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Why Bother with this Christianity Stuff?

Why Bother with this Christianity Stuff?

Why bother with Christianity? Or Catholicism? The things taught to us by the Church or are in Scripture? Why trouble ourselves? All the rules and regulations, the things you must do and can’t do. The things you have to give up, to sacrifice, to maybe go to Heaven…why bother?

It would appear that much of the world isn’t buying into Christianity. A quick internet search indicates that:

  • Roughly 31% of the world’s population is Christian, (2.3 of 7.3 billion people), meaning almost 70% is not

  • Islam comes in #2 at 23%.

In the United States, our numbers have been decreasing rapidly, especially upon entrance into the 21st century, where a recent Gallup poll found that church membership fell 20 percent in the past two decades. These numbers are pre-COVID. Further, 1/4 of American adults now say their faith is “none”…the ratio is 1/3 among those under 30. Although Christianity isn’t what it used to be in the US, it’s far worse in Europe and Canada, where many Churches are looked at more as museums.

We live in a post-Christian world. To be sure, secularism is dominating our society. While far fewer people are into their faith, many are hostile towards it. The question is “why”. What wasn’t working. What has changed?

Photo by taryn fry from Pexels

Although not new, there seems to be more of a hyper-focus on the things that will supposedly make us happy….none of them rooted in Christianity. I refer to them as the 4 Ps…prominence (including power), possessions (including wealth and money), pleasure, and people (using them, not authentic friendship). Many of us pursue these things on an endless cycle. I like the visual of the hamster on the wheel in a glass cage:

  • You can’t make the wheel go any faster

  • You’re not sure if anyone…

    • Sees you on the wheel

    • Is on the wheel with you

    • Will catch you if you fall off the wheel

  • You’re watching the world go by around you

  • You’re exhausted, deflated, and frustrated

  • You’re overwhelmed

Not only are we overwhelmed, but we’re not happy…not most of us. We’re chasing, chasing, chasing, looking for something, anything, to fill the God sized hole in the center of our chests.

So to revisit our initial question, “why bother with this Christianity stuff”? The answer is simple. Our Christian faith, our belief in Jesus, is the ONLY source of true and long-lasting happiness that any of us will ever experience.

Never wanting to violate my 600-word cap on these blogs, suffice to say that I don’t have the space here to lay it all out. That said, most of the world, including significantly increasing numbers of us in the United States, just doesn’t get it. As it says in Scripture, “Jesus is the way”. As it turns out, He’s the only way.

How do I know? I experienced it firsthand. I spent my early adult life, into my mid-40s, chasing the 4 Ps. I was on the hamster wheel…exhausted, deflated, and frustrated. Not only was I overwhelmed, but I most certainly wasn’t happy.

Then something happened. I found Jesus in my life. I came to understand and internalize His unconditional love and forgiveness, learning that as such:

  • The unimaginable is achievable

  • There can be Heaven here on earth

  • There is a specific path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment

The 4 Ps didn’t cut it for me and they won’t cut it for you. It’s Jesus and our Christian faith, which is the only way you’ll find the happiness (peace, joy, and fulfillment) that you’ve so desperately been seeking.

As always, please contact me at [email protected] with questions, comments, concerns, challenges or prayer requests.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Mark Joseph

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Serenity Now

My favorite sitcom of all time is Seinfeld. My wife and I continue to watch the occasional rerun. I think it’s the greatest writing in the history of television. The cast was second to none. I once heard that part of the brilliance of the show was Jerry Seinfeld’s insistence that all of his costars share in getting the funny lines and the meaningful scenes….they weren’t just reserved for him.

One such example was George’s father, Frank Costanza, as part of one of his many crazed scenes over the sitcom’s history. He screamed, “serenity now, serenity now”.

Although I posted on “serenity” March 27th, 2019 (in a much shorter blog), it came to mind this past week. I don’t know about you, but given what’s going on in our country, as exemplified by the election, I feel like screaming, “serenity now!!!”


Photo by Tim Gouw from Pexels

Dictionary.com defines serenity as the state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil. Serenity, synonymous with “peace” is important. I’d suggest praying the Serenity Prayer regularly in your life. I do. As identified previously in my posts, it is one of five rote prayers I say every morning. I say each very slowly, hanging on and praying through every word. I’d invite you to do the same.

The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
As it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His Will;
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely joyful with Him
Forever and ever in the next.

Amen.

The breakdown of the above is as follows:

  • The first four lines ask for God’s help in maintaining the serenity within us, distinguishing between what we can control and not, then giving us the courage to take action.
  • The second part of the prayer is a recipe for how we ought to live our lives, such that we can experience happiness here on earth and joy thereafter.

