Today’s scripture: Acts 17:10-12 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Brent Walsh):
Did you know that the popular Christmas carol Joy To The World has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas? Consider the lyrics:
Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing!
He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove
the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love.”
Does this sound to you like a Christmas song? Sure, we’ve always known it as one, but at Christmas we celebrate the humble beginnings of a baby who was born to an unwed mother and then pursued by a king who wanted to kill him! The purpose of Jesus’ first coming was not to rule the world or to judge the nations. No, this is a song of anticipation as we await the second coming of Christ!
So why is it that no one seems to realize the true meaning of this popular song? It’s one of the most popular hymns in the world, and even people who have never stepped foot in a church can sing parts of it word for word. Did they know they were celebrating something that hasn’t even happened yet?
This is a perfect example of how we as humans can completely, wholeheartedly believe something, just because it’s what we’ve always been taught. It is not uncommon for us to resolutely defend an idea without ever deciding for ourselves why it’s true — and that’s often true for religious beliefs, too. For decades we have been hearing things preached from the pulpit that we believe because someone we trust is saying them.
A woman is told it’s a sin to marry outside her own race, so she breaks off her engagement to the love of her life. A man is told it’s a sin to be gay, so he disowns his gay son. A man is told that if he were to change his gender, he would be “playing God,” so he simply endures the humiliation of his wrong-gendered body. A woman is told it’s a sin to divorce, so she stays married to her abusive husband. If we would only look at the words of Scripture, we would see that what we are being taught is not always what we should believe.
Thought for the day: How many things do you believe just because you were taught them by someone you trust? I challenge you to take an independent view of your belief system to see which things need to be reevaluated. Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions. Read books and consider opposing views. If you end up back where you started, then at least you’ll know WHY you believe what you believe. What do you have to lose?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.