This past weekend I went to a 'Music In the Mountains Camp'. As I was thinking about my time there, I realized a couple things. So, I decided to share my thoughts.
 
        There are so many Christians out there who don't focus on God. Yes, you read that right! Even in church they focus on conspiracy theories, theologies, gossip. Especially gossip.
 
   Conspiricy theories... What can I say? I mean we know that not everything that the news tells us is true, it's many times one sided. There are certainly lots of crooked things going on, and it's good to be aware of it. But focusing on it will taking you in a downward spiral. You'll get more and more paranoid, and fearful. It will become your religion.
    Jesus literally had the Jewish rulers following Him, and plotting His death! But His sermons weren't all about how He was being watched, and about how the rulers were 'out to get Him'. He did point out their corruptness, but He didn't focus on that. He taught truth, He contradicted them, and He showed love and an example of what should be.
     Why do so many times Christians spend their times together talking about conspiracies? Frankly, it's easier than trying to do something worthwhile. Instead of constantly talking about how the goverment is wrecking people's lives, go help those people! Instead of constantly talking about how the media is unfair, bring justice and light to someone near you who needs it. Instead of constantly talking about the goverment is cheating and stealing money from workers, check yourself and stop buying things made by slaves!
    Be aware of what's going on in the world around you, but instead of sitting around and being fearful and moping, go do something about it! Help those in your neighbourhood, bring love and truth to someone's life.

 
     Theology is most certainly important. Learning how to obey God is important. But God is still the focus of all of this. We learn all this for Him, so we can honour Him. If every sermon is going to repeat the same thing you've been doing for years, there's not really much of a point. That's like learning the alphabet, and everyday memorizing it again. Sure, you need to be reminded of it once in a while, and practice it so that you don't forget it, but you don't need to constantly be memorizing it once you have it down.
     When we start doing this, we tend to forget about God. That might seem to contradict the point, but it really doesn't. We are supposed to praise God, to worship Him. Learning the same thing over and over can easily become a routine which we do mindlessly. We don't really think about why we are doing it, or what the whole point of it is.
 
     Gossip, oh gossip. How many times in the Bible are we told not to gossip? However Christians so often seem to forget those verses, when they're so busy pointing out the sins in others lives.
"So and so did this. We heard that so and so was seen going here..."
    Often this is hid behind the reason that the person needs prayer. It is wonderful if you really want to help the person, and care about them, but most of the time this is not the case. You want to tell a juicy story, you want to show that you're the first to know it, you want drama. It's often the case is that you feel guilty about something, and you need to raise your self-esteem a bit. Putting someone else down, and slandering their name is a good way for you to do that.
     To clarify, gossip isn't just telling lies about others. No, it's telling stories that are true, but not yours to tell. This usually goes hand in hand with hypocrisy. You can turn from gasping over someone's mistakes, to doing the same thing the very next moment.
    I feel really sad for you if this is the best thing you can do with your time. Spending your fellowship talking about others and what you think they're doing wrong is such a waste! Instead you should go read Proverbs 6:16-19.
    If someone needs prayer, you should definitely ask for a prayer request, but make sure you have the right motives, and don't share the story if people don't need to know.
   
     So many times I've been to visited with others, and left feeling worse than when I went there. The things I talked about above, are very often the reason for this.
     We should worship God when we meet together! We should tell of the glorious things He has done. We should learn more about His wonderful plan for us! We should encourage each other, and strengthen each other in the faith.
     
      This weekend as I headed home, I felt happier and so much more peaceful when I arrived. Of course I was a bit sad that the weekend was over, but I was encouraged. Spending time worshiping God, and spending time without all the distractions and depressing things of the world refreshed me. I had drew closer to God, I'd been reminded of His goodness and how much He loves us. It was time of uplifting and not tearing down.
     Why? Because it was about God. It wasn't about me, it wasn't about the world. It was about the heavenly kingdom. It was't about fear, or others. It was about praising God, recognizing His grace, love, sacrifice. That's what being a Christian is about. It's about Christ.