While some folks are less focused on or dominated by their issues, the fact remains that everybody's got 'em and everybody deals with 'em ... at least until they start dating and become involved in a romantic relationship, at which point both parties' emotional issues fall in love, join together and go forth to multiply.
Lots, and I mean lots, of the romantic relationships I see remind me of competitions rather than co-operations, as if each person must continuously assert themselves, their goals and their agenda in an on-going tug of war of wills that unfortunately not only persists into marriage, but often becomes its foundation and function.
Why isn't my boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse getting on board with the program and doing more to make my life easier and me happier? I've already been thinking about bailing out, and finding somebody better. Somebody who'll be more interested in satisfying me and my requirements. Why is it so hard to find somebody like that anyway?
The mindset for many married couples and singles involved in dating relationships can easily be expressed as Demand More: You Deserve It!
If Christ's not at the core and forming the foundation of a marriage, or even at the center of a romantic/dating relationship, is it because one, or both partners expect to be the center of attention instead? Wonder how that's gonna work out?
-- -- --
In the same way, if Christ's not at its center and forming the foundation of a church, is it because certain members of the congregation or church staff expect to be ... which is a mindset often revealed through an insistence upon silly labels and man-made doctrines purposefully intended to divide believers and alienate congregations?
"Oh no, you see, we only do church the right way and our doctrines aren't silly or man-made at all. All our rules, definitions, theologies, covenants, by-laws, restrictions, affiliations and ammendments come straight from scripture, not like those other religions."
Okay, let's go with an artificial example of what I'm talking about: what does your church teach concerning the true, actual length of Noah's ark?
"Well, Genesis 6:15 specifically tells us the length of the ark, and if a cubit is 18 inches long, then 300 cubits x 18 inches means it's required teaching that the ark was exactly 450 feet long ... and even better than that, my church teaches that the ark used so much timber, just the insects and worms in the wood would fill 21 box cars."
So according to that doctrine, if I believe the ark was 488 feet long (measured according to Royal cubits) and that only 20 box cars of bugs and worms were contained in the wood, then my beliefs aren't based on scripture ... and I need to do a 360 and get my life turned around and headed back on track?
Can the cause of doctrinal divisiveness and spiritual oneupsmanship be anything except pride ... and can the result be anything except disorder within the body?
