So I promise this post has something to do with reading the New Testament... but it is also an encouragement to continue reading the New Testament in creative or team efforts at times... It's worth it.
I'm in an Intergenerational Bible Study here at Asbury and although there are youth in the class and I am the Youth Director, I am a full-fledged participant just like everyone else. One of the assignments of the class was to find an accountability partner to help us in our pursuit to stay on top of the readings and see how the other one is doing. **What I am about to write about is just one of the reasons why if you are a disciple of Christ it is of utmost importance for you to have an accountability partner to challenge you with insight, prayer and encouragement for the journey**
I'm accountable to an awesome 6th grader and we decided (probably more me...) to get together every week to read the passage and talk about the reflection questions assosciated with the reading. This past Tuesday was our first time meeting and maybe we were both thinking we didn't know how it was going to go... sitting down to read the Bible intentionally with someone else (of a different generation at that) is not the norm for us.
So we found ourselves reading in Acts... focusing mainly on the stoning of Stephen in chapter 7. We both agreed that if there was something we wanted to stop and talk about something that we would just say STOP! and we would talk about it. We did that a few times back and forth and it was great. However, my awesome accountability partner had some fantastic insight to a particular section of the story.
If you are unaware of the account of Stephen being stoned, he basically stands up to the Jewish high-priests and the law enforcers who are falsely accusing him of blaspheming Moses and tells them they are falling away just like all of their Israelite ancestors did through the centuries... and Stephen even has the guts to call them "stiff-necked" in how they are responding to the gospel of Christ.
They grew extremely furious and started to stone him. A horrible, painful death. And right before he dies, Stephen declares to the Father, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" (Acts 7:60)
My accountable and I started talking about this statement and what it could mean... He said that he really saw the love that Stephen truly had for them in saying this even though they disagreed with him and about Jesus. This is fantastic insight #1! Do I treat people with a love as intense as this when they are resistant or down right violent to me for my faith or what I do because of my faith?
Fantastic insight #2... we started talking about what else the prayer of Stephen for his accusers could mean. We talked about how "maybe" Stephen understood that because they weren't on the same level of understanding, that it was not Stephen's place to "hold this against them" or to go so far as to hold them accountable beyond what he already did by showing them their shortcomings in the entire chapter. We talked about how this is very similar to us as Christians as we try to hold our non-Christian friends, family, co-workers up to the standards of our Christian walk. It doesn't work! If someone doesn't claim the name of Jesus, it doesn't make sense for any of us to say "God doesn't want you to live like that, or do that." The only way we can show them that is by telling them how God has changed you by the way you live.
My accountability partner exclaimed, "IT'S LIKE WHEN A GIRLY-GIRL PLAYS FOOTBALL WITH YOU!"
I said... "What???"
He then proceeded to say, "YEAH! It's like when a girl from your neighborhood wants to play football with you. And she's a girly girl. She doesn't know how to play football. You can't get mad at her when she doesn't know how to play. You have to show her how."
It became very clear to me that my 6th grade accountability partner was showing me deep truths about the way I live and the calling I have...
Do I show people how to play the game they may so desparately want to join in on? Even though they are at a different place than me? And do I grow frustrated with them and give up on them when it's too much?
Let's get this clear: Christianity is not a GAME. But it's engaging, it's something that is exciting, it's a family (like a team) and it's not just for people who understand it right away. It's the greatest game we can ever be a part of! Will some never want to play the game? Yeah... unfortunately. But how are we portraying it, conveying it? No one would be interested in Christianity, like football, if you just sat them down and read all the rules to them... it happens as you being to show them the purpose, the goal, the needs of each player, and the excitement of being a part of something life giving.
Thought it was an interesting thought...that I have been thinking about for a few days. AND it happened with someone half my age. So, if you have someone in your life who you feel God is trying to get you to have a deeper connection with... regardless of their age...get connected with them. Start meeting with them, read Scripture together, pray together, ask the other one how their soul is, I don't know, go bowling with them! Maybe it is a youth whom you need to pour into and invest in to show them they are loved. Maybe it's a peer, a friend. Maybe someone older. Maybe it's your child or spouse. CHANGE THE WAY YOU PLAY THE GAME.
Because it was never meant to be played alone.
Pam
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