Dale Cresap's blog

What is your motivation for going to church? Do you go for your own benefit or for the benefit of the Kingdom of God? Is it possible to get both? How many people do you know who do not go to church because they don’t get anything out of it? I addressed this matter when I said that if you seek to save your life you will lose it, but if you lose your life for my sake and the Kingdom of God, you will find it. Is this passage a mystery to you?

Have you ever heard of anything described as awesome? Have you heard this term being applied to every item of passing interest? Awe is a legitimate concept, but the term is applied far too loosely today. Things that are really awesome have a profound effect on you. Awesome things have an expansive scope and scary intensity that leaves you shook up and reminded that you are not the center and measure of all things. This is what the prophet experienced when he said, Woe is me, for I have seen the Lord. It is what you long for but cannot endure.

So let a man examine himself. You recognize this famous passage about the process of taking communion. This doesn’t have to be a grim review of everything you have done wrong. You may get more benefit from an honest evaluation of what is working for you and what is not, and deciding to do more of what is and less of what isn’t. How often do you take communion? The passage says you should perform this self-evaluation at these times but does not limit it to those. You don’t need to wait for a sacramental ritual.

Have you heard of people who can dish it out but can’t take it? This is no compliment. It implies that someone is eager to be critical, but unable to receive criticism themselves. In a world of perfect symmetry those who are eager to give criticism should be willing to receive it as well, and those who cannot receive it should refrain from giving it. Yet there is another possibility. What about those who are able to receive criticism but hesitate to give it? This would be a position of grace, one who benefits from criticism if it is justified, and refuses to react against unjust criticism.

Do you believe in people? Have you ever heard a fellow believer say they only believe in God and not in people? This may sound very spiritual, but if you look beneath the surface you will find underlying bitterness and isolation. The greatest two commandments are to love God with all you have and your neighbor as yourself. The beloved disciple expounded on this to say how can you love God whom you have not seen if you do not love your brother whom you have seen? You can extend this same principle to believing, understanding that it is different from believing for salvation.

Have you heard someone express their difficulty in communicating with someone else by saying they were not on the same frequency? You knew what they meant, even if the frequency in question was not measured in megahertz. Different world views and assumptions affect perspective and make it hard to exchange ideas. Some radios operate only on one frequency, but most have a tuner to select frequencies. These are more versatile, and you can be more versatile if you can receive and transmit on more than one frequency.

Do you ever want revenge; to get even with those who have harmed you? Yet you know my position on this matter, that vengeance is mine, and I will repay. Do you take comfort in this, thinking that I can bring down the hammer of vengeance more effectively than you can? But what if the vengeance I administer does not meet your expectations? Will you give me a poor job approval rating if my vengeance isn’t up to your standards? Whose perspective is correct in this matter? How strenuously are you prepared to object if I show other people the same degree of mercy I showed you?

What traits do you expect to see in an artist? Creativity, passion, attention to detail, total intentional focus? Being fully invested in what they make? Do you know that I was an artist when I created you? For you are fearfully and wonderfully made; more so than any human creation on earth. All the positive qualities of an artist were present in this process. You see the beauty of the world I have made in scenic vistas of grandeur, and you are correct to respond in awe and wonder, giving glory and gratitude to the artist who created it. But do you know that you are my masterpiece?

Are you a safe driver? Everyone thinks they are, but not all of them are right. People tend to feel safer when they are at the wheel than when they are a passenger and someone else is driving, but this is an illusion that if you are in control all will be well. The person at the wheel may be as good a driver as you, or better. Even if you are a good driver, your safety is still dependent on the driving ability of everyone else you encounter on the road. As much as you would like to have complete control of everything, it isn’t possible.

Do you have a sense of urgency for the things you do? You are usually more effective with focused attention than with a lax approach. Are you at peace? You have my promise that this is available to you. Do you see a conflict between these things? Many people have a flawed understanding of peace. It is not lethargy or slothfulness. It is consistent with sharp focus and diligent effort. Haven’t you found that anxiety prevents you from this approach rather than facilitating it? You can have peace, and effective effort, even in difficult situations.