Category Archives: Thoughts
Think About It…
Tonight, I’m feeling extraordinarily passionate. I wish I felt this way more often, but I admit I don’t. In high school, I held back a lot. I have some serious regrets in my life, but my biggest is that I never said what I’m about to share. Now, if you know me at all, you know that I’m slightly skeptical. You also probably know that I don’t believe something without serious thought. Honestly, I would be an idiot to do so. When making a serious decision in life (such as a college or career choice), there should be some serious thought involved. So, before I go into details, know that this isn’t simply a tangent; it’s legit.
Basically, I’m a really messed up person. I mean, let’s face it, isn’t everyone? What does it mean to be “good” anyway? I know some people who, in my eyes, are really “good” people, but they’re still messed up. They still have problems. So, in that case, are they really good? I’m not. It might look like I have it together, but I really don’t. And, in reality, anyone who claims they do is probably lying to you. But I’ll be honest. I’m a terrible person. Simple as that. I could go into details, but that would take to long. Let’s just say I’m selfish. I think about Colby Davis a lot. But I’m one of, what, almost seven billion people on this planet? So how can I possibly think the world is about me?
But you do it too, don’t you? Come on, think about it. You think about yourself all the time. How can I make such an accusation? Because everyone does. It’s normal. But why? You’re one of seven billion people. And, if you died right now, the other 6,999,999,999 people would still keep going. Sure, a really minimal number of them would be upset, but life would go on, and the world would keep spinning. Now doesn’t that make you feel insignificant? I feel pretty unimportant right now personally. So why I am making us all seem like losers? It’s quite simple really. I’m trying to get you to realize that the world doesn’t revolve around me or you.
Okay, cool. So the world doesn’t revolve around you. Well, who does it revolve around? President Obama? The United States? Oprah? The evening news? Well, bad news. We lose any of those, and you’ll still be alive. Yeah, I’m sure there would be some serious repercussions, but you’d probably still be alive. So would a majority of the rest of the world. In fact, there are parts of the world that wouldn’t give two craps if the US disappeared. If you disagree with me, go visit a little continent called Africa, and find the remote tribes that have never even heard of it. Pretty sure they would be fine.
Well, the world must revolve around somebody. There must be some reason it even exists. Or maybe it was an accident. If it is, that’s one impressive accident. Ever heard of the Watchmaker Analogy? Say you’re walking through the woods. You’re hundreds of miles from civilization, with nothing but plants and trees and animals. Suddenly, you happen upon a watch. A pretty, gold, ticking watch. How do you know that it isn’t a part of nature? Because it isn’t natural. It’s way too complex. Someone left it there. You know that watches don’t grow on trees. And, even if you haven’t seen a watch before, you still know that it’s impossible for it to have just appeared. Somebody actually MADE that thing, and then, somebody left it there.
So let’s look at the universe. Would you agree that it is at least slightly more complex than a watch? I would hope so. But yet we assume that it just happened. Would you assume that with the watch? That it just happened? Probably not. But the universe did? And the people with the knowledge to create that same watch did? Just accidentally? Doubtful.
Okay, so say you’re following so far. If not, then you won’t really get the rest; please contact me, because I’ll be happy to discuss this more. If you’re following, you know that I’m implicating that God created the universe. Fact about God: He’s perfect. Again, if you disagree, contact me. Therefore, a perfect God would undoubtedly design a perfect universe. In fact, Genesis 2 specifies that God “made man in His own image and likeness” (and I’m paraphrasing there). So God designed man (people) to be perfect.
Wait, we’re not perfect! We just discussed this. Well, God also gave us a wonderful little feature called “decision-making.” The first two people He created, known notoriously as Adam and Eve, came with that ability installed, and so did the rest of us. Their choice was simple. Eat from the tree they weren’t supposed to eat from, or obey God and don’t. If you don’t know the whole story, check out Genesis 3 (at the beginning of the Bible or searchable at www.biblegateway.com). Bad news: they ate. First people to ever disobey God. Unfortunately, that really screwed things up. Suddenly, God’s perfect universe wasn’t so perfect. Hence the fact that there are so many things wrong with the world, and with us.
