"Build a Bear/Jesus Theology"

As my daughter gets older, I hate to admit that she is outgrowing her favorite store, Build a Bear. If you have never gone through the Build a Bear experience, I highly recommend it. You start at the very beginning looking at these limp little bears and animals that have absolutely nothing in them. You pick out the type. You then move over to the stuffing section. You give them form, definition. And it goes on. You can pick out a heart, place it inside. You fluff it, pick out clothes for it, give it a name, print out a birth certificate and then BAM. You have your own little bear creation made exactly the way you want it. I have to say, the whole experience is quite cool.

I reflect on the Build a Bear experience this morning because I came across a quote yesterday that continues to make me think. It was from Voltaire and it read,

"God created man in His own image and now we are returning the favor."

Voltaire is saying that God created us in His own image and now we as a people are returning the favor; recreating God the way we want him to be.

Francis Chan, a pastor of a church in California recently spoke on this. He added,

"Inevitably what we are saying is this. 'Let me create God. I want a God who is OK with me being filthy rich. Spending it on myself and giving 10% to him. I want that type of God so I am going to say that that is the way Jesus is. I want a God who says that it is OK for me to sleep with my girlfriend because we are in love. And I am going to say God is OK with that because I am OK with that and God must be like me.'"

As hard as that is to write and read, I have to admit that for many there is truth in this post. It is easy to take the Build a Bear approach and turn it into Build a Christ. I am afraid that we as a society are taking Christ and turning him into this middle class Jesus. But read the scriptures and you find that Jesus was anything but. He was radical. He would tell his disciples, "I have no idea where i am going to eat tonight or where I am going to sleep tomorrow. Do you still want to follow me?" He said things like, "Stop storing up treasures on this earth where moth and rust will destroy. Put it up in heaven! And stop worrying about tomorrow. I will take care of that. See the birds of the air? They don't worry because they know that their Father is providing for them. And how much more will our Father provide for each of you?"

These are heavy words but truthful ones. The truth is that we are called toward holiness. And it is not easy. Christ never said it would be. We have just finished a study on the book of Philippians in our college group and it has been beautiful, challenging, encouraging and pushed many of us to look at our lives and our walk with Christ. As Paul writes Philippians, he is under house arrest. Reflecting on persecution and having gone through every emotion possible (see Philippians 4:12), Paul responds with learning to be content whatever the circumstances. And it is found in knowing that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. Living a life that reflects the walk and the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

If you really want to find a Jesus that lets you live a certain kind of life you will find it. We can really make Jesus whomever we want Him to be. But read through a gospel and you will see how Jesus really wants you to live.

"We should be living lives that demand an explanation."

My prayer for you reading this now is that you know that God is for you. This lifestyle that Jesus lived, it is attainable. Holiness is something to strive for and we are never alone on this journey. Know that I pray for you as I pray that you do the same for me.

Blessings to each of you!