Dancing On Minefields

44Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45and sold their possessions and goods, and dividedp them among all, as anyone had need. 46So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added qto the church daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2: 44 - 47 NKJV

I knew a man named Bruce when I still attended my old congregation.  Bruce, I noticed, was one who seemed to be pretty secure in his faith in the Lord.  I recognized Bruce as a new believer not because he told me he was, but by his praise and worship on any given Sunday morning.  Without fail, as the praise band began playing the appointed Christ rock praise music at the begining of the service, you would surely find Bruce not only singing his praises to his Lord, but dancing in the aisles as well.  I saw in Bruce that enthusiasm that I have noticed in many a new believer.  For this is indeed a joyous time in our faith life, we have this new belief and faith and many of us simply want to just shout our praises to God from the rooftops for loving us enough to save us.  We are happy, giddy and usually cannot contain our joy.  We want everyone to know just how wonderful God is.  Ask a new believer how they are doing on any given day and you may just hear the standard "I'm blessed!" answer in response.  However, this usually lasts just long enough for the first spiritual challange to come along in their lives.  Whether it is a financial crisis or a relationship issue, when it comes along a new believer will suddenly lose thier desire to dance and praise.  For now they've come face to face with what the world will often throw our way.  It seems that, as new believers, that they are not used to these roadblocks in the christian walk.  All too often, we are led to believe that once we accept Christ Jesus, that everything will be right with the world.  Far from it.  For once we accept Jesus into our hearts, the real adventure begins.

11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
1 Corinthians 13: 11 - 12 NKJV

At times I refer to new believers such as Bruce as to be dancing on minefields.  For lost in our joy over our new found love for God is the fact that just because we now have had our eyes opened, does not mean that life will be a cake walk by any means.  So, we dance on life minefields unaware of the hazards to our faith which will surely come.  I get it, we are young in the faith and not yet grown.  If we were to put a maturity level on christians at thi stage it would be as a child.  The apostle Paul spoke this spiritual imaturity in 1 Corinthians, claiming that when he was a child he spoke, understood and thought as a child.  This is where often find ourselves as new believers.  For as sure as a child must experience and learn in order to grow and advance in its maturity, so must we in our christian faith.  There is definately a time in each believers life where we are led and taught by those who are mature in their christian faith.  However, as Paul also claims, when he became a man, he put away childish things.  Each of us, as we mature in our faith, must put away those things which we clung to as new christians.  Now is the time to grow in our faith.  Would a new christian comprehend the truth of Christ Jesus which I often speak of?  Perhaps, but usually it takes a good deal of understanding to see this.  This comes only by our heavenly Fathers revelation to us.  If there is one thing which we can learn from new believers such as Bruce, is that there be no boundries in how we express our love and gratitude for our heavenly Father.  Rock on Bruce.

~Scott~