More bad news: since God is perfect, and we aren’t, it’s impossible for us to be with Him. Of course, I’m talking about heaven. Heaven isn’t messed up; it’s still perfect. So, if we showed up in our imperfect, that really screws things up, and suddenly heaven is wrecked too. And it gets worse: we have to pay for what we’ve done. Everyone knows that there are consequences for our actions. Well, to be blunt, the consequence for our actions is eternal separation from God… in hell. I don’t need to clarify that this is a really bad thing. If you’re confused, message me.
Great, so we’re all condemned to hell. Well, God made us, so that’s not something that He’s really cool with either. Seems like a disaster, but here’s the good news. Finally. God fixed this problem. He took care of our punishment. It couldn’t be ignored. The government isn’t going to ignore your fifteen speeding tickets either. It had to be taken care of, and God did it.
How? That’s right, I’m talking about God’s son Jesus Christ. I’m sure you’ve heard the story. Jesus, as both God and man, came to earth and lived a perfect life. Totally perfect. Before you say that’s impossible, remember that He’s God. But, since He was also fully man, He still went through all the same crap you and I have been through. Then He gets condemned for doing nothing wrong. The people scream that they want Him dead, capital punishment for no crime whatsoever. If you’ve seen Passion of the Christ, you know what happened next. Or you can read John 19. They executed Him in the same way that they executed murderers, by nailing his hands and feet to a cross and letting Him hang until His lungs collapsed. Extremely painful. However, unlike the other prisoners who had died in this manner, He hadn’t done anything wrong. He did this for us. You and me, and everyone else who has ever and will ever live.
By this point, the situation seems bleak. We’ve been condemned to hell, and Jesus is dead, which seems to accomplish nothing. However, if we move ahead to John 20, we find some really good news. Three days later, a few ladies went to Jesus’s tomb (which was actually a cave with a giant bolder in front of it) for some traditional burial procedures. They showed up, and this massive bolder was gone, along with the body. Then Jesus showed up. Totally alive. They checked; ghosts don’t have scars, and they don’t breathe. It really was Jesus. Now, before you claim that this is impossible, remember that Jesus is still God. I’m pretty sure the God who created the entire universe could come back to life quite easily. There is plenty more evidence for this, and I will gladly discuss it with you. It’s real. Jesus is alive, and, forty days after his resurrection, He ascended to heaven to be with God.
So what does that mean to you? Why am I even telling you this? Well, here’s the best part: when Jesus came back to life, He proved that He had beaten death and hell. So the perfect God-man pays the ultimate price to free us of all the things we’ve done wrong. Our sin problem is fixed! There’s no catch; this is a gift. God, through Christ’s death and resurrection, has given you a way to be with Him in heaven for an eternity. All you have to do is accept that. It’s really quite simple. Admit you’re wrong, believe Jesus really did save you through His death and resurrection, and allow it to change your life. Place God in charge. I know that seems weird, but think about it. Jeremiah 29:11 states that God has a plan for your life. And, from experience, that plan is much better than anything else I’ve ever experienced. God isn’t going to set you up to fail. If He’s willing to send His son to die for you, He’s not going to turn around and screw your whole life over. That’s totally illogical. The reality is, He wants to use you to your full potential. And trust me, it’s way better than I could possibly describe it. I have this peace over my life. Something that nothing else has given me. I know that God is taking care of everything; I just have to trust Him.
So the choice, once again, is yours. You can surrender yourself to a God who knows every last detail about you and knows exactly why He created you and what you are meant to be, or you can try to live life on your own, where everyone is going to fail you at one point or another. Before you decide, I have one last request. Click on the link to The Story below. It will only take another five or ten minutes at most. Guys, this decision is important. We’re talking about eternity. We’re talking about your purpose on this earth. This isn’t minor stuff. And, if you have questions, just contact me. My info is on the top right corner of the page, or you can email me at [email protected] Think about it.
