Jason Schwanz dot com

“No, tell me what you WILL do.”

Filed under God Type Things

Back when I was growing up, I got into trouble on more than one occasion. It could be something like not turning in a school project. After the error had been discovered by my parents, we would have the “talk.” This usually went something like this.

“Jason, you [insert screwup here]. What are you going to do in the future to make sure this doesn’t happen again?”

“I’m not going to [insert my solution of what I won't do].”

“I don’t want to hear what you won’t do. Tell me what you will do.”

My parents used to share stories about me in sermons or lectures, but I just used a story about them in my blog. It’s about time I got some payback (and I’m not going to pay you $.25 for it either :-)).

The generic Christian mindset today is all about what we “shouldn’t” do. “I can’t do this, I can’t do that, I won’t aknowledge that people do this, and I certainly can’t associate with these people.”  This mindset is similar to that of the religious leaders of Christ’s time.  When Christ was on earth he didn’t act or speak in this negative fashion. He spent time with the “wrong” people. He was all about having that personal relationship, not about telling people what they were doing wrong. Now the caveat to that is that he did chastise the religious leaders for their sins, because they should have known better.

I know it sounds kinda cliche and cheesy, but I wish to be more Christlike.  I don’t want to be more modern-day Christian, I want to have an authentic Christlike-ness.  I want to be in intentional relationships with people I come into contact with.  I want to do this without regard for what the “rules” say I should (or shouldn’t) do.  I want to be someone that accepts people wherever they are in life, and whatever their faults and sins might be.
The world doesn’t need anymore of the “I’m right, you’re wrong, and you need to change your ways” religious speak.  Taking your rule book and whacking people upside the head just doesn’t work.  What the world needs is people who are willing to be authentically Christlike, and treat everyone with respect and the love of Christ.  This is what I will strive to be.