Living Life Moment by Moment

I just finished a book, Crazy Love, by Francis Chan. This convicting book challenges the Christian to live a life completely surrendered to Christ instead of living a lukewarm life. I would encourage all believers to read this thought provoking book because it really awakens one to what the church is actually supposed to look like in the areas of loving, serving, and giving.

In the back of the book, Chan placed a chapter from his book, Forgotten God. This chapter was incredibly challenging for me. It talked about how stuck a lot of believers are on "the will of God".

"I think a lot of us need to forget about God's will for my life. God cares more about our response to His Spirit's leading today, in this moment, than about what we intend to do next year. In fact, the decisions we make next year will be profoundly affected by the degree to which we submit to the Spirit right now, in today's decisions. It is easy to use the phrase "God's will for my life" as an excuse for inaction or even disobedience. It's much less demanding to think about God's will for your future than it is to ask Him what he wants you to do in the next ten minutes. It's safer to commit to following Him someday instead of this day."

I thought this very interesting to think about. I know that I am often so focused on what I will be doing or how God will be using me in the future, that I rarely consider the present. And a lot of that attention on the future consists of worry and fear. 

In Luke 9:22 Jesus said, " Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." We are to take up our cross daily. We are to be his disciples right now in the present moment. We can't wait around for next week or next year to come before we start serving him as disciples. 

This really challenged me to begin taking every moment captive, constantly asking myself, "How can I right now serve someone else or give to someone else." In doing this, "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"(Matthew 25:40)

In addition to being obedient to Christ, I think that by focusing more on the present, it will take the worry and fear away from the future that so easily pervades our thoughts. It also helps to focus your attention on heaven because if you continue to humble yourself by loving others in each moment, you will be reminded that you may not get a reward right then(though we actually don't deserve one anyhow), but by obeying Christ, a reward awaits you in heaven.

So many of us have the concept of, "when this day comes, then my life will begin", and that should change. God has given us each day as a gift to be used in a way that is glorifying to him. Every moment is precious to God and should be precious to us as well. What about you? Where is your focus? Are you always waiting for the future to come to change or obey or are you living in obedience right now every moment? I encourage you to live your life moment by moment, step by step, instead of continually focusing on the next chapter of your life. Be grateful for each day and use it for God's honor and glory, not your own.

Saying Goodbye to Rivendell

Looking back on my experience at Rivendell Sanctuary, I thank God with a grateful heart for giving me the privilege of being there for an incredible four months. When I began my journey at Rivendell in January, I had no idea what God held in store for me. Coming straight from Semester, I imagined it to be quite similar. Although it was fairly similar, for example the importance of thinking critically and deeply and the emphasis on living in community, in a way it was completely different. For the first few weeks, it was a complete shock and very hard for me to get used to. God had a plan for me through it all, though. Even when I thought I couldn't handle living in a dorm or reading page after page of homework, He gave me the strength to pull through. He shaped and molded my character by testing and trying me. I know that at the beginning, I didn't want to stay longer than one semester because of how "hard" everything was. By the end though, I had such a great longing to stay there. Which leads into the point of this blog....

Deciding whether to stay or go was a difficult decision. The deciding factor came down to finances, of course. I think the hardest part was knowing that if I chose to stay or leave, either way I would not be acting in sin towards God. I knew that if I stayed I would learn so much, and that was and is my greatest desire. But I also knew that if I stayed, in the end I would probably regret it because of the debt. I knew that if I went home that I could continue to learn by being disciplined and motivated, and would also have the freedom of no debt. In the end, that's what I chose.

The greatest part in making that decision(and I hate making decisions) was that my focus was completely on God. I prayed often, fasted, sought wise counsel, and read the Word. God's presence every day as I thought and prayed was incredibly evident. I think this was the first decision making process in which stress and worry were at a very low point. I felt complete peace knowing that in the end, whatever path I chose, God would be with me, would provide for me, would teach me, and would love me unconditionally. That gave me such hope and thanksgiving in my heart for Him. When it finally came to decision time, I knew that I was making the right decision even though I so longed to stay at Rivendell. The peace that surpasses all understanding flooded me, and still is flooding me.

Saying goodbye to Rivendell, the education and the people, proved to be difficult. I will miss the friends I made, the method of learning, my professors, and the lessons that could have been learned. But, I will not forget the friends-what they taught me and the laughter, fun, and tears I enjoyed with them. I will not forget the method of learning, but will continue to use what I was taught in my own studies and also hopefully pass it own to others. I will not forget my professors, but will hear their voices in my head and remember and be grateful for the wisdom and practical tools they handed down to me. I know that even more lessons could have been learned, but I will not forget the ones I did learn, nor will I avoid new lessons.

All in all, God gave me an amazing, unforgettable gift by allowing me to attend Rivendell the past four months. It was an awesome journey that started with a leap of faith, continued in faith,  and ended with a leap of faith.





PS All photos were taken by Alexandra Petree.

Why Philosophy is Significant to the Christian Faith

Philosophy has nothing to do with Christianity does it? Many claim that the two have no connection. I have heard it said that as Christians, our sole ambition should be to preach the gospel; or in other words, such subjects as philosophy should not be studied because it does not aid in the gospel. However, in this essay, I will prove that philosophy is vital to Christianity, that Christians use it on a daily basis in their walk with God, and that even a “basic” thing as sharing the gospel is dependent on philosophy. I will show the significance of philosophy by revealing that God commands us in the Bible to be philosophical, that philosophy is a necessary component to both theology and apologetics, and that philosophy can be used on a daily basis in the Christian’s life.