To My Future Spouse
So, following the bizarre antics (in which I take partial blame) that were a result of my previous post, I had a very long phone conversation with my former youth pastor, Nate. He had two recommendations. First, edit the post so that it is a little more… friendly. That would be my next task. The second recommendation, however, is much more feasible. So, without further ado, here is a repost of the letter to my wife, found at the end of that last post. Apparently it was pretty good. And hey, if you think it’s stupid, that’s cool. It’s just my heart. :)
Dearest ________,
I don’t know who you are. I don’t know where you are either. And, honestly, I can’t stand either one. But, it’s okay. God’s sending you in due time. We may have crossed paths already, or maybe we haven’t. I don’t know. I don’t have the slightest clue. I don’t think it really matters just yet. Right now, know this. I love you more than you can imagine, and God loves you far beyond that. Some days, I’m probably going to really screw things up. And there may be days where it takes everything within you to even talk to me. But I will always love you. I can promise you that. For better or for worse. Until death do us part. We’re going to make that vow to each other someday. I have no intent of saying that without some serious thought. We’re in this for life. It’s official. And we’ll make it count. Our mission? To glorify God. That’s the purpose of this relationship. That’s the purpose of our mere existence. What does that entail? Only God knows. But I’m excited. Why? Two reasons. One, Jeremiah 29:11; God’s plans are designed to prosper us, and not to harm us. And two, because it’s going to be with you. And something tells me that I will have no complaints about that whatsoever. So, until we meet (or discover our identities), I’ll be praying for you. And even then, I’ll still be praying for you. Because, after all, you’re going to be the second best thing that has ever happened to me (and you know the first).
Love, Colby
A Major Low Meets a New Kind of High
“Good God, if your song leaves our lips, if your work leaves our hands, then we will be wanderers and vagabonds. They will stare and say how empty we are, how the freedom we had turned us up as dead men. Let us be cold, make us weak. Let us, because we all have ears. Let us, because we all have eyes. Good God, how they knew that this would happen; they knew, they knew that this would! We’re so run down. Good God, can you still get us home? How can we still get home? I’m not dreaming; we’re forgetting our forgiveness.”
That was the lyrics to “Too Bright to See, Too Loud to Hear” by Underoath. If we lose track of who God is and what He has done, then we’re lost. Simple as that. We need God to break us down to the point where we need him, because we all know what He did for us. Somehow, the world expected us, as Christians, to fail; they were banking on it. But we’re so worn out, so what do they expect? Can God still take us back? Have we really, really forgotten what Christ did for us? We… forgot.
I feel like I’ve prayed this prayer too many times. The “my God, where have I been?” prayer (Underoath, “Desperate Times, Desperate Measures”). I just… take this all for granted. God gave me a gift, Jesus Christ, and I’ve just kind of blown it off. Then something happens that gets me thinking, and I get to such a low that suddenly I’m screaming those words. And it’s then that I realize it: I’m forgetting my forgiveness. So I repent, truly repent, and God forgives. He always does. So if I’m truly repenting, then why do things seem to go back downhill? Why is there still a cycle? Am I that self-centered? I’m just so worn out… so tired. The world, it’s messing with me. It wears on my mind, my heart. So what do I do now?
God, fix me. I don’t understand why I allowed myself to get here, but I hate it. God, I need your help, because there’s no way I can do this myself. It’s impossible. It seems like every time things start to go well, I begin to rely on my own strength. What strength? I’m weak. I can’t do anything on my own. Who was I kidding? Forgive me for being selfish. Forgive me for focusing on Colby Davis. Without you, I’m nothing, but “I can do all things through [you], who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4:13, ESV). I want to start over. I know you’ve forgiven me for my mistakes, but help me to see that, day in and day out. Help me to forget me and seek you instead. You told me you know what you intend to do with my life and that I’m a part of your plan (Jeremiah 29:11). So screw my plans. There doesn’t even seem to be much hope in them. But in you, I can find hope and peace. In you, I can be free. Free of worry and pain and anger and depression and fear and anxiety and all the other crap I deal with. I know that for a fact, so help me to remember it. There’s a few billion people in this world who have no true hope, and I have a chance to give them that hope. Give me the courage to take that chance! ”Consume me from the inside out,” (Hillsong United, “From the Inside Out”). In Christ’s name, amen.
Wow. Basically, if you’re even still reading, that wasn’t planned. I was more content with sulking. But I couldn’t sit there and write about how I was “forgetting my forgiveness” without remembering it again. Christ died for me, because of something I did, and I can’t simply ignore that. That would be foolish. So what about you? Yeah, you’ve probably done some serious stuff. Maybe stuff that you feel you can’t be forgiven for. Maybe you’re the one asking, “how can [I] still get home?” Or maybe you think you’re doing great. You aren’t very messed up at all. You can rely on yourself. Well, you just saw me experience both. It comes down to this: I’m messed up because I’m a human being. Regardless of whether I’m a goody-two shoes or a serial killer, God sees me in the same way as both Billy Graham and Adolph Hitler: a sinner. You’re in the same boat. But God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die for you and pay that death penalty so that you, (insert name), could go to heaven and spend an eternity there. No matter how good you’ve been, you still deserve an eternity in hell (a very real place); yet no matter how bad you’ve been, you can still reserve your spot in heaven (also a very real place). If you haven’t done this yet, I encourage you, no, I urge you, to do so. Believe what Christ did for you, and let it change your life for the better. If you have questions, PLEASE contact me at [email protected] or visit this website: http://www.eeinternational.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=31469. I guarantee you will start to see some amazing things happen.
