I want to be a well-rounded human. I go to the gym. I sleep. I try to eat well. I plan my social and devotional times. I set aside hours and days for projects. I give myself out in equal portions but keep enough of me smack in the middle of it all to remain sane. I’ve been told, “Don’t go too far in any direction because extremism makes people look like idiots.”
Heresy is really just taking any single doctrine too far. The prosperity gospel kidnapped God’s provision and ran really far with it. Arianism teaches that Jesus wasn’t God. Docetism tries to convince the world that the Christ was never incarnate- that He never had a body. Manichaeism teaches that my body, yours, everyone else’s, and basically, all material things are evil. The list of heretical garbage goes on and on. I’m can promise you that new heresies are coming out even today. In the past, these extremists got what Jesus-people thought they deserved. They were silenced by angry mobs with torches, pitchforks and clubs and fell prey to psychological warfare involving music from the Gospel Ganstaz and Michael W. Smith.
This isn’t about theology, this is about life (The two can’t be separated, but for the sake of focus…). Balance might be a form of legalism. Avoiding leaning too far one direction or another might keep one from making the forbearances necessary to accomplishing something great. Some people don’t make enough sacrifice to get beyond mediocrity. Steven Pressfield, the author of “The Legend of Bagger Vance” and “The War of Art” made awful decisions involving relationships and health for the sake of his writing. I’m not going to say they were appropriate, but then again, the man seems to be right where he wanted to be. Others have done the same things Pressfield did, and they looked like they were nuts.
My recent sacrifices and exploits in self-control have come in the form of extreme antisocial behavior. I don’t get crap done when I’m out loving the whole world. I can’t research when I’m at coffee with friends. I can scheme in the middle of a conversation, but those tend to fall into one-sided, “you’re not even listening, are you Jake?” ordeals. So, I stay in a lot more lately. It’s helping me get things done.
Hi Jake,
I consider myself a member of every Christian denomination and at the same time, a member of none. I would be labeled “extreme” by many, but thinking this way makes it easier for me to experience Christ, because I’m not tied up with a lot of petty stuff. But even with this, I have to guard against feeling like my relationship has anything to do with what I think. After all, I didn’t go to heaven to be saved, He came here to save me.
Lou Barba
Lou, I love that we don’t have to go to heaven to be saved. Clearly, that’s a lot of work and we’d fall short!
I think the difference between a writer and a normal person is that a writer tends to always be writing. Balance is all well and good, but the sad fact of life is that you can’t have it all. Not really.
P.S. – the Gospel Gangstanz/Michael W. Smith line made me laugh out loud.
Kathy, I’m glad Gospel Gangstaz and Michael “Dub” made you laugh. I’ve actually never listened to either of them at all and don’t plan on it anytime soon. You’re right though, we can’t have it all. Scary and depressing, but maybe that’s why we’re always prodding each other saying, “Don’t get comfortable”- comfort is a worthy sacrifice to effectiveness, yes?
I tend to be an extremist when it comes to the ministry I lead. There have been many times I’ve cut out spending time with friends, personal time, even working on projects for other organizations or freelance jobs to avail myself to the students.
If I lived a “balanced” life, i wouldn’t have had the impact I have on these young people, so I don’t mind being called an extremist.
Jason, I love that pastors try to live balanced lives in that they’re responsible to their wives and families but beyond that…. I tend to wonder how much pastoring they want to do. Seriously, ministry requires not only a death to self because that’s Christianity in general but rather a death to a lot of desires if you ask me. I’m glad you’re extreme because only God really knows the fruit that your sacrifices will have!
I know what you mean, Jake. I’ve thought that all extremism is bad, but I have a lot more patience with it and I know I’ll have to explain that. When I am confronted with new information, new revelation, or anything that changes how I view the world or my place in it, I am moved to the extreme before making it part of who I am. If I am not moved that way, it just doesn’t register. We can’t live in extremes, but they have their place in ‘waking us up.’ That’s how I’ve come to view it. Thanks–great post.
Extremism certainly has its places. To throw all of it out (this is true of most things for that matter…) means missing opportunities just like you said, to wake up, to progress and to change.
Thanks Jason!