Often we find that the knowledge, and experiences we go through allow us to have a belief system, this isn’t a ‘Fatih system’ but an internal belief system that has taken us years of constant ‘small’ experiences to well, experience that then gives us ‘data’ to create knowledge that then stirs a belief.

 

Let me give you an example; as a small child I would speak softly, no one would hear me, we often had many visitors and a very extraverted mother who had a God given gift in hosting and entertaining. Speaking softly when I would need something often meant I was never heard.

Now as an adult I see things like logistics, social etiquette and the fact that some of the visitors were people of importance and had traveled to spend time with my parents and or the family. 

 

Yet as a child I learnt, if I speak loud enough, or the issue becomes dire I will gain what I sought out-which was a solution to whatever that problem was. 

Years continue and I find when I need something my voice still raises-not in anger or in emotion-but in volume? 

 

Oh yes.

 

This is a Childs learnt behaviour that has now become a subconscious belief system.

I ask you to consider, what is something, a quirk maybe or character trait you hold that has stemmed from a belief system that may actually never have been true?

 

Yet at a time in your life served you well? 

 

Society, social media and in essence large groups that hold a form of social hierarchy all create such belief systems and we as humans remain in full faith of such systems.

Throughout history belief systems have been built and in our cores we tend to hold such beliefs. 

 

Yet what does the bible say of such things?

 

Does it speak to holding a career that is admired? A husband whose love for you isn’t even in the factor just simply that you have attained one? A child? How can one person offer themselves a form of validation in a society that has been created in many countries, cultures and income streams? 

 

See before social media we only had those we were physically surrounded by to compare ourselves against. Which allowed us to not consider being a failure because we lacked a yacht, a European summer, or the skin of an slavic woman (which I still obsess over their pores-or fact that they don’t exist at all!) 

 

We are shown and exposed to breakfasts more lavish than our yearly Christmas feat and often feel like we have fallen short. The bar is never raised because it’s no longer a bar- it’s an impossible feat, and once abundance is reached yoga and minimalism becomes a trend. 

 

Now I am not saying we shouldn’t have goals and desire to improve our quality of life.

However we should consider what makes a life a ‘high quality, desirable one’.     

Not an instagram-able one

Jesus shows us how He goes through the earth and creates disciples, in John 13 He does something incredible, He knows his time is coming, that the last few acts are, well His last. He never once stops to be selfish and we read about countless selfless acts, massive ones (you know like saving every humans souls from death) in this passage washing the feet of his disciples.

 

“When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

John 13:12-17 NIV

 

You see there is no personal gain, no unattainable (or attainable) desires of selfishness being met here.

Jesus remains a teacher, he instructs them to be humble, to serve their servants to do in essence everything the world tells you to do it the opposite.

 

See Jesus never is spoken or perceived as unworthy, worthless or dismissible.

Yet he does things we are told in ‘the world’ are beneath us. We strive to be heard, (by talking louder) we strive to purchase materialistic items by exchanging our time for money (that's the most basic description of what a ‘job’ is isn’t it?) 

 

We strive to live lives that allow us comfort and pleasure and when such things are achieved we are celebrated by the rest of society. Our belief system is reminded on such things and our roots in such beliefs grow deeper. 

So my question to you is this:

What belief systems have you created?  (Speaking louder to be heard) 

How are they impacting how you live your life? (Speaking louder in spaces that you don’t need to anymore)

What does Jesus ask of us? (To serve is to look at the needs of others- does my need come before theirs?)

We’ve spoken on focusing on your relationship with Jesus not knowledge

We’ve spoken on having experiences with Jesus not knowledge 

And today we’ve spoken about debunking the belief system and (again really) focusing on your relationship (experiences) with Jesus

-Did you pick up the trend? A relationship with Jesus IS what’s going to take away all of the ‘icky’s’ you are struggling with.