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Facebook, Sin, & Your Opportunity

March 14, 2012 in Spiritual Growth with 18 Comments

Yesterday I jumped on Time’s online news site to see the top 10 viewed news stories of the day. It usually gives me a quick snap shot of what’s being discussed nationally. Sometimes it leads to a blog post or message illustration, but more than anything I look at it for a quick pulse of what’s going on.

What really stood out to me was that three of the top ten stories included a reference to Facebook. Here’s the stories and a brief description.

Nephew Sues Uncle Over Awkward Facebook Photos

As reported on the Above the Law blog, Aaron Olson sued his uncle in Minnesota district court for harassment based on the fact that his uncle posted childhood photos of Olson on Facebook along with some snarky captions. While Olson’s uncle untagged Olson in the apparently offensive Christmas photos and recommended the seemingly thin-skinned Olson to stay off Facebook, Olson was determined to settle his claim in court.

Woman Reportedly Burns Down House After Facebook Un-Friending

The friendship of Nikki Rasmussen and Harris apparently hit a rough patch while the former friends were planning a party via Facebook. When the big event went bust with many declined e-vites, Harris allegedly held Rasmussen accountable, and according to news reports, posted some unsavory items on her Facebook wall. In this modern age, Rasmussen exacted her revenge with a few clicks of the mouse and de-friended Harris. This affront was too much for Harris who took her anger offline and allegedly torched the family’s garage, melting the siding clean off the home.

Woman Discovers Her Husband’s Other Wife on Facebook

She was perusing the popular social networking site when she says she saw the other woman, who we will call Wife 2, suggested by Facebook as a person she may know. She clicked on the woman’s profile and saw photos of the woman standing next to a wedding cake — along with Wife’s 1 estranged husband.

At first I thought, What the heck? People on Facebook have gone crazy. People need to get off the social network and get a life. But Facebook isn’t the problem. Facebook is now where we see the brokenness of humanity being played out everyday.

Facebook didn’t cause a divorce, a lawsuit, or an arsonist.

Sin did.

Facebook’s just a reminder that everyone needs healing. Everyone.

Matt 5 has really been heavy on my heart lately. Jesus said,

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

So be present today. Allow your light to shine bright.

Listen.

Learn.

Love.

Live.

Why?

Because everyone you bump into today at the grocery, at school, at work, and yes, even on Facebook, needs healing, needs Jesus.

A Power Within

January 16, 2012 in Spiritual Growth with 25 Comments

I’ve drawn the following picture a couple hundred times to give a visual illustration of one’s need for Christ to bridge the gap from that which separates us from God.

While I think it’ s a pretty accurate description of life before Christ the illustration makes no sense if you’re a Christian and yet, it’s unfortunately how so many Christians are living today. So many are living as if their salvation never happened.

Isn’t it true that you often view your sin as a cavern/barrier to God?

That you think God may love you, but he’s perpetually disappointed in you and desperately wants you to kick it in gear and work on your sin issues?

Listen, if you’re a Christian you now have Christ in you!! It’s not God on one side and you on the other, both of you staring at this gap of sin saying, “Now what are we gonna do?”

The theologically correct picture is you standing in front of your sin, taking full responsibility, but realizing Christ is in you and he has made the provision for the very sin you’ve just committed.

Why is this important? Because the intention not to sin is not the same as the power not to sin*. God never intended for you to conquer sin on your own.

You have to give up on your power, which is really no power at all, and trust in Christ’s power which is now in you! Your sin is not a barrier to your intimacy with God, but a humbling reminder for your need for what Christ alone can give you.

Do you ever struggle with this concept like I do?

Why Doesn’t Anyone Talk About Sin?

July 22, 2011 in Spiritual Growth with 58 Comments

Over the past year I’ve become a fan of Scot McKnight and his thoughts on following Christ. I don’t always agree with him, but he almost always makes me think outside of my little theology box.

He recently wrote an article for Relevant Magazine entitled, “Why Doesn’t Anybody Talk About Sin?” Here’s a little snippet from the article.

To many, sin has fallen into grace. What does that mean? When we talk about God’s grace, we are assuming the reality of sin—that we are sinners and that God has forgiven us. But in our language today, sin is not only an assumption—it is an accepted assumption. And not only is it an accepted assumption—it also doesn’t seem to matter.

It’s as if we’re saying, “Yes, of course we sin” and then do nothing about it.

