Have you ever been navel watching? No, I am not referring to oranges.
Each of us has embarked on the endeavor of inspecting our own navels. For some it is quite easy, but for some of us, well it is a little more difficult. Each night after I wear a cotton shirt I have to inspect my navel to make sure the lint build-up is at a tolerable level. My level is much higher than that of my wife, so she generally avoids looking at my navel. However, if she happens to notice the lint that seems to be growing out of my navel, well I am quickly rebuked!
Before you are totally grossed out by this discussion, let me get to the point. All of us tend to get focused upon our own navels and enjoy our navel watching excursions. It is fun, at times, to become introspective and think about ourselves. God can even use these times to guide and direct us into a more fruitful life.
However, we quickly slip into navel watching and run into a wall. We must certainly clean the lint out of our navels, but never at the expense of those around us. I cannot think of one person who would enjoy watching me clean out my navel!
The Apostle Paul said something to this effect, “Don’t get so focused upon yourself and what benefits you that you forget about the people around you. In fact, you should consider the people around you as more important than yourself.”
Jesus also said something similar to this, “Get your eyes off of yourselves so that you might see all the people around you and their need for Me.”
Narcissism is a disease that will destroy community. But even beyond, it separates us from our Creator. And if you are so narcissistic to see the need for others or a Creator, let me suggest this – it’s even bad for you. Narcissus wouldn’t leave the pool because he was so in love with his own reflection. May I never become so enthralled with my own navel.
12/13/2006
12/05/2006
Mediocrity and Meritocracy
One of my favorite bumper stickers out there is about Citizens of the Month. No, it is not the one about my kid being the Citizen of the Month - its the other one, "My kid beat up your Citizen of the Month."
Not that I encourage beating up Citizens of the Month, but in my experience those were ridiculous awards that were passed around the class - not based on merit but from the mindset that every kid should be recognized as a Citizen of the Month, or at the very least Citizen of the Week.
Not dissimilar is keeping score at a little kids soccer game and then giving trophies to everyone at the end - why did we keep score again? There was a league in which my kids were involved; they didn't keep score - but the kids did!
Without a meritocracy nobody knows whether they are good or not. It is kind of like each person deciding what is good and meritorious for themselves. This sounds "good" but then each person should also be able to determine what is not evil. So, that means Hitler was a saint and a God who just wants people to be "True to themselves" must welcome Charles Manson into His heaven.
But, God did set up a meritorious system by which a person might know how they measure up to His standards. All of creation follows this system and some call it Karma, others call it "Reaping what you Sow." The point is, God has a standard of good that He established to separate it from evil. It is found mostly in the Older Testament of the Bible.
So, those who are good enough should enter heaven right? Wrong. That would not be fair. If it was strictly meritorious as most religions are, only those of privelege have the best opportunity to earn the right to enter heaven. You know these priviledged people: those people whose parents were good, who were given the opportunity to study good, and were intelligent enough to figure out good. But, God set up a meritorious system!
Yes, He did, but only to demonstrate that we do not measure up to His standard. Instead of being a meritorious system it became one that is the most fair - a free gift to all who receive Jesus as Lord.
Funny how we love meritocracies so much that we try and make Christianity one.
Not that I encourage beating up Citizens of the Month, but in my experience those were ridiculous awards that were passed around the class - not based on merit but from the mindset that every kid should be recognized as a Citizen of the Month, or at the very least Citizen of the Week.
Not dissimilar is keeping score at a little kids soccer game and then giving trophies to everyone at the end - why did we keep score again? There was a league in which my kids were involved; they didn't keep score - but the kids did!
Without a meritocracy nobody knows whether they are good or not. It is kind of like each person deciding what is good and meritorious for themselves. This sounds "good" but then each person should also be able to determine what is not evil. So, that means Hitler was a saint and a God who just wants people to be "True to themselves" must welcome Charles Manson into His heaven.
But, God did set up a meritorious system by which a person might know how they measure up to His standards. All of creation follows this system and some call it Karma, others call it "Reaping what you Sow." The point is, God has a standard of good that He established to separate it from evil. It is found mostly in the Older Testament of the Bible.
So, those who are good enough should enter heaven right? Wrong. That would not be fair. If it was strictly meritorious as most religions are, only those of privelege have the best opportunity to earn the right to enter heaven. You know these priviledged people: those people whose parents were good, who were given the opportunity to study good, and were intelligent enough to figure out good. But, God set up a meritorious system!
Yes, He did, but only to demonstrate that we do not measure up to His standard. Instead of being a meritorious system it became one that is the most fair - a free gift to all who receive Jesus as Lord.
Funny how we love meritocracies so much that we try and make Christianity one.
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