Pondering

The other night, in conversation, the topic of Michael Phelps came up.  Specifically, his indiscretion--what he did, what the repercussions have been, etc.

I said, "They might not let him compete in the next Olympics."

Another answered, "Now that's not fair, that's his private life, he's so talented!"

This made me stop and think and my reply was that perhaps that is right, maybe that was going a bit too far.

But the next morning I was still thinking about it.  I thought back to a sermon I had listened to recently.  The speaker was talking about how Marxist ideas and philosophies and ways of thinking have wormed their way into our country and culture and system of education.  Rather than teaching logic as generations did in the past, this new method is to teach compartmentalization.  This is a big word for putting things in separate categories, compartments, boxes.  I think I will refer to it as "box thinking". 

This "box thinking" teaches that all areas of our lives fit into different compartments and there is a different set of rules and values for each area.  Religion is in one box, science in another, your careers and goals in yet another.  They are all inter-dependent and don't have anything to do with one another.  The rules are also relative, what you feel is right and wrong for you, may not be right or wrong for another, and that is okay.

Our children have been learning this way for decades.  It is not just our children, but us and even our parents.

So, all this came back to me as I was pondering our conversation.  The thought struck me, "Is this a result of our 'box thinking'?  Are we excusing his behavior because we think too much in our separate little boxes?  And, are we practicing any of this 'box thinking' in our own lives?"

Is God's Word applicable to ALL areas of our life?  Or is it just reserved for Sundays, when we go to church, because that is the religion/spiritual box of our lives?  Do we only call on God when we are in dire straits, OR, do we get up and seek God's wisdom for our every move?  Do we look to the Word for wisdom in our marriages, or are we seeking the advice of Oprah and Dr. Phil?  Do we study what God's Word has to say about parenting, or do we reach for the latest issue of our Parenting magazine?  What about other areas, like how we handle our money, or what we eat and how we eat?

I say to you now--you will not experience God's peace until you let Him in to ALL areas of your life!

Ask yourself, "Am I putting God in a box?  Do I feel that what I do in my 'private life' is only my concern?"  It may sound cliche, but it will be the difference between joy and sorrow.

Whether Michael Phelps should be banned from the next Olympics or not isn't relevant.  Let us consider this, though---perhaps the Olympics has a code of ethics as do other sports franchises and even many private schools.  This disregard for these codes of ethics comes from this "box thinking".  Whether the Olympics has a code of ethics or not, Michael Phelps is representing the Olympic establishment and as such, perhaps has no "private life".  Just as we are Christ's representatives on this earth, our "lives" are not our own, so we don't have "private lives"!

I preach to myself here as much as any of you.  I can look back and recognize where I was practicing this "box thinking".

Do you need to get rid of this kind of thinking?  I find it's like peeling an onion, you can peel back a layer at a time.  I am by no means saying I have attained perfection in this area.  We are all at different places in our growth.

As you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, you recognize areas of your life that are filled with the world's belief system and way of thinking and you start to shed that.  Then, you will come upon another layer and shed that, and so on and so on.  We do this by renewing our minds to God's Word.  (Romans 12:2)