more than a quote

If you're a follower of Christ (Catholic or Protestant), you've picked up on the fact that this quote is in opposition to your Christian faith.  It sounds good.  It almost has a ring to it.  But ultimately, this quote is misleading.  It's nothing more than a cultural proverb.


In the past few years, many of us have seen waves of Facebook posts showing inspirational quotes.  Whether they've been status updates or whether they've been pictures, you have to admit that at times, they're appealing.

  -"There's no fun in a perfect life.  So make a risk.  Take a chance.  Go where the wind takes you.  Have fun."
  -"Take pride in how far you have come and have faith in how far you can go."
  -"In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different."


These quotes are inspiring.  They make us feel good, encouraged, motivated.  And the quotes are really, really good at it.  There's something about these little nuggets of truth that keep us going.  Who doesn't like to have fun?  Who doesn't like to recognize their success?  Who doesn't like to be distinct?

Many of us rummage through our Bibles (or Google if we're honest) and extract these kinds of verses.

  -"With God all things are possible."
  -"Let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."
  -"Be strong and courageous."


Inspiring.  Encouraging.  Affirming.  Supporting.


And then one day you're thumbing through the Bible (or Google) and you come to something that puts a bad taste in your mouth.  Perhaps it's something like this:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power.  Have nothing to do with them.  They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.  These men oppose the truth - men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.  But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.                 (Written in a letter by the Apostle Paul and found in 2 Timothy 3:1-9)


All we wanted was a happy quote; one that made us feel good.

But this?


Why is it that so many of us are willing to settle for a quote that makes us feel good rather than a quote that challenges and gives direction (or truth) to our lives?  We'd rather read Eminem, James Baldwin, an Irish proverb, Emerson, or Marilyn Monroe, rather than the words of God.  We'd rather take a surface-level nugget of truth as opposed to reading something too deeply "religious."  All the while, the desire to feel good ultimately misleads from the truth of God.


The Bible is so much more than a collection of inspirational quotes.  It contains stories, poetry, songs, instruction, direction, letters, laments, and proverbs.  Why do we treat it like a buffet of truth - picking and choosing which truth's to consume?  We need to learn it and understand it's context.  It's beautiful and rich.  It speaks to the depths of our hearts.  It's wisdom penetrates.  It's not simply a collection of inspirational quotes, it's direction for the abundance of life.


And as for the quote shown in this blog's picture, it's nothing more than a shallow, weak, foundation-less, ignorant, sensational, hollow little saying.

So the quote,
"Life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself."
...it isn't true.
"Life is found in Christ."
It's not about who you can create yourself to be.  It's about what God can create in you.
It's not about something you can do.  It's about what Christ does.
It's not about finding life in yourself.  It's about finding life in Christ.


Life....with a capitol L.
A flourishing, everlasting, abundant, overflowing life that is truly life.


May the extent of your hope be built on Christ.

May you allow God's Word more respect than a "feel good" quote.

But first, may you allow it...