Learning the Layers of Christianity

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~3 min read

Hi there! Welcome to Well Lit Soul. Where we seek God, face darkness, and shine brighter. This season of the blog is all about learning. So today’s blog is called “Learning the Layers of Christianity”.

As I have been having more conversations about the work of Well Lit Soul and the people I want to serve, the discussions often touch on the challenges people face in their Christian walk. And I consistently come back to this difference between expectations and reality. Regardless of how people are introduced to God, there is usually a point when all of the positive messaging they received about Him comes into question when life starts handing them buckets of the most bitter lemons. When the destructive storms roll through and it seems like their prayers are going unanswered and God has forgotten about them. Then the pain and doubt turn into anger and darkness and they either hang on by a thread going through the motions with numbness or they walk away completely because their faith was utterly destroyed. 

In part, I think this happens because there are missing pieces of core understanding about what faith is, how God works, and what a Christian life actually looks like in full. And honestly, I get it because I’ve been there. I had that walking dead type of faith for years when the darkness descended on my world. But through lots of study, fellowship, and prayer, I found what I was missing. So, I decided to focus this season of the blog on sharing what I have learned and observed about the elements of Christianity that I think aren’t talked about enough. This by no means is meant to be comprehensive. And I mostly hope it doesn’t come off as a lecture. I’ll be fighting all of my academic habits to make sure it doesn’t. But I hope it can spark some ideas and shine a light on what might not be talked about enough. 

Some topics will look like the traditional blogs you’ve seen so far because I’ve spent a lot of time learning and understanding them, so I will have more to say. Others may be more brief because I’m still in the process of learning, so they may be thought starters to share ideas and invite conversation. Either way, I hope they can generate lots of reflection and discussion as we go. I will leave you with the passage that is guiding my thoughts for this season. It’s Proverbs 2:1-5 which says,

1 My son, if you receive my words,

And treasure my commands within you,

2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,

And apply your heart to understanding;

3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,

And lift up your voice for understanding,

4 If you seek her as silver,

And search for her as for hidden treasures;

5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,

And find the knowledge of God.

Connection Question: What are some elements about Christianity you have questions about? What do you wish was talked about more? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to connect with you about it.