Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Common?

Common

There is a passage of scripture that used to give me great comfort, and in ways it still does, but these days I find it less comforting as I see it in light of a different understanding. Let me share if I may:

In the book of First Corinthians 10 and verse 13 the Bible says no temptation has seized you (come over you/grabbed hold of you) except what is common to man…(KJV) (the NLT puts it: the temptations in your life are no different than what others experience) Now I used to find that comforting, that the things in life I deal with, am tempted by, or struggle with are things that everyone else has to deal with as well. There was a connection then for me to not feel alone, someone else has been there done that and is wearing the teeshirt today after having gone through it. That thought I much enjoyed entertaining in my head. I gained even greater comfort as I dealt with things in my own life, family, and relationships by that passage as it continues that God will provide a way out from the temptation (situation).

Funny thing about that which is common to man I have found: WHAT MAY BE COMMON TO MANKIND IS CERTAINLY UNIQUE TO THE INDIVIDUAL GOING THROUGH IT! (capitalized for emphasis) The comfort for me recently has been shred by the new understanding that it matters little what someone else has gone through when I am going through it alone. It makes the situation now unique to me, the common is gone. It decreased my comfort even more to come to more of an understanding than ever before that God works through people. His primary vehicle to touch lives today is through His people. Yet still this unique thing I am going through I go through alone because the vehicle God uses to make my unique common, the vehicle God uses to provide my way of escape from is a vehicle broke down on the side of the road. I say this because we have replaced real relationships with church attendance. We see people so little in our suburban busy lives we have little time to share something that could be common,
but is now unique.

I wish that we would spend more time in peoples lives and less time in the pews, and we could very well make all our situation/temptations common as a community of faith and make them less unique to the individual going through them! And maybe then we could hold each other up and be God's answer to get through it.

What do you think?

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well I think we do find some comfort in the knowledge others have overcome but I agree there is more to it.
People need support as they go down the journey of life. The problem I see is a lot of people want to "share" their stuggles but dont want to hear how you came out on the other side of things or even listen to you dealing with the same things now and advice on things that HAVEN'T worked.
The other end of the spectrum is the ones that are always in a bed of roses. Even though you can tell by their countenance, tone and interaction with people they still profess they have it all under control. I think these ones have been too churched or are too prideful either way they really miss out on what God has for them in blessing and growth.
So my question would be how do you help the ones you know are falling apart at least on a spiritual level and the ones that are to busy looking in the mirror to realize someone is right their to really help and encourage them?

9:52 AM  
Blogger Carl said...

You are right Many would rather bemoan their situation, and many others are "in the roses" but I think the key to both of these is the prespective from which the counsel comes from. For example, the person I see only occasionally at church is not the one who will weigh very heavily on me as far as counsel goes, however the person or persons I walk in relationship with, who is joined with me in community they are the ones whom I will receive from.
Likewise I believe it is only through authentic relationships built within the community of faith that these obsticals you describe can be overcome.

Great thoughts! keep em coming!

7:43 PM  

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