Rashional Thoughts — On a scale of puny to healthy

By Jennifer Davis Rash

Think all that is good related to Thanksgiving and know that is where I am, breathing in the warmth of family, good food and a slower pace.

And while this week’s column isn’t really holiday related, the topic did spark a funny memory from Thanksgivings past — the “healthy” versus “puny” grandmother test.

Once I left for college I only saw my grandmothers at holidays and on special occasions and of course they both were quick to assess the weight situation the minute they saw me.

I remember one Thanksgiving when Grandma Davis told me she was going to tie rocks to me because she was afraid I was going to blow away. And Granny McCaig rated me as “puny” once or twice. Admittedly these were the grandmother evaluations I preferred.

However, the more consistent assessment from both grandmothers was “healthy” — not what I wanted to hear but always honest and accurate.

It’s never easy to have our less than successful areas pointed out but it does provide an opportunity to improve.

Still we all handle critiques differently. Some welcome feedback and soak up every word tossed their way. Others dare you to say one thing that indicates they aren’t perfect. Many people fall somewhere in the middle with a healthy or semi-healthy view and application of constructive criticism.

The Alabama Baptist editorial staff and the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions communications staff are currently working together to broaden the evaluation process for work done among Baptist communicators.

The rating scale ranges from “needs improvement” to “excellent” with “good” falling in the middle. Someone receiving a ranking of “good” on this scale means they performed at an acceptable level. Their product or project was adequate.

I’m sure you can guess by now that I’m not happy if my rankings aren’t tipping the scale off the right side. Not only do I want the “excellent” rating, but I also want a note indicating that my effort was beyond the scale.

Of course, I can’t achieve this in every area but it is still hard for me to receive an evaluation of “good” much less anything less than “good” — at least in the areas that are officially rated.

What about the parts of life that flow along rarely evaluated? Our time with the Lord, having clear minds during our time with the Lord, the amount of sleep we get, our stressed-induced appetites that keep us from being truly healthy, our quality of life in general.

And what about our knowledge level of areas in which we should be informed?

A work colleague recently described how most people 45 and younger listen to or read news headlines only to be able to stay afloat in conversations they may find themselves in. He said they (we) really aren’t interested in understanding the full story or knowing all the details, they (we) merely want to know enough of the main points to contribute to the conversation.

That made me think of the latest election and how much time I spent researching the candidates and amendments on the ballot. I did some reading and research, but I certainly didn’t have a thorough understanding of the full ballot when I walked in to cast my vote. But sadly I was ahead of so many others my age who didn’t even slow down long enough to vote, much less register to vote.

And if this is how we are living life in general, what keeps us from skimming the surface of God’s word in the same way? Are we living on past encounters with the Lord rather than experiencing fresh ones every day? Are we consistently seeking Him at deeper levels?

My grandmothers would likely both agree my evaluation in spiritual disciplines would be “puny” and this time “puny” is not the desired ranking.

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Rashional Extras – Are you guilty of ‘I’dolatry?

By Barry Cosper, D.Min.
Director of missions
Bessemer Baptist Association

As Christians we have great blessings in knowing that we are consecrated in the life of Christ. To live a life of holiness is to reveal to the world that Jesus is real and that He is all the Bible teaches He is. A life of holiness reveals that we have been truly changed and gloriously saved and transformed by God’s mighty grace.

However, if our loyalty to Jesus is divided then we become spiritually and emotionally drained.  It places us into a miserable state of existence. Many Christians are not happy but this is a total contradiction of terms for the people of God. Happiness has been defined as “a frame of mind in which someone is going somewhere whole heartedly.” Whole heartedly means Christians know where they are going, are not divided in their loyalty and have made up their minds they are going to be loyal and faithful to God for all of their lives.

Of all the things Christians should fear, complacency ought to head the list. Christians do not know everything but we know enough to act in obedience to God.

The exhortation found in Luke 11:9 is followed by the absolute promise that everyone who asks will receive and everyone who seeks will find and everyone who knocks on the door of knowing God will find that door open to them. If your personal pursuit of God is not working in this way you have two choices. You can question the integrity of the One who made these promises, or you can consider the possibility that your pursuit of God may be flawed.

Are you totally yielded to Jesus or are you guilty of “I”dolatry? Are you allowing yourself to be ruled by the Three Musketeers of “Me, Myself and I” or is your will lined up with God’s will until God calls you home?