It's Just A Tool

Today after church, i went to have some fellowship with some of the families from my church. One of my friends, her family was in town and i wanted to spend some time w/ them. So, i went back to their house to have lunch and just time to chat. During this time, we got into some good discussion. One of the things that was mentioned was the fact that sometimes as Christians, we put rules up for the wrong reason. Let's take the tv for example. For some people, the tv is the devil. All the stuff that's on their is just immoral. So they don't watch. While i respect that way of thinking, i do disagree w/ them. The tv itself isn't the devil, its the fact that it fell into the hands of twisted hearts and minds. The tv itself is just a tool. I once heard the phrase 'Guns don't kill people, people kill people.' A gun or tv in and of itself isn't wrong. It's what you do w/ it that's wrong. If you put a gun on a table somewhere and just watch it, nothing will happen. it will sit there. It's when you pick it up and point it at something or someone and pull the trigger w/ a bullet in it that it becomes bad. Or rather, it's used for the wrong purposes.

I'm not against hunting and watching tv w/ folks at all. It's what your hunting for perhaps or what your watching on tv that is objectionable. I went through a period of about a year or so where i didn't watch tv or movies. It was for that times set aside that i felt God told me not to be involved in that sort of stuff. i wasn't going to put that on anyone else b/c its not for me to do that to people, necessarily.

I grew up in Lancaster, PA. I had lived there for 20 years before moving to Concord, NC to go to FIRE School of Ministry. Back in Lancaster (pronounced 'Lang-kis-ter', not 'Lan-caster'), a big thing in that area is actually the Amish society. Now, there are a lot of myths about them, but i gotta say that i still have a sense of honor about them. A few things i don't really like about them, but at least they hold to their beliefs for the most part.

But a few of the things that they don't like is to have a picture taken of themselves and they don't use guns. They would most certainly be labeled under the category of conscience objector, meaning they'd be morally opposed to shooting someone, even in self-defense. Now, while i respect these traits of there's, i don't agree w/ them. First off, a picture is just a picture. they say it steals your soul. And it very well could. I believe their reasoning in this is for those people who think its just all about them. Every chance they get, they're in front of people and it has to be all about them. That bugs me too. I can't stand those sort of people. But a camera or a gun isn't a bad thing. it's what you do w/ those instruments that can be bad.

Think of it this way. A percentage of people you know are getting into car wrecks. Is that any reason to tell people to stop driving? Or is it time to perhaps train those people how to drive responsibly. unless of course it wasn't their fault for getting in car wrecks... in which case, life just sticks.. but if the wreck was their fault, then decide if more training is necessary maybe or what is the best course of action.

My point in this is is that God called we as Christians to be world changers. it's His desire for us to get out into the world and make a difference. There may be some who are called to be in the business world and make money. Great! use the tool for a Greater Purpose! "yeah, but there's a lot of corruption in the business world." so get in their and change that then. Some may be called into politics some other sphere. Those are great tools! Use them. Who do you think originated those ideas? Don't be afraid to get out there just because there's some problems. But acknowledge those issues and decide to be different.

I've seen lots of corruption in the church... maybe we should stop doing church b/c ministers are falling in sin... (ok, somewhat of a bad example here b/c i don't want people to play church... i'd rather them live like Disciples..) but you get my drift. Acknowledge the problem and decide you'll make a difference.