Devotional 080110

Dear brothers and sisters,
Good morning. I can’t believe that this is already the last day of my first class on Cultural Anthropology. I have a lot of home work and preparation to do over weekend, before my next class on Contextualization will begin. So far I have been enjoying myself in this meaningful mental exercise. This class generates a lot of serious reflection on my whole being in God and in the community of faith. Hope it will translate into some paradigm shift and attitude change.

There is an enormous communications industry in the world that is stamping out words like buttons. Words are transmitted by television, radio, telegraph, satellite, cable, newspaper and magazine. But the words are not personal. Implicit in this enormous communications industry is an enormous lie: if we improve communications we will improve life. It has not happened and it will not happen.

Often when we find out what a person “has to say,” we like him or her less, not more. Better communication often worsens international relations. We know more about each other as nations and religions than we ever have before in history, and we seem to like each other less. Counselors know that when spouses learn to communicate more clearly, it leads to divorce as often as it does to reconciliation.

The Scripture gives us this clear warning: Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words. You know. If they are not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul (2 Timothy 2:l6-I7 Message).

I like the way Eugene Peterson translate it. Paul warned his spiritual son, Timothy, to avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly (v. 16 NIV). We are living in an informational world; we constantly engage on the fast track of communication. We just can’t stop read and reply email or text messaging. Words of the world basically crowd out the voice of God. Unfortunately, most of these words or conversations are not godly or god-related. The more you engage in godless chatter, the more you don’t feel comfortable to talk about God. All of a sudden, the whole world stops when someone brings out God in the conversation. All the fun or laughter seems to run away or stop, when Christians start talking about God or Jesus Christ even in a thankful and joyful manner. If you don’t find it fun to chat about God but something else, you will become more and more worldly or ungodly as Apostle Paul put it.

How often did you text messaging about your testimony or walk with God to each other? How often did you share about your devotion with great joy of thanksgiving? The world is filled with words. But the Word of God is knocked inside the 4 walls of the church. We don’t have Communist policy to confine our freedom of worship and studying God’s words within the 4 walls of the church. We give up our freedom of worship and study God’s words outside of the church even though we live in a free world. We compartmentalize our faith and content to live in a dualistic lifestyle: Sacred man on Sunday morning and Secular man on the rest of the time. No wonder we don’t feel comfortable to enjoy talking about God! Leave you something to think about over this weekend.

Love you in according to His Word,
Lawrence