against the flow
well i'm on a new kick. i'm becoming strongly anti-mainstream. the Holy Spirit has kind of been working this in me over about a week and a half. here are my thoughts...
i feel like there is mainstream Christianity. now as i say what i think, all this comes with a disclaimer: a recognition that i have spent most of my life in this mainstream, normal christianity. and there's a lot to be said for that. but i'm just beginning to back away from that. and when i step back, i see this kind of generalization that's happening in the church. lots of people have similar relationships with God. not the same, but there's a lot of similar. and i feel like a lot of our uniqueness is getting lost in the mainstream.
so i'm questioning a lot of structures and institutions i've always clung to. like Christian books for example. i used to want to just read and read and hang out in Christian bookstores. and now i just don't know how i feel about this overabundance of Christian literature. it's like some people get a great revelation, so they find it wholly necessary to go write a book about how i should apply it to my life. and that's the Christianity so many americans are settling for. having someone else's spiritual revelation be imposed on their relationship with Father. now i know there's a lot to be learned from christian books. obviously people are called to teach, and some do it through writing. but i am desiring this type of unique intimacy with Him that can't be received through reading what someone else experienced or what worked for them. i don't want to conform to the mainstream... i want a unique and individual relationship with Jesus.
and He showed me this picture last night of how people who are willing to go against the flow create a literal type of friction. note: this is not division, it is friction. big difference. the friction makes us uncomfortable where we are. it sharpens. and it moves us to a place where power can be released.
i don't want any more information. knowledge only puffs up. i want intimacy... not a concept, but the real thing. deep conversations with Him and quality time just being with the Holy Spirit. all these concepts and right steps won't do anything but impose someone else's relationship with Him on me. then we'll all end up with these really similar relationships, while He desires individuality in His intimacy with us.
i'm loving where He has me right now... i am really moving in the direction of absolutely not caring what people think of me. and that's a pretty fun place. all i want, all i need, is Jesus.
i feel like there is mainstream Christianity. now as i say what i think, all this comes with a disclaimer: a recognition that i have spent most of my life in this mainstream, normal christianity. and there's a lot to be said for that. but i'm just beginning to back away from that. and when i step back, i see this kind of generalization that's happening in the church. lots of people have similar relationships with God. not the same, but there's a lot of similar. and i feel like a lot of our uniqueness is getting lost in the mainstream.
so i'm questioning a lot of structures and institutions i've always clung to. like Christian books for example. i used to want to just read and read and hang out in Christian bookstores. and now i just don't know how i feel about this overabundance of Christian literature. it's like some people get a great revelation, so they find it wholly necessary to go write a book about how i should apply it to my life. and that's the Christianity so many americans are settling for. having someone else's spiritual revelation be imposed on their relationship with Father. now i know there's a lot to be learned from christian books. obviously people are called to teach, and some do it through writing. but i am desiring this type of unique intimacy with Him that can't be received through reading what someone else experienced or what worked for them. i don't want to conform to the mainstream... i want a unique and individual relationship with Jesus.
and He showed me this picture last night of how people who are willing to go against the flow create a literal type of friction. note: this is not division, it is friction. big difference. the friction makes us uncomfortable where we are. it sharpens. and it moves us to a place where power can be released.
i don't want any more information. knowledge only puffs up. i want intimacy... not a concept, but the real thing. deep conversations with Him and quality time just being with the Holy Spirit. all these concepts and right steps won't do anything but impose someone else's relationship with Him on me. then we'll all end up with these really similar relationships, while He desires individuality in His intimacy with us.
i'm loving where He has me right now... i am really moving in the direction of absolutely not caring what people think of me. and that's a pretty fun place. all i want, all i need, is Jesus.
posted by bethany at
3:19 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home