“I believe that the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather have us wasting time. This is why the devil tries so hard to get Christians to be religious. If he can sink a man’s mind into habit, he will prevent his heart from engaging God.”

- Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz.

“…reason is the greatest enemy that faith has: it never comes to the aid of spiritual things, but—more frequently than not—struggles against the Divine Word, treating with contempt all that emanates from God.”

First, let me note that I technically disagree with Luther about reason being the enemy of faith. For me, finding substance in my faith through theology has been the biggest boost of faith I have experienced in years. Because I believe Christian doctrine to be absolute truth, I find reason to be a great support to my beliefs. However, I believe the point Luther is trying to make is that getting too caught up in reason allows little room for faith. I agree with this notion. In the graduate level of education, students are required to think critically. I think this is an important skill to acquire, but constantly thinking with a critical mindset will destroy your faith. You’ll question anything and everything, almost questioning any act of God that is not logical. You’ll never expect God to do anything out of the ordinary. But, his ways are higher than ours. His thoughts are far beyond our comprehension. Let’s let God do his God thing and accept that we will never figure everything out…no matter how many degrees we complete!

That’s why it’s important to have a solid, sound theology. If you know what you believe, you’ll know what not to believe and you’ll have a reason behind your actions. I think it would be difficult to worship Jesus if I didn’t know anything about him. A lot of people know about Jesus…that he lived, that he loved, that he died, and that he was resurrected. But, still, why would that make me want to worship Him? Well, first I’d need to know about creation, the fall of Adam and humanity, the separation of sin between God and humans, atonement, etc., etc., etc.  At conversion, the Holy Spirit guides and makes sense of all of this, but once we devote our lives to Christ, we need to put some substance behind our faith.

1 Peter 3:15: “…always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…” (NIV)

Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us.

But, it’s also more than just a study of God. Because God created everything, theology touches all areas of life. James Orr puts it like this, “He who with his whole heart believes in Jesus as the Son of God is thereby committed to much else besides. He is committed to a view of God, to a view of man, to a view of sin, to a view of redemption, to a view of the purpose of God in creation and history, to a view of human destiny found only in Christianity.”

If you’re a Christian, theology goes far beyond a study and belief of a religion. Religion is a way of life, a kind of behavior, a style of living, a mode of thinking. All of these aspects are part of Christianity, but not the whole. Christianity is….reality. It’s the way the world is. It infiltrates the entire human race, all of the earth, all of space, all of time and eternity. Likewise, it should infiltrate your entire life…become who you are. Once Christ has become the Lord of your life and reconciled you to God, a solid theology should follow. Because, the way you think will affect the way you act. And the way you act will prove that Christ is really your Lord.

What do you think?

Creative side note: video was shot with a Canon 5D Mark II. Our lighting situation prohibited us from getting two creative on the wide shot, but the close-ups show the amazing capabilities of this camera.

A boundary places a limit on something for a particular purpose. Boundaries are absolutely necessary in dealing with the stress of ministry. They define where one thing ends and another thin begins, as well as helping us protect what is of utmost importance in our lives (140). I believe there are several ways having boundaries in every area of our lives can help us with stress management, including:

• Proactivity. Setting boundaries for ourselves allows us to be proactive instead of defensive. If we set our limits ahead of time, saying no (or even yes) is an easier decision. We know our limits, and we yield to them. If no boundaries are set, our time management will be an utter mess because other people will be controlling our schedules (and sanity). By making clear boundaries, we take control of our schedules and lives (and sanity). This allows us to focus on the things that matter. And honestly, the other stuff can wait. Set boundaries, stick to them, enjoy your sanity.
• Productivity. No boundaries = low productivity. As stated above, if we don’t take control of our boundaries, others will disregard them. This is usually unintentional, but it still happens. And when others control our schedules, we’ll never accomplish what is most important. Productivity is not getting a lot of stuff done. It’s getting the most urgent things done. A lot of stuff is important, but not urgent. Set clear boundaries, focus on urgent needs, enjoy your sanity.
• Stewardship. Setting boundaries is a matter of stewardship. God has given us a limited amount of resources and time…how are you using them? Setting boundaries allows us to be good stewards of what God’s given us. Matthew 7:6 says to not cast your pearls before swine. In other words, don’t use the time God has given

An excellent book on stress management and other ministry obstacles is Preventing Ministry Failure by Michael Wilson & Brad Hoffman. Check it out.