Stopping and smelling the roses or at least thinking about them

The born again Christian theme seems to be once saved always saved. It is like you receive a get out of jail free card to carry around with you.

Or there is the idea of some Christians that we do not have free will. There is no choice in what we do, we are preordained to be good or bad. Some of this is that only certain people are chosen. Or it doesn’t matter what you do.

And I hate to be critical, but this thinking seems to me to be a selfish type of Christianity. I am not held responsible for my actions as a Christian. Sure this is a statement that carries the above thinking to its extreme side, but I see way too much of as long as my soul, and my friends, is saved everything is good. And I know many of this group of Christians will work very hard in missionary work to convert people. I am choosing the word convert. Some will say I am trying to save people, but it is always through a conversion to their Christianity.

And this thinking also carries forward the thought that only our Christianity is the right Christianity. And yes all this is to beg the question: what is the “right or correct” Christianity?

Just one question to ask yourself this Good Friday; the day we recognize that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us.

And then…..

Remember our Creator gave us Jesus to show us that humility, sacrifice, love, and faith, should be our goals. Jesus lived and made his sacrifice to free us of our own failures, to strive to reach these goals, and to give us one command. What else we do in life, whether we are President or a janitor, is secondary to how we treat others.

And this goes back to free will, we choose how we treat others. No one else makes this choice, but us. This has always been since the beginning. (and there will be more someday on the concept of free will)

So the concept is pretty easy and granted to be successful at anything will take hard work, however, why is it how we treat each other on this planet is so contrary to the most fundamental aspects of what Jesus taught us.

And whether you are Christian or not, why can’t we treat each other with respect and dignity? Why is this so difficult? And if you find this difficult to relate, try observing the genuinely happy people you know in your life and you will probably observe they give respect to all.

A few more thoughts to ask yourself this Good Friday.



Faith Hope and Love