Relationship, Self Help & How To's

Brace yourselves, you are not going to like what you read here. Apologies for the monthlong silence, I couldn't get over myself. What with the amazing number of self help and how to courses I have just been writhing. A noted blog today shared how their small group was starting courses on learning how to care. Hello? Do you mean to tell me you actually need to hire some one to teach a course to your "church" group about how to care for the brokenhearted? Puh Lease! "Elizabeth, I feel the big one comin' on, I'm comin' to you!" as Sanford used to say on the Sanford and Son show.

Scripture teaches that we are made in the image of God, our Creator. We are ambassadors of Christ, with the very nature of God in us. So I ask you, does God need a self help course on how to care for the brokenhearted? People, we are in real trouble if that's the case! So if we are made in his image with his nature, how come we need these courses?

Okay, I'm willing to risk it... do you actually have a relationship with God? You know, beyond the 'Jesus loves ya honey!' knowledge? Is your relationship based merely on a textbook God or do you have real relationship with God? How is that at all possible, you ask? Now we are getting somewhere!

Seriously folks, Jesus said he was the way, the truth and the life. He encouraged us to follow him, his way, his example. Do you notice anywhere in the Gospel where he signed up for courses on how to heal the blind or minister to the five thousand?

Look at the story of the five thousand and the bread and fish. What does Jesus do? He asks, "what do you have?" Do you think he had to go to school to know how to do that? I don't. It appears that out of his relationship with his Father he knew what to do. Mary and Martha, even though their brother Lazarus had been dead for four days, knew that whatever Jesus asked his father He would do. How about you?

God says to Abraham, "Leave your family and your country behind and go to a place I will show you." He didn't read that in a textbook in a course. He "heard" God ask him to go and he obeyed. He didn't know where he was going and how he would get there or even find provision along the way. By faith he began the journey into the promised land. And us? Oh, there's a course for that. I'll sign up for how God after I finish this other course I'm doing right now. Jesus said, "as you believe so shall it be done." Are you interested in a similar answer to your prayers? I'm looking to the Father for help! Not a course to teach me how! I'm looking for relationship with people who care not people who want to take a course to learn how! Now don't get mad, I'm not saying I don't appreciate that by taking the course you want to learn how. It's just that, well, couldn't we learn together by doing it rather than me waiting for you to take a course about it and get back to me?