THEOLOGY (YAWN)

                                             THEOLOGY...(YAWN)

    I have a problem. If I am honest with myself, there are some words that have all of the allure and excitement of concrete. Words that should have real meaning and create a passion in me often make me want to yawn. Holiness, sanctification, justification, theology. Yes I know that they are important, even vital. But I don’t live like it.
    I am, however, occasionally struck by the importance of how I think about these things. Theology, for instance, matters immensely. We live exactly what we believe. No more, no less. So we need to stop and think about what we say we believe.
    For example, what do we really believe about the Christian life?  I’m not talking about what we say we believe. I’m talking about how we live. Because that shows what we really believe. 
           Do we think that life should be easy? Painless? Comfortable? These things matter greatly, because the stability and depth of our faith depends on how we view them. If we think that we should never be in pain, and have chronic migraines, we are at risk for doubt and bitterness. If we think we are assured of “prosperity” because we live for Him, and lose our job, house, etc., we may face not only the pain and hardship that causes, but also the shame and bewilderment we feel for not prospering.
    If, on the other hand, I  believe that God is sovereign, and that all that happens in my life is intentionally crafted for my good, (and more importantly for His glory), I will minimize multiplying my doubt and confusion when things don’t go as I think,(in all of my vast knowledge and wisdom), they should go. Dustin Shramek says that “good theology is essential if we are going to suffer well.”
    We sing a song titled “Blessed be the Name of the Lord”. I love it, largely because of how right on it is, as far as theology is concerned. It speaks of our response in all of the circumstances of life. “When the world’s all as it should be”, and “when my life’s filled with suffering” Faith that only stands “when the world’s all as it should be” is virtually worthless, powerless and shallow. Simply put, none of our lives are endlessly and totally like that. We lose a job, people hurt us, loved ones die, children rebel, the list goes on. Life can be  messy and painful. If we sing only of  bliss and tranquility, we risk not seeing life as scripture says it really is. So theology enters into every corner of our lives, whether we are thinking about it consciously or not. We need to, as it were, think about how we think.
    Theology, boring as it may sound, does indeed matter.