More Adventures in Missing the Point

Hey all! I sometimes get a rant buzzing around in my head and feel this irresistable urge to voice my thoughts. I talked with the youth group the other day about some things that drive me crazy about Christians, and today I’m gonna elaborate on that a bit, because I think that the sooner that we as ”Christians” begin to tear down some of these completely “missing the point” beliefs, the sooner we can truly live a life that impacts the world the way we were meant to.

Missing the Point Topic #1: “We are okay and “saved” now that we believe, so our job here is done. I know we’re supposed to tell other people about Jesus, but if I don’t, man, that’s okay… at least I’m set for eternity.”

Here’s my take – we sure need to get over ourselves! Holy smokes, we’re no better than anyone else out there, and to be unconcerned for the people around us is just proving how little we are in Christ (Look Here!).

Missing the Point Topic #2: It’s summer! Time to take some time off! I know that God isn’t something we just do and need a break from, but if we do need to, summer is the time to take it! So, no worries about showing up at church if I don’t want to, or doing service projects or improving programs… that’s what summer’s all about, right? Rest, relaxation, and personal satisfaction!

I know that a lot of people take their vacations in the summer, and that makes perfect sense to me. I’m not saying that people shouldn’t – but I do take issue with people who feel a need to “take time off from God.” What’s the point of that? If you need time away from your church for some reason, then be a part of a church SOMEWHERE. But we should never tire of being with God, serving Him, and loving those He’s called us to love. Those things should be a blessing. And, as I told my youth, we usually have MORE time in summer, which is a great opportunity to do all those things we told God we didn’t have time for throughout the rest of the year. Check out this article: Spiritual Summer.

Missing the Point Topic #3: Missions? Who says I need to do any of that? People at my job know I don’t curse, drink, smoke, fill-in-the-blank, so I’m being a good enough witness here. No need to spend a bunch of time and money to go somewhere else.

I cannot emphasize the importance of missions enough. If you’ve never been on a mission trip before, you don’t know what you’re missing. There is nothing better to open your eyes and change your life than to be completely out of your comfort zone doing things you never thought you could do. I recommend you take a mission trip, whether you go alone, with a group, or with a youth group. Adventures in Missions is the group I’d recommend most, if you’re looking for a company to go with.

Missing the Point Topic #4: Missions only count if you go far away to a place you’ve never been before. Out of the country is preferred. What? The youth at TTUMC are going to do missions in St. Pete? What kind of mission trip is that? I’m not interested – let me know when you’re going to Africa or somewhere exotic and cool.

Are you kidding me? If you’re not willing to reach out and help others around you at home, why would you think that going far away is a good idea? It all starts at home, people. Who are you reaching out to where you are right now? Believe me – there are a lot of people who need us right here at home. I mean, Jesus DID say it.

And that, folks, concludes my rant on missing the point. What is the point? God loves us, we love Him, and we should be doing whatever we can to help other people know and feel that, too. Let’s make an effort to keep that up, and not become so comfortable and complacent that we forget who we are (and who we should be) in Christ.

~ by Erica Ares on May 26, 2007.