Vain Imaginations


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Yesterday I wrote a blog entitled, "The WORD is Worth 1,000 Pictures" and in that blog I talked about the power of our imaginations. We operate, whether realizing it or not, based upon the mental pictures we paint with our thoughts.

In Chapter 1 of the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul lays out some very sound reasons why our imaginations can actually begin to work against us rather than for us, or better said, against the ways of God rather than in agreement with His master plan.

First, Paul writes:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse"
ROMANS 1:18-20


What I see from these verses is that God has placed, or created, within every living creature an intuitive knowledge of right and wrong. When it talks about His wrath "is" revealed I believe it could be said that His wrath "has been" revealed for God "hath" shown it to them. People know when they are outside of God's way of life, there are no excuses.

But Paul goes on immediately after this and begins to list out, what I believe, is a set of progressive steps people can take that can lead to being turned over to a reprobate heart. In other words, steps that cause our own separation from God, not Him separating from us.

In verse 21 he describes what I consider to be four very crucial elements:

Because that, when they knew God,

(1) they glorified him not as God,
(2)neither were thankful;
(3) but became vain in their imaginations, and
(4) their foolish heart was darkened.
ROMANS 1:21


In connection with yesterday's blog, I want to talk for just a moment about No. 3, becoming vain in our imaginations. I found several dictionary definitions of the word vain that speak to my heart.

To list a few:
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excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited

ineffectual or unsuccessful; futile

not yielding the desired outcome; fruitless:

characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance; "a conceited fool"; "an attitude of self-conceited arrogance"; "an egotistical disregard of others"; "so swollen by victory that he was unfit for normal duty"; "growing ever more swollen-headed and arbitrary";

naving no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying

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Ouch! I have got to say that at times, I see myself in some of those definitions. Quite often I am painting the wrong picture with my mind. But here's the point that I am trying to make through all of this. I believe, we cannot get to step No. 3, becoming vain in our imaginations, unless we have first committed the critical errors as shown in steps No. 1 and 2.

When we fail to glorify, or magnify God, and place the utmost value on Him, then inevitably, we will begin to fail to give thanks. We live in a world that is predominately thankless and according to this verse, that all started when they, or we, began failing in our glorification of God. In Timothy we read where a lack of thanks is one of top signs of the end of time, or the last days. We enter into the very gates of God with thanksgiving, and we enter His courts with praise. I guarantee when the former, glorifying God, really and truly becomes our primary focus, then the latter, having an attitude of thanks, will become virtually automatic.

Likewise, when we have failed to do the positive aspect of either of steps No.1 and 2, then, it is inevitable that we begin to become vain in our imaginations, No.3. A lack of praise and a lack of thankfulness are the first two signs that we are: (pick any definition of vanity from above), ouch!

As I mentioned yesterday, God's creativity will extend as far as your imagination will allow. But is it so very, very important that the pictures we paint, step No. 3, are a result of our obedience to the positive aspect of steps No. 1, and 2. It is then, and only then, that our thoughts begin to come in line with His will, His plan, and His loving perfection.

In closing, I would like to exhort you in the way of pointing you back to these ever-so-critical keys to remaining full of God which Paul has eloquently documented for us. I can assure you that no matter where you are in your walk with the Lord, no matter how far you may have drifted away, the keys to drawing yourself back closer to His presence are listed right here. God loves you immensely and He is never the one who withdraws from us.

I encourage you to go back to step No. 1 and begin from there. Glorify, magnify and praise His Holy name. Then begin to thank him for all He is, and has done, is doing, and for the things He shall do. Then you will begin to think thoughts that are in accordance with His will and as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

In love,
Michael

If that’s true then there’s no need for any dogma or religion. It must also be true that everyone who truly feels good about their beliefs must indeed be correct. And that would even include atheists who feel good about being atheists.

Thanks for the confirmation that all beliefs that instill genuinely virtuous feelings are necessarily "God's way of life".

From the moment conscious mortal thought begins, long before we exit the womb, we prepare to observe, compare and contrast everything we experience around us with an original feeling of perfect connection. Any event that triggers memory of connection to a complete sense of peace is what we will deem "good"... After we hit the ground, we begin to create a sort of internal "religion" of comparison. This is "good" and closest to complete peace... This is "bad" and farthest from that feeling of peace.

As we develop and become more aware of the people and situations around us and our families and/or society start introducing (inflicting) their dogma, we compare what they speak to that internal feeling once wholly felt. We try our best to match it up... to make it fit.

That dogma or religion that others try to "gift" to us was already being created internally. Not by some singular "God", but rather by each individual’s internal process.

People intrinsically know when they’re operating outside of their own learned ideas of good. They clamber to correct themselves in order to stay within the ideas… with or without any specific religion.

"God" and dogma are conceptual tools, acting as barometers of one's own separation from or connection to its whole self.

Could these words be just vain imaginings?

Did the devil have my tongue speak such utter nonsense?

