Brain Worms

Last night my son asked if brain worms were real. As he asked, he was squeezing the bridge of his nose.  When I answered no, he exhaled and said, "Oh, good, 'cause Teddy and Ty (his cousins) told me you get brain worms from playing the computer too much.  My nose was starting to hurt, and I was worried I had one."

I supressed my giggle,but soon started thinking of  my own brain worms; the things I believe, or have been told, that just aren't true.   They range from little lies about myself, or the way others view me, all the way up to how I view my God.  They're insipid little buggers that wiggle there way in and, well, just plain make my nose hurt. 
For fun, I thought we could shed some light on our "Christian" brain worms in the hope that they'll just shrivel on up and go away.  I'll start with three.

Worm 1 -  God is like 911; only to be called in emergencies
When my daughter was about two, she called 911.  It was an accident, but the operator gave me a stern lecture on how such meaningless calls are a waste of time and resources.  Sadly, many of us think (or have been given) the same of God.  We think He's only for the important stuff, asking Him for that new house, or that perfect new dress, is an abuse of the line.  This brain worm is not only wrong, it's dangerous; it hampers our communication with God.   Think about it, if you feel shallow asking God to help you drop those last few pounds, you probably won't think to thank Him when you do.  Don't be afraid to make him part of your small and mundane.  After all, He likes you.(1 Peter 5:7)

Worm 2 - You must pre-rinse
This one is popular.  It's the notion you have to pre-rinse before God can wash.  It's like cleaning before the cleaning lady comes, or getting to the Dentist office early so you can duck in the bathroom and brush your teeth.  Nothing about this one is true.  You can come to God just are you are.  This doesn't only apply to the lost coming to be saved, it also applies to the already saved who still find themselves back in the mud.  When it comes to God, no pre-rinse required, the blood of Jesus is all it takes(Romans 3:24).

Worm 3- Christians should always seem happy
Yes, God is the cure to all of this world's ills, but this doesn't mean the sicknesses won't hurt. (John 16:33) They do. Recently, while in a meeting, a woman shared a pain she was expereincing.  She said, "I know God is good, and God is True, but this really hurts, and I'm going to cry about it."  I wanted to stand up and applaud!  The mark of a "true" Christian is not always a stiff upper lip, many times it is a quivering one.  It's okay to show your hurt.  This doesn't negate your faith in His power.

Well, there you have it.  Three brain worms I came up with.  Funny thing about these worms, when we talk about them it brings them to the light of day; it takes the teeth out of them.  .

So, here's my idea.  Let's make a list of them.   In the comment section below, why don't you share your own brain worm.  Simply type, "I often believe ________________ about God, my faith, or even myself."  If this makes you nervous, don't worry, you can post your worm anonymously, no name tags required.   Let's just bring them to the light of day and let the Son shrivel them up. 

Also, I'm pretty sure most of our worms are cousins.  If you've got it, odds are someone else can really relate.

Now, onto our worms.