Dale Cresap's blog

Do you have a formal theology? This is learned in church or other structured settings in which Bible concepts are taught as a settled body of knowledge established by scholars through the ages. This is beneficial for you. Do you also have a functional theology? This is how you live your life according to what you have found to work, or not work. Have you ever experienced a difference between these two? Everyone has a functional theology whether they express a belief in me or not. Blessed are those who live according to the principles of the Kingdom of God. Blessed are those who do and teach my commandments.

My word tells you that I made man in my  own image. You are right in thinking  this is good news. Does this influence your image of me? In particular, do you see women as being created in my image in the same way that you see men? You could draw a different conclusion from the story, but you would be making a mistake and missing the point of the story. God is not a man, and you would distort your understanding of the Supreme Being to assign gender characteristics to divinity. This may leave you with some additional questions, but accept the fact that women and men are equally created in my image.

Do you ever wonder what other people think of you? Do you understand that this is none of your business? You may be keenly interested in how you are perceived, but have you ever found out and been deeply hurt or disappointed? Your responsiveness to the opinions of others gives them undue influence over you. Are their opinions congruent with eternal truth? Are they the same as mine? The approval of even one person is subject to immense variability, and since they do not agree with one another, you can’t please all the people any of the time. Do you think I am hard to please? In comparison to this I am easy to please. So it is better not to inquire of how others feel about you. They probably volunteer too much information already.

I gave you the Great Commission, and Christians have taken evangelism seriously ever since, with great results. The Christian faith continues to grow. My apostles asked for great boldness in proclaiming my message, even at the cost of pain and suffering for themselves. Who do you think makes the best evangelist? Do you think that more pushy is more effective? Yet you have met pushy people who only succeed in pushing people away from them. If people scatter when you approach you might want to rethink your approach. It was written long ago that he who is wise wins souls. This is still true.

What is your image of me? Do you see me as stern and exacting? Distant and unapproachable? Disinterested and uninvolved? The image you carry of me has a profound influence in your life, for better or for worse, whether it is correct or not. In the parable of the talents, one servant led a diminished life because he thought his master was hard, arbitrary and unjust. He didn’t know the true nature of his master, and those who hold the above views of me don’t know me either. I am complex with many dimensions and attributes, but it is not difficult to know me. You can start with the understanding that I am looking for friends, as you are.  

Do you belong to a tribe? Ancient Israel was one nation, yet it was still divided into tribes. Even so, my church is one body, but there are valid distinctions within. Do you refer to these as denominations? You may feel more comfortable among those of similar backgrounds; everyone does. Don’t let this reassurance rob you of the vision that I have one body. It is normal to find contact with your tribal members to be life-giving. Even among the twelve I had my inner circle. Can you take this life and share it with those outside your tribe? Don’t let distinctions become divisions.

Have you heard it said that polite conversation should avoid the topics of religion and politics? These are subjects on which people have strongly held views but they are also things that matter. Does this imply that conversation should only be about things that do not matter? Then what is the point of conversation? If you are not easily threatened and heavily defended you can you can enjoy talking about these things even with people you disagree with. Then they that feared the Lord spoke often one to another and the Lord hearkened and a book of remembrance was written of those who feared the Lord and thought upon his name.

The Bible commends the overcomers, so this concept is highly rated among believers. So what is to be overcome? Do you think of this as all the afflictions and hardships that come to you in life; things that you may attribute to your adversary? Do most of the obstacles and hindrances you face come from without or within? So let a man examine himself before he examines his surroundings. Isn’t it true that your own weakness, habits, and shortcomings are a bigger influence in your life than your external circumstances? If you can overcome your own internal issues than you are truly an overcomer.

Have you ever heard it said that life is too short? This is usually said in the context of some activity or mindset, like being bitter or holding grudges. I have given you enough time to do all that I expect of you, but you need to stay focused on it to get it done in the allotted time. Some activities are of no value and others are detrimental to progress. I told my disciples that my time had not yet come, but theirs was always ready. Do you see your life as a sequence of choices? If you choose the best thing available to you every moment the cumulative effect will give you an abundant life.

Do you think of yourself as a leader? Assigned leadership positions are generally obvious in government, the military, commerce, and even in the church. But not all leadership is provided by those with titles and offices, and everyone provides leadership in some way even if they don’t have people reporting to them. As my servant you have areas of responsibility and you do well to take them seriously. A Centurion understood authority not because he had authority over others but because he was under authority himself. Everyone is under my authority, but I have delegated authority to you in the tasks I have assigned to you.