For those of you who already truly believe that Jesus Christ is your one and only Savior, that’s awesome! Now what are you doing about it? Maybe you’re in seminary, or on the mission field, or leading a Bible study, or witnessing to friends, and that’s all great! Or maybe you don’t really feel like a Christian at all. Maybe you feel fake. Well, you aren’t alone. Recent polls suggest that only 8-10% of Christians actually share their faith on a regular basis. That means that between 90-92% of true believers do not. More times than not, I have been in that second group. I’ve hit my dry spells, but God always takes me back and can do the same for you. Regardless of which category you fall into, this is a perfect reminder of what Christ did for us. And yeah, the first time I saw it a couple years ago, I cried too.
A Lot Can Happen in Five Minutes
Today, I drove past a funeral home. There was a funeral in progress. I got chills, because I came to the realization that there was a really good chance that the person who had died was currently experiencing their first taste of hell. Not necessarily, but it was definitely a possibility. An estimated 581 deaths took place in the world in the last five minutes, based on the World Clock http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.swf. According to the Joshua Project, 41%, or 238, of these people had never even heard the Gospel before, let alone believed it. Of these 238 people, 22 of them died totally unexpectedly, going about their daily lives. Five minutes. Real people. Think about it next time you are presented with an opportunity to witness to someone. I will.
On the State of Humanity…
Tonight has been an intense night. I had two very deep conversations online with good friends who will remain nameless. The first was just the two of us dumping on each other, discussing the most confusing aspects of life. But then I started to think. After a few minutes, I composed this Facebook status:
“There is so much pain in this world. I know the answer to this paradox, and I know how cliché it sounds, but I sometimes I just don’t understand why bad things happen to good people. Sure, sin caused it, but… it just doesn’t make any sense.”
As I posted this, one of my conversations on AIM drifted into this subject. I had a LOT on my mind. In short, I sent this person my status, and then this (which I have here paraphrased and punctuated):
“I mean, I have friends who have been raped, friends whose closest family died, friends who were abused, friends whose parents just don’t give a crap about them, friends who are orphaned, friends who truly believe that they are completely worthless, and, worst of all, I have friends who are going to hell, and I feel like I’ve done nothing to stop it. Good people. This world is so messed up. Why? I just can’t grasp that: Why? I feel so helpless. I’m going to a Southern Baptist seminary college. If anything, I expected to be able to make more sense of that, and now it just makes less sense. I mean, in no way am I questioning my faith, but why does does any single person in this world have to go through the crap they go through? Meanwhile, I have the only source of hope for any of them, and I’m sitting here in a comfortable recliner on my rear end not doing anything about it. What’s wrong with this picture?”
This was their response: “Colbs, in the end, most of the time, we do end up helpless. We can try and try and try, but if someone doesn’t want to listen, they’re not going to listen. But the fact that we tried means something, and, somewhere down the road, they’ll remember what you said, and it’ll make sense to them. Maybe what they’re going through is God’s way of trying to open their eyes and helping them to realize He’s all they need. Some people just take longer than others, but we hope that someday they get it.”
So what did I gather from this? What can you gather from this? All the pain in this world is due to sin, and there’s no question in my mind that this is our own fault. However, Christ died for us, taking all the pain and sin in our lives. We just need to ask for forgiveness. When we do this, we can have hope in God’s plan and, most importantly, an eternity with Him. Jeremiah 29:11, my favorite verse, states, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” God allows everything that goes on in this world to happen for a reason. However, although we, as Christians, know this hope, there are many more who do not. In this words of Leeland’s song “Tears of the Saints”: “This is an emergency.” So what are we doing about it? Why are we comfortable? Because this, my brothers and sisters, is an emergency: