10 Helpful Ways to Destroy Your Soul (Repost)

I wondered what I could write today that would help the greatest number of people in their engagement with Jesus and obedience to His Spirit that lives within them.

And this is what I came up with. The ten ways we can actively pursue the total destruction of any kind of relationship or engagement with the God who loves and passionately pursues us and the life we live– this is what came to mind.

Here we go:

1. Say you forgive someone but inside commit to keeping them on the hook. Act like you’ve forgiven them when you’re around them, and when you’re not make sure and plot their demise in your head.
2. Only think about God in times that seem “holy.” Church, prayer times, and conversations with other Christians fit that category. Don’t bother in traffic, conversations that are confrontational, while in front of your computer, or in the presence of an enemy.
3. Pretend you don’t have any enemies so that you get out of the whole “love your enemies” thing. Everyone loves you right, and there’s no one that you would say is at odds with you?
4. Pretend that your physical health has nothing to do with your spiritual health. Just bank on that whole “new bodies” promise.
5. Read as much Bible as you can without any regard to what those verses mean. More chapters means more holy-er.
6. Go into situations where you know you’re going to be tempted and make sure you have no possibility of being questioned on your actions. Turn off the porn filter on your computer for a while, you know, because it “weeds out the good stuff too.” Hide that credit card bill well when you get home from the mall.
7. Take the command to be the head of the household seriously and make your wife understand that regardless of how ignorant of God’s direction you are, she still needs to fall in line with you.
8. Use this phrase: “It’s okay, we’re all Christians here. We understand if you ______________.”
9. Don’t spend any time reflecting on your day – especially stay away from situations where you know you were bitter, unloving, unforgiving, and least like Christ. The past is behind you and besides, doesn’t forgiveness and grace mean not dwelling on our failures?
10. Make achievement and advancement priorities and put rest and restoration at the bottom of the list. You can rest when you’re dead.

Okay, so this post was filled with sarcasm but I hope it reminds us of one thing:

The rhythm of our life, in the smallest moments, will shape things in us that bring the beautiful life in Christ out of the brush and into the daylight where it grows and spreads and gives new life to the world.