PLAYING GOD

I referred to someone trying to "play God" in my last blog day before yesterday, I believe. And "playing God" is another of my Pet Peeves! I guess I'm really referring to those people who try to force their personal convictions and their personal agenda on others.

You, like me, probably get a lot of emails that, while good in themselves, even cute, even sharing a friendship message in them, drive me up a wall. They're the ones that close by telling you to send them on to seven people in seven minutes. If you do, something good will happen to you. Maybe you'll hear from a friend you haven't seen for a long time, or you'll get an unexpected phone call, or you'll have bad luck if you don't! So far as I'm concerned, that isn't even Scriptural! And I generally do NOT forward them.

If the underlying message is outstanding, I might break down and forward such messages -- BUT after I hit the Forward key, I delete that part of the message that tells me I have to do thus and so and have only so many minutes in which to do it! I see "red" when I receive a message like that!

I remember one young preacher saying that he ate three meals a day to keep his physical body in shape; therefore, he felt he should read three chapters a day in the Bible to keep his spiritual body in shape. He even preached that from the pulpit and insinuated that's what his congregation should do! Now, if that's what he feels the Lord wants him to do, fine and dandy. But don't make the mistake of saying that every Christian should do likewise. What about those people who eat only two meals a day -- and that's me! Does that mean I must read two chapters daily? Or what about the diabetics who eat six small meals a day. Must they read six chapters a day?

Right now my husband and I don't even read one complete chapter a day. Instead we study a subject and read and discuss Scriptures all through the Bible on that particular subject. Other times we DO read complete chapters.

I know of one church whose members won't wear anything that is red -- they think the color is too loud and attracts attention to themselves. If an individual has a personal conviction along that line, OK. But an entire church? I've asked an acquaintance who follows that restriction why God made the beautiful, showy red flowers if it's wrong to wear red? Why does He give us the red sunrises and the red sunsets? Why the red in the rainbow? But the only answer I've received is a shrug of the shoulders and a sheepish "I don't know."

And there are those who say a Christian woman shouldn't wear clothes made from denim as that is a material for men! I'm not talking about an individual, but a group of individuals where the idea has been passed along from one to another. Nor do they approve of women wearing anything made from the material used in men's T-shirts for the same reason! They must all wear silky unmentionables, then -- but I suppose I shouldn't mention something that personal! Give me a break!

I could give more examples, but I think you get the idea. Stick to your God-given convictions (but be sure they are God-given and not man-made) but don't force your personal beliefs (especially when they're not Biblically-based) on others!

So dont send me emails saying I HAVE to forward something within so many minutes!

Glad to get that Pet Peeve off my chest!

Preacher's Kid