Small Thinking
Small thinking is a BIG problem. If there are problems with the stability of a home, small thinking looks at the roof joists and not the foundation. If there is a problem with a relationship, small thinking looks at only the most recent interaction and not the history of the relationship. Small thinking looks at symptoms and not the root.
Lets talk then about Church and how we address the big things that really matter… Yesterday (09/29/19) we examined Baptism and what it means when we think big. Small thinking makes Baptism a thing, the end of a process that gives a particular person the right of passage into The Church. While it is an essential aspect of our Christian identity, we cannot continue to look at it with small thinking.
Baptism is a big deal! It is connection with God through a desire to live an immersed life. Thinking big means we are entering into that covenant relationship with Christ through death to ourselves. Death is all or nothing folks. There is no “mostly dead to the power of sin.” There is no “mostly dead to my old self.” If we live an immersed life we are thinking BIG!
Last series we focused a lot on asking a better question. This go-round we need to stop with small thinking. Coming up are some subjects that have notoriously been shelved in the small thinking categories. (Think about Worship and Grace!!)
Small thinking has kept the Church looking inward as well – focused on inside stuff when what needs us most is the outside stuff. Remember when Jesus gave His final charge to the Apostles? He gave them a BIG thinking strategy: Acts 1 8b “…and you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Small thinking would’ve kept their witness within the relative safety of Jerusalem. It was right in front of them, close to home. They were comfortable with its streets and knew where to hide when things got sketchy.
Small thinking would’ve wiped Samaria right off of that list – because ew! Samaritans. Gross.
Small thinking would’ve wiped all of the Western World off of that list – because ew! Americans!
Small thinking… well, you get the point.
Are we small thinkers? Focused on what is only in our immediacy? Will we open our eyes to the bigger thinking of God? Even if that takes us to Samaria and the ends of the earth? He is already there thinking bigger than we can even imagine. Maybe we should see where our imaginations can take us when we think like God.
Start this week by thinking big about Baptism – get into Romans 6. Fall in love with an immersed life once again and remember why that decision was so important to you when you made the plunge into covenant relationship.
Start thinking about Worship in a big way. Our definition needs to change from a scheduled program to a lifestyle of elevating God. Start thinking BIG about Grace and Hope and Salvation! Start imitation Christ in our compassion, giving, and forgiveness.
Start thinking Big.