If ego equal evil, then perhaps the answer is... yes.

a good post. well thought out, well written. but...

there's a lot of other religions out there - many of which have followers that put just as much effort into it as you do.

makes me wonder if one of those countless religions is "correct", or if they're all equally silly. i'm leaning toward the later.

I think Pascal had the best approach when it came to religion.

Absolutely. And I so wish that humanity can someday recognize this.

I'm currently taking a quite in-depth and interesting course on Buddhism. I'm finding it quite fascinating. I only wish that as a child I would have had all religions and spiritualities presented to me as valid human thought. I feel certain that I would have intuitively choosen Witchcraft and Shamanism as the spirituality that most intuitively speaks to me personally as 'truth' in the most fundamental intuitive sense.

I personally believe that I would have had a much happier and far more productive life, not only for me, but for all those around me, had I been given these truths to choose from.

The fact that I had a mythology basically forced onto me and shoved down my throat as being the 'Only true word of God' was truly deterimental not only to me, but to those around me.

I believe that we should all follow our heart. If there is any spiritual being the heart is where it most certainly resides. The fact that we have come to use religion to suppress what's in people's hearts rather than to encourage their natural intuitition has indeed been the great downfall of humanity.

We will never be truly free until we can be spiritually free. And that means the total acceptance and embracing of all believes without any attempt to proselyize one religion over others via a guilt trip. That's is truly the most ungodly act we can ever undertake.

We need to appeciate the entire history of human thinking and spirituality and embrace all of it without bigotry and predjudice which is precisely what proselytizing religions endorse and execute.

It's the proselytizing of specific religions as the "only way" with threats of guilt, shame, and eternal damnation to those who refuse to conform that truly murders the spirtuality of the masses.

We must follow our hearts without harrassing others to follow our choices. That truly is the bottom line.

We must learn to respect the choices of others, and we also owe it to our children to teach them the rich variety of human spirituality and allow them to intuitively choose what calls to them as well.

I think they are all equally silly and at the same time equally sagacious.

The main thing is that people need to keep their religions to themsleves, at least in terms of proselytizing them as dogmas that 'must be believed' by others.

I find specific traditions within the concepts of Witchcraft and Shamanism to be quite useful and meaningfull to me. However, my religious views in this matter include a 'believe' in the existence of spirits. Many people may find that notion to be silly.

I also view these spirits as animal totums as well as faeries and other deities in the spiritual realm.

Many people may think that the idea of sentient animals and the concept of 'faeries' to be silly. Ironically those same people may believe with conviction in demons and angels. Are these concepts really different? Or are they just a different way of viewing the same spiritual entities?

If someone ones to believe that their God had to sacrifice his son to pay for their horrible behavior I have absolutely no problem with that. If they feel that they have been horrible enough to merit such an act perhaps they are in dire need of salvation and therefore this picture makes sense to them.

I won't argue with that. However, when they start claiming that the sacrifice their God made to them was also made for me then I have a real problem with that. That's when spirituality crosses the line.

Keep your God's to yourself. There's nothing wrong with sharing what you believe to be true for YOU. If you believe that you've been bad and your God had to take drastic measures to pay for your horrible behavior then so be it. That's a belief I can respect in another person. But as soon as they start telling me that this same scenario is true for me is when they have crossed the line. Especially if they start claiming that I must also accept this horrible sacrifice that their God made or their God will be mean to me.

Excuse me?

If they have such a MEAN God, then from my point of view they are worshiping a demon.

None of the deities that I believe in would ever dream of being MEAN to anyone without just cause.

So as soon as someone threatens me with their God I have no choice but to conclude that they are worshiping a MEAN demon. For no "God" would ever be so MEAN.

That's my point of view and intuitively I shun away from any Gods who are defined as being so MEAN. To me, MEAN = DEMON.

So if you worship a MEAN God then you are a demon worshiper as far as I'm concerned. The proselytizing of such hateful mean deities should be classified as a "Pyschological Hate Crimes". And certainly this should also be classified as "Child Abuse" as well if a parent is teaching a child that God will be MEAN to them if they don't believe in him.

The proselytizing of MEAN deities who threaten eternal damnation to those who refuse to succumb to the proselytizers should be outlawed as "emotion hate crimes".

It's just not right.

Perhaps to continue to rail against it, is to continue to be caught in the grips of profoundly negative childhood memories. Do you just walk away? Any religion or political power that uses scare-tactics to bring the masses into submission will NOT go down without a bloody fight. How can only a few ever speak enough words?

It will take some kind of major shift in consciousness, triggered by something FAR more powerful than any human. If the collective energy of the Universe somehow builds into an event superceding anything we could ever imagine, and somehow every measure of up and down was removed from our consciousness... Perhaps all would have no choice but be completely re-booted.

Then, any garbage about anybody dying for anybody else's sin will seem as ridiculous as some reality show about a balding, bandana-wearin', middle-aged rock star I never heard of hooking up with a bunch of dull-witted plastic Barbie girls, all fighting bitterly for his affections.