Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
IS CHRISTIANITY A CRUTCH?
I GET THAT QUESTION IN EVERY CULTURE OF THE WORLD.
I WOULD SAY YES, AND I WOULD SAY NO.
I WOULD SAY NO IN THIS SENSE.
FOR SOMEONE TO SAY THAT JESUS CHRIST,
WHO I BELIEVE IS THE SON OF GOD, THE MESSIAH,
TO SAY THAT HE IS MY CRUTCH, WOULD BE LIKE A LIGHT BULB
SAYING TO A SOCKET, YOU ARE MY CRUTCH.
IN THE SENSE THAT THE LIGHT BULB WAS CREATED TO FUNCTION
COMPLETELY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SOCKET,
I BELIEVE I WAS CREATED TO FUNCTION CORRECTLY IN A
RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.
SO IN THAT SITUATION, I WOULD SAY, HE IS NOT A CRUTCH.
NOW, IN ANOTHER SITUATION YOU MIGHT SAY HE IS A CRUTCH,
BECAUSE WHEN SOMEBODY HAS A CRUTCH, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
IT MEANS THEY'RE HURTING, THEY'RE SICK,
THEY HAVE BROKEN A LEG OR SOMETHING.
WELL IN THE SAME WAY, I NEEDED A CRUTCH IN THIS SENSE.
I HAD SINNED AGAINST GOD.
I HAD REBELLED AGAINST GOD.
I WAS LOST FOR ETERNITY.
AND YET JESUS CAME AND DIED ON THE CROSS FOR ME AND SAID,
"I WANT TO BRING YOU INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH ME."
SO IN THAT SENSE, JESUS WAS MY CRUTCH,
IN THE SENSE HE TOOK WHERE I WAS HURTING AND HE MADE ME
WHOLE AND HELPED ME TO GET THROUGH LIFE BETTER.
WELL, I THINK THAT I USED TO BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE PERHAPS
THAT FELT THAT CHRISTIANITY WAS A CRUTCH,
CERTAINLY IN MY PAST EXPERIENCE FRIENDS WHO BECAME CHRISTIANS,
JESUS FREAKS, AT THE TIME WHEN I WAS GROWING UP MADE ME
BELIEVE THAT IF IT WASN'T CHRIST THAT THEY WERE FOLLOWING
THAT IT WOULD BE ALCOHOL, DRUGS OR SOMETHING ELSE
THAT THEY WERE INTO.
MY OWN LIFE AS A POLICE OFFICER IN BUSINESS AND NOW IN THE WORK
THAT I DO TO THIS DATE WHICH MAKES INCREDIBLE DEMANDS ON ME
AND CERTAINLY REQUIRES ME TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE TO MANY
THINGS, I CERTAINLY COULD BE OF A MIND SET TO THINK THAT FAITH
OR LEANING ON SOMETHING IS A CRUTCH.
HOWEVER I FEEL VERY DIFFERENTLY AS A CHRISTIAN.
I'VE COME TO FIND AND COME TO KNOW THAT THROUGH MY
EXPERIENCES THAT LEANING ON, HAVING A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH CHRIST IS A FOUNDATION AND NOT A CRUTCH AT ALL.
IN MY OPINION, IN FACT, I DON'T KNOW HOW SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T
HAVE IT WOULD GO ON AND DO THE THINGS I'M ABLE TO DO.
I, PROBABLY THE LAST TEN YEARS OF MY LIFE IS PROBABLY
THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THIS.
THROUGH PREVIOUS MARRIAGE THAT ENDED IN A BITTER DIVORCE HAVE
HAD TO FIGHT A CUSTODY BATTLE FOR MY OLDEST SON.
AND THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE IT'S BEEN BITTER, PAINFUL,
RECURRENT BOUTS OF GOING TO COURT AND TRIAL AFTER TRIAL.
WELL CRISIS CARRIED ME AND MY FAMILY AND MY WIFE NOW
THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
WE HAVE TWO BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN, WONDERFUL HOME AND COMMUNITY,
WONDERFUL FRIENDS, AND HE'S MADE FINANCIAL PROVISION IN
WAYS WE COULDN'T EVEN IMAGINE.
WE WERE MUCH INTACT AND JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT HE HAS
IN STORE FOR US NEXT IN LIFE.
I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST AND I
WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYONE TO HAVE ONE FOR THEMSELVES.
BECAUSE IF THAT'S A CRUTCH, I'LL TAKE TWO.