Dangers of D.I.Y. spirituality

Every fall school reconvenes, and sports teams reassemble. Why? Because most of us do not excel studying and/or training independently. Classes and sports remind us that life is done best when it's done together with others. Do-It-Yourself can be an unproductive -even dangerous- way to do life, and faith as well. Case-in-point: Aron Ralston. He gets pinned down by a loose boulder while canyoneering solo and is trapped for 127 hours and finally frees himself by breaking his arm and then cutting his forearm off with a dull knife. Or Abby Sunderland: the 16 y/o who had to be rescued from the Indian Ocean when her boat was de-masted in a storm. A D.I.Y. lifestyle can become a danger zone. At least Abby had notified people where she'd be -and was rescued as a result. Aron hadn't told a soul, and had resigned himself to inevitable death. The bible (Ecclesiastes 4:10) notes in that "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble." Aron will always bear the scars of his solo strategy, and live with the diminished potential a missing limb can create. Why is it that American Christians are so prone to D.I.Y. spirituality? We've drank our culture's cool-aide -- bought the lie that life is best lived independently, rather than interdependently. Evidence: 1 out of 6 of us professed Christ-followers do not belong to a church. 1 out of every 3 of us who belong to a church are not gathering as church on any given Sunday, and 4 out of every 5 of us Christ-followers does not gather in any sort of Small Group. Classes, Sport's Teams, even the Geese who all regroup every fall remind us that you'll grow faster, develop further, and execute better when you learn, train, and go together with others. Equally as important: you're safer together, than you are alone. Solomon states: Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer." (Eccl. 4:11-12a) How often do we get pinned down, or paralyzed by big problems we've tried to tackle by ourselves, or struggled through life's storms we've tried to navigate on our own. Does anyone else fully know where "you're at" spiritually, emotionally, morally.. in life right now? Are you trying to navigate through some tough decision, dilemma, or challenge on your own? Are you "at-risk" as a result? Does anyone have your back... gotcha covered? Who's following Jesus right alongside of you? Do you have a spiritual training team? If not, it's time to regroup, and stop trying to do-it-yourself. Listen to the rest of my message "The Danger Zone" @ www.discoverchurch.net, under Media, Sept. 12, 2010.