You don't really want to change. Neither do I.

You don't really want to change. Neither do I.

I can keep coasting along through life, and be just fine. But, something happened today...this overwhelming feeling to dig deeper. I don't want to go deeper because it forces me to be vulnerable. And when I'm vulnerable, God asks me to do things I don't want to do. Reading God's Word produces change. And when there is change, God will ask me to do things that make me uncomfortable. I'm serious. It always happens this way. This is exactly why I believe in Jesus Christ. This is why I believe in everything the Word of God has to offer. When I dig into the Bible, I am not the same person. It's not just like I become a better person and start doing "good" things. It changes who I am, how I see others, how I see the world, how I love, how I react, how I interact, how I talk, how I think.

You cannot dive into the Word without getting soaked. It changes the parts of you that you don't even know exist. You can go on living and get along fine, but Monday still comes every week, and Friday is the only thing that gets you through. Keep the routine. Keep rotating in this cycle. You'll be fine. You won't be changed. You won't see a different day until the day you see Jesus. Jesus changes every day. And dangit, sometimes you don't want him to. Stop changing me. Stop exploiting the worst parts of me. But, this only happens through Christ Jesus. True change. You have to embrace it. God is love and love is everything. If we have areas where there is not love, God will make it known. And love is not a free pass to do whatever you want. Love knows no wrong. This love is different than the love you've seen and heard.

So, ask me why so many Christians don't love the unloved. Yeah, that's a problem. That's not love. Ask me what I think about the sinners who drink too much, swear a lot and have sex whenever they want. Ask me what I think about homosexuality. Ask me what I think about smoking. Ask me about the worst sins you can think of. Try to shock me. If you've heard a message that says one of these is worse than the other, if you've heard an outcry against one of these sins over another, it's not the message of Christ.

This is the message of Christ: I have sin in my life, I want to remove it, and there's only one way to do it. When you notice something different in me, I'll tell you my story, point you to the Word of God and watch it change you. Trust me, it will.

A few words on Rice

Wanted the noise to settle before posting anything. Ray Rice was wrong. The video is shocking. The punishment is fitting. Let's make that clear. A man should never, ever, lay his hands on a woman with intent to harm her. That seems to be a standard we can all agree with. Before you fire bullets at Ray Rice....ask yourself....have you ever done anything to harm a woman? Have you looked at pornography? Have you looked at a woman lustfully? Desired to do things with her you shouldn't do? Desired to do things with some random woman in a photo who may not even want to be in that photo? A woman who was forced into something she didn't want to do....and now she's just another photo floating on the internet. It's not an outward physical act maybe, not something caught on camera, but you are defiling that woman. And, if you're in a relationship or married, you are directly harming your partner. An unfaithful heart is like a knockout punch to a woman, to your wife. You have to come to grips with that. Anything less is a double standard. Ray Rice is dealing with the consequences of his worst acts, caught on camera. What if your deepest darkest moment was caught on camera? What would the punishment be? 

Can't believe I'm saying this, but for once, I agree with a Steelers player. Troy Polamalu nailed it: "Unfortunately, I've seen the video, but I have a lot of issues of my own that I deal with. In truth, I couldn't judge him on anything, because I'm defiled by as many passions and sins and more than him, most likely."

"I have my own struggles. And, obviously, he's got his own struggles. And we all have our own struggles. So, I can't look past my own struggles to judge him.''

Put the pitchforks down. Look at yourself first.

Then, pray that Ray Rice comes out of this a better man. Redeemed. Made whole. Pray for him and his wife. Just a thought.