Profound ideas bring with them the necessity for immense responsibility and results in dire consequences, both good and bad. The proper manner in which to execute an idea is by examining the responsibility that comes with it and the results it will manifest. If the responsibility can be managed properly and the end results contribute something of nobility within yourself and a higher sense of welfare for the society in which you inhabit, you should then expound on the idea courageously and execute it properly and precisely.
There are plenty of variants of interpretations in regards to scripture and the Christian life with many of them being placed in the region of simplistic connotations. Simplicity works well but only in certain situations and circumstances. When trying to better understand complex issues that are tied into our complex and chaotic reality we inhabit, it is essential to delve deep within terms and ideas to better understand what actually works and how it operates on a fundamental level.
In scripture we read about the conception of transformation and renewal being central within the Christian life. This is an absolute profound concept and is echoed throughout other religions and philosophies as well, but the one primary factor that distinguishes the Christian philosophy from the rest is that, unlike its counterparts, it focuses on the idea of transforming into the image of a person, that is Christ. While others is transforming into an enlightened being of some sort with no real aim of reference, no foundation in which to direct the transformation process towards.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
romans 12:2 nkjv
To better understand the Christian philosophy of transformation one must begin by looking at the original Greek word used, and then by breaking it down into sub-components where the true understanding starts to manifest itself. The Greek word that is used here for transformed is, Metamorphoo, where we get our modern English word, metamorphoses from which means to change into another form, to transform or transfigure in the most literal sense.
“Therefore do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”
2 corinthians 4:16 nkjv
In this verse we see the word renewed being used, the same as in the verse above, which Greek word is, Anakainoo, meaning to cause to grow up, new, to make new, new strength and vigour is given to one, to be changed into a new kind of life as opposed to the former corrupt state. So this, again, is the concept of changing from one mode of being to another. Both words are not suggesting a few minor changes, but rather encompasses the entire being of the person.
A profound idea and approach to the way of life and perception thereof, especially for ancient people. This idea has shown to hold up to the weight of scientific research, and not only hold up, but prove to be true within itself. New research has shown that as people embark on the journey of learning new things and changing old habits, they begin, in the most literal sense, to change the way in which their brain is wired and ultimately change their entire mode of being.
Neuroplasticity is one of the more recent discoveries that points to the concept of the brain’s ability to reorganize itself, both physically and functionally, throughout our life due to our environment, behavior, thinking and emotions. It suggests that as we learn something new, neurons that send and receive information about the task become more efficient and as time goes on it takes less effort for them to signal the next cell about what’s going on which, in a sense, the neurons become wired together.
This rewiring of the brain does not only affect the intellect of the individual, but the emotional, physical and biological components as well. Overtime an individual will actually transform into a new mode of being, both mentally and physically. This state of change is not limited to age either as regardless of one’s age, they are still plenty capable of change by simply changing their habits, environment and embarking on journey’s of discovering and learning new things.
The question to ask yourself as an individual is what have you done to change? Have you been seeking to be transformed into the image of Christ? Or have you remained the same for years?
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 nkjv
The Christian life is a life and philosophy of newness and oneness that is found only in Christ. This newness is not obtained overnight, nor is it a lazy individuals cup of tea. It requires effort from the individual to change their habits, environment and learn new things. The Holy Spirit is there to help us, but it is up to us to wake up everyday and decide to take the path of change. Everyday will bring us closer to becoming a new person, the person God has called us to be.
When faced with difficult choices it is always best to stop and ponder on the choice then seek out good advice from others, and then execute the decision conscientiously while conducting yourself properly in due process-that is wisdom at its most fundamental level.
An area many of us struggle with is the concept of pushing the limitations that are set up within our own minds. Most of these limitations we have self-imposed through our own experiences and thoughts while some of them are set in place by the evolutionary sequence of change produced over millions of years.
The way in which we can help improve our mode of being is by pushing these limitations each and everyday without overexerting ourselves. Just like in the gym one must push the limits of their muscles in order to increase in order to make gains, so we must push the limits of our being by pushing the bounds of routine and elevating our sense of awareness.
We can achieve this by changing things up in our daily routine by finding new avenues of doing things as well as seeking to discover and learn something new. At that moment we begin to tap into parts of our brain that were once dormant and awaken them which then rewires, not only our way of thinking and looking at the world, but our entire mode of being.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
romans 12:2 nkjv
Here is where we can experience the true power of transformation that is so famously spoken of by Jesus and the Apostles, and here is where we can go out and make a difference in the world around us. Are you pushing your limitations?
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s stance against the simple decriminalization of cannabis as well as medical and full legalization is a great example of a modern day pharisee. While claiming to be a believer in Christ and yet withholding this healing herb from thousands of sick and dying people is morally reprehensible. When your top supporter is the pharmaceutical industry you know that your objective is rooted in greed and pride. My advice to you is to search deep within your being and repent.
