The Spear

  “Know thyself.” This quote from Socrates is better known than its meaning. You will see those two simple words scrolled on walls, journals, and even tattooed on people’s bodies. Yet, too few actually live by it.  Being well acquainted with oneself is a concept that seems to be lost to most. We have been taught how to work with complex machines or cells. We stare into the endless abyss of the deepest oceans and seek out its secrets. We gaze upward and reach as far as we can into the unknown cosmos, longing to know more. Still, we struggle with understanding our own motivations. We ignore our own feelings, fears, and desires. We walk around as spirits covered in flesh and ignore what lies within. We live with a stranger in our own bodies.  We have ignored the command to, “take the plank out of your own eye,” in favor of seeing only the problems in others. We do not see our own issues. We don’t even recognize our own cries for help. We refuse to see ourselves and yet cry t...

FYI. This list is not found in the bible. These things are found in the bible but not in a list. The term "Seven Deadly Sins" what invented by the church. Fun picture though. || Return to Series Menu || << Previous Post in Series         Next Post in Series >>       “Satan made me do it!” Now, I’ve never actually heard someone say this and be serious, but I think many Christians live as if it’s true. The world was brought down by Satan. He is the inventor of sin. He is the reason life is hard for us and why we must constantly battle temptation. Well, if you are nodding and agreeing right now, I’m afraid I just don’t agree with that line of thought.

Have you ever noticed that everyone seems to be looking for “the line”? That imaginary space that divides what “is OK”, from what’s “not OK”. The first one that comes to my mind is, “Is drinking alcohol wrong?” Someone always says, “The bible says that we should not, ‘become drunk on wine’” ( Ephesians 5:18 ). To which another responds, “yes, but Jesus drank wine. He even turned water into wine for a party” ( John 2:1-11 ). Then… it happens. Someone establishes the line. So, it’s OK to have some wine, but not enough to be drunk. OK cool we’ve got that now, but wait… does that apply to whiskey too because I don’t like wine. And, how do I know when I’m drunk if I’ve never been drunk, and I’m not supposed to be drunk. Oh no, Maybe I have been drunk I didn’t know it. I’ve been accidentally sinning this whole time.

I am writing this in response to really great question from one of our faithful blog followers. Sometimes, even as believers we tend to forget who the real enemy is. Some people go their whole lives never really thinking about this. Yet other people find themselves blaming everything on Satan. “The Devil made me do it.”

There have been many times in my life when I have needed something. I’m not just talking about something that you want but something that you need from the depths of your being. The kind of desire that sets you praying and crying out. Sometimes, I was answered the way I wanted to be, and there were times when I was not.

Whether you believe in God or not, at one point or another you have probably felt like your life was just out of control. I have felt like I could not rest. I could not move my life in one direction or the other. Everything was just out of my control.