Are you spiritually insane?
What’s the definition of insanity?
“doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results…” ?
No, actually that’s not the definition of insanity even though it’s quoted over and over again…Every once in awhile I choose to let that bug me but it really isn’t the definition. Albert Einstein was a pretty intelligent man and it was his definition of the word. Regardless of whether or not it is accurate really doesn’t matter all that much to me though right now. It’s what 98% of you think of when you think of insanity so we’ll stick with it…
We live in a copycat society. We imitate parents, friends, siblings, sports stars, actors, actresses, movies, tv shows, games, books and all sorts of other things. Whether we realize it or not, we’re affected by all sorts of stimulus in our lives. Some of it is good and some not so good. Really, it’s always been that way to a certain degree…we’re like sheep. Our natural tendency is to follow the masses. We yearn to be a part of a movement, group, family or even just a place where we seem to “fit.” We look for that niche and often follow the example of anyone who seems to “have it down.”
This whole copy cat deal invades our very fabric it seems. I’m fairly confident that it has affected every human to a certain degree…and I can only find one remedy but I’ll get to that in a bit. Anyway, I was talking a couple weeks ago to a couple youth pastor friends of mine. They were relaying some of their frustration with the fact that 95% (just made up that percentage) of all youth groups are trying to do what all the other churches are doing. They’ll see a group thrive numbers-wise and they’ll want to emulate it to get the same results.
If Church X has 95 kids on Thursdays and Church Y has 20, then there’s often pressure on Church Y to start copying what church X is doing in order to get their numbers up…The ironic thing is that maybe both are already healthy the way they are. Or maybe they’re both unhealthy the way they are…or one is and the other isn’t, but numbers don’t reveal that alone.
Churches often go through fads…contemporary worship with big screens…small groups…life groups…”seeker services”…potluck dinners…there’s hundreds of things I’m sure…and you know what, it might not be a bad thing…but how often do we ask WHY?
It is in the very nature of God to be doing something new! Think about it. He’s making ALL things new…He’s a creative God and He made us in His image…(complete sidenote but I’m fairly sure that part of why the new Heaven’s and new Earth aren’t already completed has little to do with Him not having enough time yet and much to do with the fact that He wants to have us help Him with the creativity He’s already placed within us…I think He’s going to give us responsibilities in that recreation, but that’s another topic.) SO, if He’s always doing something new, why do we often try to replicate something old?
Please, I beg you to reread that last statement one more time!
Are you catching what I’m steppin’ in? I started off with churches but it can apply at a personal level as well. If one church or individual finds a creative way to bring life to it’s members then we should rejoice that Jesus is pouring out life!!! That doesn’t necessarily mean that we should try to replicate it the same way again and again…
Jesus healed a blind man once by spitting in the mud (a big no no at the time) and then putting it in the dude’s eyes…Did he heal any other blind men? YES! Did He do it the same way? No!! Should we be believe and hope God can or will heal the blind through us? YES! Should we go around throwing spitty mud in people’s eyes because it worked in the Bible? NO…unless He tells you to do it that way again…but seriously, do you get my point?
What works one place may or may not work in another…There are a lot of things that I really enjoy and appreciate about InterVarsity…I’ve worked with them, for them and around them for years. I’ve poured myself into the ministry because I believe in much of what they do…However, they also do some things that bug the junk out of me. One of the things that they like to do is to see what is working on a couple campuses across the US and try to emulate it in EVERY campus…They build a one size fits all model to copy and paste across the country…
Hmmm…Jesus would talk about bread with a baker, money with a tax collector, fish with a fisherman, cornerstones with builders, sheep with shepherds, laws with judges…
When will we realize that it’s about engaging with Him now with whatever He’s doing…We have to engage with His presence and not merely stop at learning His principles. He’s currently moving and creating…
do you have the guts to enjoy doing something new with Him??
OR
…are you stuck in a state of spiritual insanity trying to do the same things and expecting the same results of when He first moved?
