Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Larry Osborne, (2009-04-04) from his book, Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith (Kindle Location 1336). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Larry says, “It refuses to fatalistically settle and accept the status quo. It powers the dogged pursuit of what could be and should be. Idealism provides the fuel that turns our crazy dreams into reality.” And we need that.   We really do. He then says, “But on the other hand, idealism can also be a curse. If it flows out of an inaccurate and overly romanticized view of the past, it can lead to a desperate longing for what never was and a deep frustration with whatever is.” He goes on, “Perhaps you have some friends who never enjoy the present because they’re so sure everything used to be better. They’re like greyhounds on the racetrack, chasing a stuffed rabbit they’ll never catch. Their endless pursuit of th

A thought by Larry Osborne, (2009-04-04) from his book, Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith (Kindle Locations 1321-1322). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That is such a good thing.   For so many the pain in their past controls their view of today so to not have that happen is a very good thing.   But Larry also looks at the opposite.   He says, “But our rose-colored memories can also have a detrimental effect. They can blind us to the beauties of the present. They can distort reality. They can leave us with an unholy dissatisfaction, where every glass is half empty and our dreams of the future are nothing but a longing for a nonexistent past.” He goes on, “I’ve seen romanticized memories destroy marriages. Bored husbands and wives reconnect with an old flame on Facebook or at a high school reunion. After comparing the slog of the present with an idealized memor

A thought by Larry Osborne, (2009-04-04) from his book, Accidental Pharisees: Avoiding Pride, Exclusivity, and the Other Dangers of Overzealous Faith (Kindle Location 1273). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. Legalists offer mercy. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Now that seems to be a stretch for me to believe.   How ever Larry says, “But the mercy they offer has limits. They have plenty of mercy for those overseas, mercy for those who face tough odds, mercy for those who don’t yet know Jesus.” And that can be so true of me.   I mean, I hear the stories of people who are going through tough times and I feel for them but that neighbor and his barking dog, or that homeless person with his hand out or that driver on the freeway. He then says, “But there’s very little mercy for struggling brothers and sisters in Christ. There’s not much sympathy for people who are weak and faltering. For those folks, there’s nothing but a harsh rebuke and stinging exhorta