Dale Cresap's blog

Would you rather trip over a rock or have a rock fall on you? Neither choice may be attractive, but one is clearly a lower risk than the other. This is true even though when I proposed these alternatives, I said that the one who falls on the rock would be broken. The choices were presented in such a way as to imply that these were the only ones available. Does this sound like a dilemma between being broken and crushed? Have you known people who were broken and yet lived lives that were full and abundant?

Are people eager to confide in you? Do you see this as gossip or not? If they only confide their own issues then it is not, but if it concerns other people it could be. You have heard that those who gossip to you will gossip about you, so you should be wary of second hand accounts of the faults of others, and there is another consideration. People are quite adept at knowing who is a receptive audience for what information, and if they have identified you as one who is eager to hear gossip you shouldn’t think of it as a compliment.

Have you ever experienced a miracle? Do you know anyone who has? What are your criteria for determining if something is a miracle? For some it must be a direct contradiction of natural laws. Others are willing to regard multiple unlikely favorable concurrent events as miracles, and the timing is part of the process. Regardless of your definition, do you acknowledge that I can intervene in your world in ways that do not pass the criteria for a miracle? For the definitions are yours rather than mine.

Do you know any social justice warriors? Are you one? I had every reason to be. My homeland was occupied and there were plenty of injustice issues around to choose from. But you can see from my life that I gave very little emphasis to these issues. I had a core message about the Kingdom of God and that was my primary emphasis. When pressed on the matter I said that my Kingdom was not of this world, and that the Kingdom of God is within you. I was demonstrating to my followers that my message could thrive in any circumstances.

Do you practice the pursuit of happiness? In some countries this is a central value enshrined in the founding documents. Yet have you found happiness to be elusive as a goal? Have you seen people putting ever more effort into pursuing it only to end up with less and less? Perhaps happiness is better obtained as the byproduct of a good life rather than a primary goal. Is this the way you would describe the happiest people you know?

Do you pursue excellence? For what reason? Do you do it because you believe in the value of what you are doing and want it to be your best effort? Or is it because people are watching and you want to make a good impression? You know which of these is the ‘right’ answer, but don’t be quick to assume that you are not influenced by the opinion of others. Do you put the same effort forth if you know that no one else will ever know as you do the value of your work?

Do you donate money to my work? Why do you give? In some churches it is expected and highly encouraged. Some would say that manipulation is involved. Some who apply pressure to give promise blessings in return. They are not in a position to make this promise, since they do not provide the blessings, but you will get blessed if you give. But then again you will get blessed even if you don’t give. So giving is not a financial transaction or an investment. What other reason could there be?

Do you like listening to recorded messages? These are increasingly common in your world of technology. They are here to stay although they are not well-liked. Do you have recorded messages of your own playing in your head? When certain situations come up, or certain people come to mind, does your assessment of them spring to mind and play through unbidden? How is this different from making a phone call and listening to a recorded message? Do yours work in favor of or against true understanding and love? If they are not working for you then ask me to erase them.

Have you lived a life without regrets? Have you heard other people say this fairly late in life, and express it as a point of pride? This implies that they did everything perfectly right from the beginning. What would you have to repent of if there was nothing that you regretted? Yet you have met other people who are consumed by their regrets and this is not healthy either. How do you deal with yours? Consider them from the perspective of redemptive purpose.

Have you ever gone on a diet? People reduce the amount of food they eat to lose weight. Is this the only type of diet? Can you go on a spiritual diet and lose spiritual weight? A conventional diet may take intention, support, and will power, but many people go on a spiritual diet without conscious consideration. All that is necessary is to substitute other things in an effort to satisfy your spiritual hunger. What do you ask me for? Do you recall the scriptural account in which I granted their request but sent leanness into their souls? You don’t want a lean soul.