modern now??) everyone is trying to "find themself" somehow, hence all the new-age religions coming out. I've never really bothered understanding the whole postmodern thing, but I think one main characteristic of this age is just trying to grapple for some sort of meaning to your life - whether it's getting married and having kids, having FUN and LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL (how do you define that anyway?), having an awesome career, or finding contentment and happiness - regardless of how it's done, people are definitely trying to "find themselves."

I think it's also considered that if you decide to be a Christian, you're being something other than yourself, and not staying "true to yourself." And I mean, for a non-Christian who doesn't truly know what following God is all about (because they haven't bothered to find out, or their Christian friends haven't bothered to tell them), it's fair enough that people should think that way. To the uninformed observer, it could look like everyone's just floating through the world, trying to find their own purpose, and these Christians are deciding instead to follow some "God" that apparently created the world. Doesn't that sound like Christians are going a bit off the main track, and abandoning their "true self"?

But most followers of God would agree, I think, with what this guy at Kingston Reformed said. And he said it so well! YOU were created by God, like God, and for God. Creation stems from one point - God. So finding God, as we are ALL destined to do, is in fact finding yourself. Because he knows you better than you know yourself. On a slightly off-the-track note, you know how it's easy to think "how can God understand what I'm personally going through?" Well someone I know recently summed that up pretty well.. he made you, so he understands your pain better than you yourself do.

If you don't believe in God, then that doesn't change the fact that he exists. I can claim that you don't exist, but regardless of what I believe, you clearly still exist.

Oh the other thing this guy so eloquently said was that when you eventually find God, you find out where you've come from, what you're here for, and where you're going. And I can vouch for that :)

2 comments:

adrian said...

Well said Renae.

Another thing the guy at Kingston Reformed said was that if you don't 'fill the gap' with God, then you will try to fill it with something else. I once heard that gap referred to as 'the God shaped hole'. You can cram other stuff in there but nothing else comes close to fulfilment like the relationship one has with God. Even better that the context for this relationship is richly documented in the Bible! Where would we be without the Bible!?!

Of course, Christians aren't immune to the pressures and temptations of the world, but when they come to their senses (Luke 15:17) they can again see the world in the context of what Jesus has taught, and it all makes perfect sense.

Renae said...

Yup :)