Misdirection

A misdirection play is a used to make the other team go one way while the ball is actually going another way. Plays like can make a fool out an undisciplined defense and leave them looking like fools. Similarly, undisciplined Christians can be misguided by all sorts of things (work, school, etc). Recently, I learned that Christian can misdirect other Christians. I was on sermonsaudio.com listening to an interview with Paul Washer (A). To paraphrase the first question that was asked to Washer, the interviewer said, “What would you say to someone who was faithful to your ministry, but was not faithful to reading the bible?” Washer (after laughing about the question) replied with scripture "hearing but not hearing and seeing but not seeing."(Eze 12:2 (B)). Hearing him say that really made me think for a about my dedication to God. Though I try to engulf myself in a Christ centered life, I sometimes narrow my site and only focus on the tool and not the potter. If all I do as a Christian is follow the ways and teachings of a person and not God, then I gravely risk my relationship with God. Men are full of flaws, even the most humble and caring of men still commit errors, but God does not. He is the ultimate architect and he is the one the Christians need to faithfully follow. It is true that people are put in Christian lives to act as an example of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1(C)), but that cannot be the end all of a Christian’s faith.

Living in the Bible Belt has given me a chance to debate items in the bible that I never knew were worth debating. Items such as how often should someone take communion, should their people instruments in church, and are tongues appropriate have been question that I have had to consistently discuss with other Christians. Strictly my opinion, none of difference of these things are important enough to try to impose on someone else how they should live their faith, but people do. There are Christian that latch on to this idea that everyone needs to latch on to certain ways of practicing Christianity and they spend all their time trying to convince someone to, for example, not clap during a worship service. Once again just my opinion, but if a Christians action is not a sin and if it is an earnest attempt to please and glorify God, who cares how it is done.

To all my Christians: do not allow the small stuff to bring hostility between a body that is to be unified under Christ (Acts 2:44 (D)). Also remember that though you follow a mortal (fill in the blank) for spiritual guidance and leadership, it is Christ that should receive your love, affection, and attention, not the (fill in the blank.) As I close, if the reader of this remembers anything, remember this: don’t let mortal things steal the love and adoration that God fully deserves.

A:http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=1229091954150 B:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+12:2&version=NIV C:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20cor%2011:1&version=NIV D:http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202:44&version=NIV