Widespread apathy toward sin reveals itself in the lack of interest in holiness. Your grandparents’ generation overdid it—going to movies, dancing and drinking alcohol became the tell-tale signs of unholiness. Damning those who did such things became the legalistic, judgmental context for church life. So your parents’ generation, inspired in part by the ’60s, jaunted its way into the freedom of the Christian life. Which meant, often enough, “I can do whatever I want because of God’s grace.”

That generation’s lack of zeal for holiness has produced a trend: acceptance of sin, ignorance of its impact and weakened relationships with God, people and the world.

I’ll be honest. Sometimes I think I fall into the trap Scot talked about in the article. At times, I’ve been somewhat accepting of my sin and ignored the impact it has in my life. I’ve quickly categorized my sin as “under God’s grace” (which it certainly is) but not taken the time to mourn over the very realistic consequences it has in my life.

Like many of you I grew up in what I perceived to be a legalistic church. And like many of you I swore I would never be a part of that kind of movement again.

But now I wonder if the pendulum has swung too far away from legalism and too far towards grace in the church today?

How about you personally? Does your focus tend to be toward law or grace?

Just When I Was Thinking of Starting To Smoke

June 22, 2011 in Spiritual Growth with 54 Comments

I don’t know if you saw this or not but Cigarette makers must add large, graphic warning labels depicting diseased lungs, a man exhaling smoke through a hole in his neck and other disturbing images to packaging and advertising in the U.S. by October 2012, government officials declared yesterday.

The nine graphic images—accompanying warning labels with messages such as “Smoking can kill you” and “Cigarettes cause cancer”—are the biggest change to warning labels in 25 years.

Not that I have a strong desire to smoke, but man, those images would make me throw a pack down on the ground and stomp on it. Just take a look.

It got me thinking. Do these type of tactics work? I mean if you’re addicted to smoking haven’t you had a million people already tell you that smoking is going to eventually do this to you? Maybe it adds weight to actually see a visual? Maybe it keeps the “first timer” from lighting up the cigarette?

Would similar visuals work in the church?

Would a picture of a mom in pain holding her crying kids keep a father from having an affair?

What about a picture of someone old, alone and miserable because they never learned to forgive and the grudge eventually eroded the joy from their life?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not into scare tactics. I just think sometimes we have a difficult time helping people see just how devastating sin can actually be.

I don’t know. Just thinking out loud today.

Your thoughts?

Private Confession

July 19, 2010 in Spiritual Growth with 49 Comments

I’ve noticed a nasty little habit in my life lately. I call it “private confession.”

I’ve found it easy to confess my sins to God privately without going directly to the people I’ve impacted by my sin. I’ve got a feeling this is a disturbing tendency for most of us.

Personally it’s just so painful to go to someone and say…

I’m sorry my jealousy kept me from celebrating your recent success.

I’m sorry my out-of-control schedule has kept me from spending quality time with you.

I’m sorry my self-centered ego has kept my conversation completely focused on me.

I’m sorry my unchecked, lustful mind has damaged our intimacy.

I’m sorry.

So easy to say to God and yet so difficult to say to the people around us.

Matt 5 23″Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Deception, Poison & The Christian Community

July 1, 2010 in Spiritual Growth with 90 Comments

Just couldn’t put this blog post into words so I decided to shoot a quick video for you. Watch the short clip and then let’s talk…

Deception from Pete Wilson on Vimeo.

So, what do you think? What deceptively good sins are we currently allowing to poison our Christian communities?

A Failure To Be Receptive And Grateful

September 10, 2009 in God, Religion with 49 Comments

I read something last night before bed that kept me up longer than I wanted to be up. I’m rereading parts of “The Shattered Lantern” by Ronald Rolheiser. He said…

The original sin of Adam and Eve, the prototype of all sin, is presented as a failure to be receptive and grateful.

Just think about it for a second. God creates Adam and Eve and places them in the garden where they are surrounded by unmistakable beauty and all the goodness of life. They are experiencing the fullness of life, the way it was intended to be and are promised it will continue…under one condition. Just don’t eat the fruit of a certain tree.

However, we all know they would eventually fail to receive life as a gift and instead try to seize it as if it were owed to them.

When I think of my own life and the sin that often creeps in, it usually begins with my failure to see life as a gift.

My lust.
My pride.
My anger.
My lack of forgiveness.

It’s all the overflow of a heart which begins to believe that something is “owed” to me.

I’m wondering how different today would be for each one of us if we seek to go through this day today viewing our life, our circumstances, our relationships and yes, even our hardships and challenges as gifts. As opportunities to be the men or women God has created us to be.

Today I seek to be receptive and grateful.

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