You may feel compelled to act, given what’s transpiring in our country. Or it might be something else in your life that you need to discern. Pray the Serenity Prayer. It helps me…it can help you too.

 As always, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected], with questions, comments, concerns, challenges, or prayer requests. I’m here to help…seriously!!!

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Mark Joseph

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Weekly Blog

The Scripture Verse Women Like the Least

I’m sure most women know it before I even identify it….Ephesians 5:22, “wives should be subordinate to their husbands”. Currently doing the “Bible in a Year”, I read and pray through several verses every day. Today was this one, surrounded by several others, which really put it into context.

As I’ve indicated on several occasions, I’m not a Scripture scholar nor theologian. So, although I’m sure that there is biblical rationale to the above verse, I’m not arguing that here, but making a broader point. Ephesians 5:21 precedes verse 22, stating “be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Here St. Paul indicates that husbands and wives need to rely on one another, as peers and partners.

Please stick with me here. I’m making some points, but need to site some more Scripture to do so.

My favorite verse from Ephesians is 5:25, “husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her”. Here’s the thing…Jesus was crucified on the Cross, the most torturous death he could have experienced, for the Church, for us. St. Paul is saying that a husband must be willing to die for his bride. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s pretty special when anyone is willing to die for me. Most husbands I know, as protectors and providers, are literally willing to die for their wives and their children. I know it was true of my Dad and it’s true of me.

Ephesians 30-33 read, “…because we are members of his body”. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church. In any case, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and the wife should respect her husband.

Photo by Asad Photo Maldives from Pexels

To me, the above means that we’re a team…wives and husbands. One flesh, inseparable, unlike any other relationship that exists, incredibly unique and very special. As husband and wife, we are always to be there for one another, loving and supporting each other.

With the divorce rate today, no different among Catholics and other Christians as compared to others, we don’t live this truth. I was guilty of this, having been divorced from my first wife. Fortunate to receive an annulment and now married to my best friend for the past 11 years, here’s the big difference. We don’t see divorce as an option. Like any couple, we have our issues. Everything isn’t perfect…just ask my wife. But there’s no “out”. Understanding what St. Paul states above, trying to live it, actively pursuing our faith together and being blessed by God’s grace, we know we’ll survive…and most of the time we thrive.

My wife is my #1 priority. Like our parents before us, we do everything together. We joke that “we’re all we got”. Although we have others in our lives, our Mothers, our kids, other family and friends, there’s a certain reality to that statement. Whether here in Pittsburgh or Nevada and Arizona, where we love spending time, we’re all we need, knowing each other’s love and knowing the love of Christ.

Society is built on the family. Strong families are a result of solid marriages. Although we may not agree with every word of every verse, I think we can take some lessons from St. Paul in Ephesians 5:21-33.

As always, please feel free to contact to me at [email protected], with questions, comments, concerns, or challenges. I’ll even take prayer requests.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Mark Joseph

Categories
Weekly Blog

Agitated, Depressed, or Dissatisfied?… Try This!

Related to how you might define living a great life, what are the three characteristics that would be most important to you? Assuming that you’re a reader of my book, Overwhelming Pursuit: Stop Chasing Your Life and Live, my blog, or website you won’t be surprised when I say that for me they include:

  • Peace
  • Joy
  • Fulfillment

Those would be my big three. Why so? Let’s look at each based on Thesaurus.com.

Peace

Antonyms

  • Disagreement
  • Hate
  • Discord
  • Agitation
  • Disharmony
  • Distress
  • Fighting
  • Frustration
  • Worry

Synonyms

  • Accord
  • Friendship
  • Love
  • Reconciliation
  • Unity

 

Joy

Antonyms

  • Depression
  • Misery
  • Sadness
  • Sorrow
  • Unhappiness
  • Discouragement

Synonyms

  • Amusement
  • Bliss
  • Charm
  • Cheer
  • Comfort
  • Delight
  • Elation
  • Humor
  • Satisfaction
  • Wonder

Fulfillment

Antonyms

  • Dissatisfaction
  • Failure
  • Forfeit
  • Disappointment
  • Frustration
  • Unfulfillment

Synonyms

  • Achievement
  • Attainment
  • Contentment
  • Gratification
  • Perfection
  • Realization

I think it’s that simple. Do you want Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment as defined by the above synonyms or the opposite as indicated by the antonyms?

I know what I want and I know how to get it…which I share in my book, my blog, and on my website. If you want more information on how to get there, please contact me at [email protected]. Please also feel free to send me your comments, questions, concerns, challenges, or prayer requests.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Mark Joseph