Tough Questions, Easy Answers

So, I really enjoy writing my "Saturday Streams of Consciousness," mostly because, as I ramble on and on about the various and sundry goings on of my life, you all ramble right along with me, and, as you get to learn a little bit about me, I get to learn a little bit about you. I find it very amusing that you're interested in little things like the fact that I love Mustangs, J. Crew men's clothing, and W.B. Yeats. =D And I find it very interesting to learn little things about you. This Saturday, I'll probably throw in some details about what a nice day I had yesterday (the high points were shopping at a secondhand book store, drinking a malt from Whataburger, and spending a lovely evening at the mall with my family -life's simple joys =).

Today, though, I'm faced with the task of writing about a comment I got on last week's Saturday Stream of Consciousness. It had me scratching my head (it came from a woman who later described herself as making different life choices than I do, so I assume she lives a different lifestyle than I do, lest some of you are coming here, yet again, with an anti-stay-at-home daughter ax to grind). I wanted to write an article about it so that I could be perfectly clear for anyone else who might have wondered (although I hope not too many of you were wondering):

Hi,

How do you feel about Christian girls who have different views on gender roles and maybe don't plan to be a stay-at-home wife or daughter? Do you feel that they are Christian or would you feel the need to witness to them?

I wasn't scratching my head because I hadn't heard the question before. I have, addressed at issues that run the gamut from Reformed theology to interracial marriage. Being a pastor's kid, you hear a lot of Q & A, and the list gets less and less surprising as time goes on (similar questions include, "So, do you homeschoolers think you can't be Christian if you send your kids to public school?" or "Do you online college students think you're going to hell if you go to A&M?" [here in Houston, it depends on who you ask =)]). I'm hard to shock. In fact, I like to turn that shock around and answer with a deadpan, "Why, yes. Of course I think [fill in the blank] are going to hell."

Don't be afraid if someone on the outside looking in asks you what may seem like a ridiculous question; just answer it. Do you believe in the power of our risen Lord plus the power of a particular life style to save you? Or not? Because, in essence, that's the question, isn't it? Do I believe in the power of the gospel to transform lives... only if it's lived out in everyone else's life the same way it's lived out in mine? Or do I believe in the power of the gospel to transform lives... Period?

Well, that's an easy question to answer; because I am a wretched sinner saved by God's incomparable grace, because any good within me is a result of his mercy and not of my own merit, because I'm constantly being molded and shaped into the image of His Son, my answer is definitely, positively the latter. My family's going through Galatians right now; having just hit chapter 3 this morning, I really couldn't give any other answer with a straight face. There are radically saved people who live radically different lives than I do. I don't have an "us against them" mentality when it comes to those different people; I strive to have a gospel-centered focus, which means rallying together on the points of God's Word where we agree, challenging each other where we disagree, but doing so always in a spirit of love. Am I passionate about my life's choices -you bet; I wouldn't have made them if I wasn't passionate about them. I wouldn't live my life so counter-culturally if I wasn't convicted about certain aspects of it.

I'm not fond of any question that starts with "Do you think someone can be a Christian if..." because it immediately takes the focus off of Christ and puts it directly on our works. As Christians, we should be striving to live lives that please the Lord because we want to serve the God that saved us, not because we think we need to live our lives a certain way in order to be saved. The evidence of our changed life is a love for the Lord's commandments (John 14:15).

Living out these principles may, indeed, look different from family to family. If you ever go to a church where everyone looks, sounds, and dresses exactly alike, check yourself. Are these people really following the leading of the Lord on their lives? Or are they looking for an easy answer that's going to be spoon fed to them? I definitely want to encourage the former, not the latter. It's not impossible to agree on foundational principles for Christian living, but practices vary. Even the most likeminded of us don't always agree on some of the biggest decisions (a friend of mine and I shuddered whenever we walked past the McCain/Palin bumper stickers in our church's parking lot last November, just for dramatic effect =).

I try to write what I know. I'm a stay-at-home daughter, so I write about daughterhood from that perspective; my aim isn't to invalidate the decisions of other daughters, or to call their faith into question; I am blessed by the ministries of daughters who are serving the Lord in different spheres as well. Although I do, indeed, disagree with some Christian sisters I'm blessed to call my friends on various aspects of some of their life choices (as they sometimes disagree with mine), we haven't had to break relationship over it, and I'm glad for that. And because we're serving the same Savior, even if we aren't traveling the same exact journey, we can encourage each other on the points we do have in common (clumsiness, boy trouble, modesty hardships, political disenchantment, and a lack gracefulness and graciousness seem to be universal ills -who'd have thunk? =), and, perhaps to challenge presuppositions or answer questions abut the areas where we vary. I enjoy the well-rounded dialogue from readers with all different types of backgrounds. Please don't go away... if I start talking crazy talk, just call me on it. =)

So, from one sister-in-Christ to another, don't ever conform for the sake of conforming, not to the world around you, or to a girl like me, who's chosen to do things a little differently (Romans 12:1-2 says it quite well). Make your decisions based on your convictions regarding the Word of God, and make your aim his glory. Then, we'll both be working towards the same goal. This take doesn't weaken the importance of following biblical precepts (Titus 2:3-5 tells us what's at stake here: "so that the Word of God may not be blasphemed"), but it does take the focus off of us and puts it right back where it always belongs: on Christ.