Peter Pan Christians
Wendy, whose fallen in love with Peter Pan, confronts him about his feelings:
"Peter, what are your real feelings?"
"Feelings?" he asks.
"What do you feel? Happiness? Sadness? Jealousy? Anger? Love?"
"Love? I have never heard of it."
"I think you have, Peter. I daresay you've felt it yourself…for something, or someone."
"Never. Even the sound of it offends me."
Wendy reaches for Peter in a loving gesture, and suddenly he runs away, shouting, "Why do you spoil everything? We have fun, don't we? I taught you to fight and to fly. What more could there be?"
"There is so much more," she answers.
"What? What else is there?"
"I don't know. I think it becomes clearer when you grow up."
"Well, I will not grow up! You cannot make me! Go home and grow up. And take your feelings with you."
There are a couple of interesting parallels between Peter Pan and the first-century believers in Corinth. First, like Peter Pan, the Corinthians refused to grow up. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 Paul wrote, "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able." Despite the fact that most of them had been believers for many years, they failed to mature.
What was the cause of their arrested development? Just like Peter Pan, they resisted acting in love. The Apostle Paul, in an effort to jump-start their spiritual lives, points the Corinthians to the "most excellent way," an introductory reference to the famous "Love Chapter," 1 Corinthians Chapter 13.
Love is central to the process of maturity because it causes us to shift our focus from ourselves to others.
What about you? Are you a Peter Pan Christian?
Pat Sage
Oxford Students Given Trigger Warnings
Paul Caron, with TaxProf Blog, reports:
Oxford students studying criminal law have been told they can duck out of lectures if they find the crimes they cover upsetting. Aspiring barristers at the prestigious school now have the option of skipping teaching on “potentially distressing” acts if they do not feel up to it. Lecturers have been told to start providing trigger warnings at the start of potentially upsetting segments so that students can leave.
One has to wonder how well equipped these criminal law students will be for their chosen field, if they can’t even sit through an upsetting lecture.
As much as we might prefer it, we don’t always get the choice to “duck out” of the upsetting events of life. That’s why it’s so important that, instead of running from trials and challenges, we allow ourselves to mature through the testing of our faith.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3).
Also, God knows that it's through perseverance in the challenges of life that we not only mature and grow, but that we achieve eternal rewards.
"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him" (James 1:12).
Be The 2.7 Percent
According to the Oregonian:
Only 2.7 percent of adults nationwide have all four basic healthy characteristics, a new study found. The report, completed by researchers at Oregon State University and other universities, examined if adults were successful in four areas that fit typical advice for a "healthy lifestyle"-- moderate exercise, a good diet, not smoking and having a recommended body fat percentage. Fulfilling those characteristics reflects a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and other health problems, according to a news release from Oregon State.
While only 2.7 percent of the study group had all four characteristics ...
About 16 percent had three, 37 percent had two, 34 percent had one and 11 percent had none.
"The behavior standards we were measuring for were pretty reasonable," Ellen Smit, study senior author and an associate professor in the OSU College of Public Health and Human Sciences, said in a statement. "We weren't looking for marathon runners. This is pretty low, to have so few people maintaining what we would consider a healthy lifestyle. This is sort of mind boggling."
The lesson here is that good health requires a balance of good habits. Doing well in just one area isn’t nearly enough. We need balance.
Of course, the same can be said about our spiritual health. Just as there are four key areas to balance in order to achieve a physically healthy lifestyle, there are likewise four key areas to balance in order to achieve a spiritually healthy lifestyle.
They are Bible study, fellowship, Christian service, and an active, personal devotional life.
How balanced are you?
Be the 2.7 percent!
"In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:5-8, NLT).