The Bible will be our starting place in finding whether philosophy should be part of Christianity. In the Old Testament, Moses gave the second generation of Israel various laws that required obedience in the Promised Land. One of those commands was this: “ Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”(Deuteronomy 6:4-5) In the New Testament, Jesus responds to a lawyer’s question, “What is the greatest commandment in the Law?” by saying, “ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”( Matthew 22:36-37). In order to be obedient to Christ, a Christian must love God with his mind.

God focuses on the mind here because it is his gift to humanity. In creating humans, God made them in his image; therefore, he gave them something that set them apart from all other creations: the intellect. Human beings can be said to be rational animals because of this. One definition of philosophy corresponds with this description exactly: the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct(emphasis added). Because humans are rational which comes from the intellect or mind, philosophy by definition also comes from the intellect or mind. It follows then that by loving God with our mind, we are loving God through philosophy.

In addition to these scriptures, other portions of the scripture emphasize using the mind by testing things and examining things before accepting things to be truth. Examples are the following: Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (emphasis added). Having a sharp mind is necessary to understand what God’s perfect plan is. Also, 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.” In order to obtain good things, everything must be questioned carefully by the mind. Another critical scripture is Colossians 2:8, which says, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” Now, many take this verse to mean that we should avoid all philosophies. But this cannot be true, because Paul uses philosophy constantly by arguing for the gospel. What Paul means is that n order to not be taken captive by deceptive worldviews, a philosophy that corresponds with the truth that Christ presented is vital for the Christian. By using our minds critically, testing and examining everything, an adequate worldview can be obtained.

Next, we will tackle the issue of theology and how it relates to philosophy. Although at first glance it may not seem like it, theology is laced with philosophical implications.

First of all, certain theological doctrines use philosophy first hand. For example, when discussing the trinity, we use the words “essence” and “subsistences” to formulate the theory of God being three in one. Both of those words are philosophical terms used to describe being and persons.

Secondly, philosophy is necessary to complete a systematic theology. Before systematizing, an inductive study of the Bible must be done. Induction relies on logic which comes from the intellect and is a branch of philosophy.. In addition to induction, the biblical data relating to God must be connected. This connection is dependant on formulating logical premises. Those premises must follow to make a logical conclusion. This method of philosophy within theology is called a positive construction of Christian doctrine. Third, a negative method in formulating a doctrine also relies on philosophy. The theologian must prove that things that seem like contradictions in the Bible are actually not contradictions. Examples of these contradictions that seem apparent are God being a rock(Psalm 18:2) or Jesus being a door(John 10:7). The theologian must know how to explain these difficulties to those who question them, but this cannot be done without thinking critically and developing logical arguments, both of which are dependent on philosophy.

A warning must be mentioned here when talking about using philosophy to help interpret God’s word. Reason should never take the place of God’s authority. As mentioned before, reason is a gift from God and we are to glorify him by using it. Philosophy is called the handmaiden of theology for that very reason because philosophy is used as a tool to interpret the Bible, not to replace the Bible.

Because philosophy aids theology, it must aid in apologetics since apologetics is a branch of theology. Apologetics defends the Christian faith from attacks from the world. In a sense, it is the Christian worldview against all other worldviews. Apologetics has a basis in the Bible found in 1 Peter 3. There the author calls us to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”(1 Peter 3:15-16). The Bible calls Christians to be apologists, to defend the faith against the many attacks from the world.

In order to give a defense for that faith, philosophy is required. C.S. Lewis supports this by saying that, “Good philosophy must exist if only for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.” This “good” philosophy focuses on developing solid, reasonable arguments by thinking critically, analyzing, and questioning other arguments. The reasonable arguments will provide concise evidence for the Christian worldview that is more plausible than any other worldview if understood correctly.

Usually when we hear the word “argue”, we think of petty squabbles where no one listens to the other side. However, the type of argument that philosophy focuses on is one that brings logical reasons for the claim which is being supported. Such an argument is not and should not be a petty squabble, which is why Peter calls us to use reason in a gentle and respectful way. By doing this, we can show those who are maliciously attacking the faith without reason and respect that we have presented our argument with honor and respect, and thus they will be or should be distraught over their slander of the faith in Jesus Christ.

Although many Christians may have the belief that theology and apologetics are too lofty of subjects for a layman(although I have shown in the previous arguments that such a belief is not necessarily true since each of us have a theology and use apologetics in some way), philosophy can still be used every day in a dedicated life unto God. Such examples are the following: critical thinking is necessary for weighing the accuracy in sermons, books, songs, and discussions. One must have a correct Christian philosophy if they are to communicate the gospel in Sunday school classes and youth groups. Correct reasoning is needed for interpreting the scriptures as they are to be interpreted. As you can see, in addition to being used in seminaries with theology and apologetics, philosophy can also be used daily in the life of the Christian as he learns, teaches, and studies. One can further such a philosophy by reading books, questioning ideas, and discussing important concepts.

In conclusion, I have shown that against popular belief, philosophy is incredibly significant for the Christian faith because God has commanded us to love him with our philosophically-made minds; because it is the handmaiden of theology which in turn affects apologetics, a branch of theology; and last, but not least, philosophy is referenced daily in the journey of walking as disciples of Christ. Socrates sums it up well, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” Without an emphasis on philosophy, the Christian life loses great significance and is not worth pursuing.

These are the resources I used:
Genesis 1:26-27
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/philosophy?s=t
http://www.reasons.org/articles/why-christians-should-value-philosophy-part-1-of-3
http://www.reasons.org/articles/why-christians-should-value-philosophy-part-2-of-3
Norman Geisler's "Introduction to Philosophy"
C.S. Lewis' "The Weight of Glory"
Plato's "Apology, 38a"
This paper was written for my final philosophy paper at Rivendell.