Learning About Matters of Faith

I interrupt my normal blogging ways, with a sharing of my own personal struggle with my new-found faith. It was an ordinary Sunday in the Golden Palace (the name given by the owner of the flat to his place) when I opened my big mouth and commented about how a friend of mine reacted towards my comment on his Facebook status. I suggested that he bring a bible while he waits for his wife to emerge from childbirth.

What people probably don't know, which I myself did not understand until today is that when you are falling in love with the Lord (or are already in love with him), you tend to speak about him and say things that are in a way related to your new-found faith. I have been hearing people in my new Christian family give praise to the Lord on a regular basis, and it does rub off on me.

Here I am, on my bed, thinking and trying to reflect on what just happened a few minutes ago. While my friend felt that I was being judgmental about another person's faith and belief, I cannot help but feel judged as well for being thought to have judged someone. Ironic is it not?

I have two points to share about this situation: first, as a newbie in religion matters and in my new-found faith, I am adjusting to this new feeling of being in love. When you are in love, you tend to exalt and give praises to the person you are in love with it. In this case, I am falling in love with the Lord, and making comments related to my faith may be far too complex than I expected it to be. I don't say things about or related to my faith because I feel that I am a better person because of it or that my faith is better. No, no, no. Again, the best way to explain this is with the idea of falling in love or being in love.

Secondly, when does something qualify as a judgment anyways? I ask this hoping to understand it as well. You give an opinion about a normal topic, and you don't sound judgmental. However, when it is matter of faith do the rules change? Or is it something variable, depending on how and what you said, and how other people perceive it to be? Communication has always been a two-way thing, and both the sender and the receiver of the message can have different interpretations.

Have you ever said something, and felt nothing sure about how you felt about what you said? Have you ever felt that as you were saying the words, your brain is processing the meaning of what you were saying and your heart does not know what it feels about what you are saying and what you were thinking?

Today, I was taken off guard not knowing how to react and what exactly went through my head. I do not remember how I felt about what I was saying either, because to be quite honest I was still processing things as well.

I used to be the type of person who had an opinion about everything it seems. However, life had a way of humbling me the past few years and I now often find myself asking so many questions about so many things.

Since I am changing, and I recognize the need to change as I grow more in God's word, I will try to apply the teachings of our pastor. In Sunday mass today, we were told that to take offense easily signifies spiritual immaturity and selfishness. I cannot elaborate on this as I am not in a position to do so. In any case, I shall apply it to myself.

Lastly, I must remind myself to be careful with matters that pertain to faith as others may perceive it in a different light. It may be "sad" that people may not always understand each other because of the difference in opinions and beliefs, but maybe this is just what it is...something I find "sad" and it does not in any way mean anything other than that.