Something New

Someone was sharing with me the wisdom according to bumper stickers. They had read a bumper sticker that said "Nothing changes if nothing changes." It is kind of cute and then it is kind of deep; then it is profound. How many times have we had good intentions that never became realities? How many New Year's resolutions never made it till February?
I am reminded of another bit of wisdom - "To get something you have never had you have to do something you have never done." Desired results are not the same as the committment necessary to bring those results into reality. It seems that most of us have sincere desires for new and better things in our lives but we do not have the strength and committment to make those desires a reality.
When Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for I wonder if that means that faith is the consistent doing of things that produce what we hope for? It seems that faith in Christian circles has come to mean either how I feel about things or it is the vehicle by which I make God do things. But what if faith is the something changing of something in us so that something can change in us? What if faith is not believing that God can do something but acting in cooperation with what we believe or need God to do? If I am asking God to help me with an area of my life, maybe I need to make myself obedient to God in that area of my life. Maybe I need to bring faith - substance - to what I am asking God to help me with. If I need God's help with relationships in my life maybe I should get out of immoral relationships and treat the people in my life the way He said to treat people. If I need God's help with my finances maybe I should manage the funds I have according to His directions.
Nothing changes if nothing changes. Maybe faith is not wishing for things or just believing God can do things. Maybe faith is making changes in a way that gives substance to the desired results.
Just thinking out loud . . .

Passionate Thinking

A friend of mine once said "What the facts will not support conviction will carry." It is almost scary how true this is. It would seem that at some point the shear weight of facts would have some sort of influence but conviction seems to be an almost irresistible force. Conviction eliminates the inconvenience of listening. When you already know everything about everything it does away with the trouble of having to hear anything new or different. Conviction eliminates the need for thinking. When you already know everything about everything you can pass on gathering facts and evaluating information. Conviction eliminates all that messy relationship stuff. Why bother to get to know people when you already know who they are, how they think, and what they are up to. I have recently been identified by a person with great conviction as part of a vast conspiracy. The advantage here for this person was that they were completely spared the necessity of gathering facts or actually talking to the people involved. Conviction really speeds up the process.
I have another friend that commented that many of the interpersonal problems we have individually and at societal or even international levels happens when we get a case of "hardening of the categories." Conviction eliminates the need for thinking and hardening of the categories puts people in predetermined sub groups of good and bad.
How much harm has been done because people just knew what was going on and what people were like without ever taking the time to find out if any of their perspectives could be supported by facts?
In my case, I am sleeping pretty well while this other person is lying awake at night wondering what I am up to.