balancing act

I am enjoying the discussion with the Sr. Pastor at our church about balancing the key priorities in Christianity today. We are talking about knowing and obeying what God wants, and living that out in a life of compassion.

He had a great quote from Mark Batterson (whom I don't really Know much about)

The true measure of spiritual maturity is not how much we know but how much we obey. And the truth is--all of us are educated way beyond our level of obedience!

Check out the post here.

My Final comment was challenging the conclusion that seems to be drawn from this. The conclusion appears to be that where we aren't obedient we should therefore stop trying to know more, and get out there an do it.

The Christian Church is not great about doing what they should do. But I think part of the problem is with new believers, sometimes they know what is good but don't know that God has really spoken with authority about that specific thing. They think they are "in the clear" by avoiding all the big no-no's. In really if we would pick up and read the bible, we would see all the ways we are lacking. I think that a frank correction from God's word will spur more people to action, than not.

Here is a quote from my last comment on that post

As the church (small groups) we should be doing so much more about meeting needs like that.

However I would challenge that at Five Oaks, where we fail to do compassion, it is not because we are distracted trying to "gain more and more information". I just don’t think that is the problem. I think it is because we are:

• Comfortable with all God has provided us
• Busy with our daily (over) commitments
• Happy socializing with friends
• Focused on our career
• Unaware of what the word of God says about our responsibility in compassion
• And hardhearted toward the "least" in our day

I think that taking the time we are already spending in study, and turning it to more convicting passages of God's word will break up the soil of our hard hearts. The Word it isn't just the seed, it is the plow. All of us in American Christianity need a little tilling.