One primary problem the church as a whole is facing is that of cowardice and it is only getting worse as time passes. Do not get me wrong, there are a few good soldiers out there fighting the good fight, but overall the church is collapsing under pressure from within and outside. Not only do we see this happening to the church as a whole, but with individual Christians as well. We see it when they are faced with opposing forces of the faith as well as their own personal lives when faced with obstacles.
This weakness, so to speak, can be traced back about 150 years or so, and of course can be found elsewhere as well, but for the sake of this argument let us look at the modern perspective only. With the rise of technology has brought with it the necessity of comfort, happiness, pleasure and the like. Now, I am not saying that these are bad and unnecessary within themselves, but rather that we have come to depend on them too much as vital parts of life instead of blessings to enjoy from time to time.
Not only is this seen within the church and individual Christians, but it is also seen within the world as a whole. The difference between the world and the church when it comes to the increase comfort and weakness is the fact that the world is a bit more headstrong and tough when it comes to dealing with issues, while the church feels the necessity to back down to opposition in order to exhibit meekness and love like Jesus. But how valid is this approach? Is this the way that Jesus responded to opposition? Or is this just a modern conceptualization?
To put things into perspective it is necessary to look at the Greek word for meekness and go from there. The Greek word is, “Praotes” which means to exhibit gentleness, mildness, meekness, but has also been interpreted by several scholars to mean, “One who has a weapon and knows how to use it, but keeps it set within their holster.” We are called to be meek, that is gentle while exhibiting the love of Christ to others, and yet at the same time we are called to be courageous, stand firm and be alert.
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”
1 Corinthians 16:13 nkjv
The “stand fast” is the Greek word, “Steko” which means to stand firm, to persevere, to persist, to keep one’s standing. Even better is the phrase “be strong” which is the Greek word, “Krataioo” and literally means to be strengthened, make strong, increase in strength and vigor.
When trying to see how this correlates with the idea of meekness one only has to look at how Jesus reacted to the Pharisees in speech and conduct like the terms brood of vipers and turning the tables in the temple, and this type of action and speech, to our modern viewpoint, does not seem to meek. The way to better understand meekness, strength and courage is by not taking extreme, modern day viewpoints, and instead look at the meaning of words through the lenses of the ancient writers.
Life was much different 2,000+ years ago with no real stability present, no clean water or food, illnesses running rampant, thieves and thugs lying at every corner, no means of expeditious communication, ruthless governments and the like. The idea of meekness something much different to Paul, Peter, and even Jesus as they saw a much different world than we do today. They knew that they had to be strong and courageous in order to overcome the opposition and obstacles that came their way while doing it in as much gentleness as they possibly could do without being pushed over and trampled on.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9 nkjv
Just like Joshua in the Old Testament, we too need to be courageous if we want to fight the good fight and overcome, not only the opposition that comes against the church, but even our own personal battles and obstacles that try to inhibit us from accomplishing the call of God upon our life. We must come to understand that the Bible and the Christian life is predicated some much upon the idea of balance rather than extremes. We should seek to be gentle to all without being push overs, and yet exhibit courage and strength without becoming a tyrant of sorts. Where do you stand when it comes to exhibiting courage and meekness?
Criticism and encouragement go hand in hand. If a person provides too much criticism there will be only regression and the loss of self worth in the mind of the one being critiqued. The same applies to those that always encourage and yet never criticize for the individual who receives the continuous encouragement comes to believe they can do no wrong and growth is inhibited. Balance is essential within life, both in a negative and positive aspect and only in the balance can we find true growth and prosperity.
Kanye is seeking to start his own church that is universal to all people and Christianity is declining while witch crafts are increasing quite dramatically.
Humans are complex creatures with no one size fits all solution. Each individual must delve deep within themselves to understand who they are and who God has created them to be. Only in the depths of being will you face your monsters and bring order out of chaos.
The Bible warns against simple mindedness, and what does that mean exactly? It means to not go about your life unaware of who you are, to never search the depths of your being and to be conscientious of what is going on around you as well as the choices you make.
As much as it makes us uncomfortable to search the chaotic depths of ourselves where we find many things we may not really like about our mode of being, we may also find things that we never knew we were capable of doing. Only there are we able to conquer those monsters while discovering new things like talents and gifts that were undiscovered before.
Today is a day of celebration, a day of hope for all people on earth as Jesus rose from the dead. That if we only believe in Christ and are cleansed by His blood, we will be saved and be given eternal life. This astounding gift is set before all people and all we have to do is choose.
This same choice has been presented since the beginning at the time of the fall with the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Choices are apart of another great gift, that is freewill. The question we must all ask ourselves is, “In what manner are we executing our freewill?”
“And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.””
Joshua 24:15 NKJV
We can choose to follow the path that leads to destruction, that is the ideologies of the world that are void of any truth or merit. Or we can follow the One who gives us an eternal hope and that has imparted the gift of freewill itself to us, Jesus Christ.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16 NKJV
Let us celebrate by spending time with loved ones and praising the Lord for such great a gift as His death on the cross and rising the third day to cleanse us and give us eternal life and for the freewill to be able to choose it. Happy Easter!
Michael Thacker 