Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Spiritual blankets...



Have you ever wrapped something up in a nice spiritual blanket to make it seem really nice? But you were really just using spiritual terms or concepts to express your idea to someone and make yourself look better. 
These blankets come in many styles and shapes...
Small cover ups:
These blankets are the quick warmer-uppers, like when you tell someone you are praying for them, but you are just digging for more details. You’re covering up the real reason you are talking to them with a cover up - a small spiritual blanket.
Big comforters:
These huge blankets outline the larger issues in life, like when you tell someone that you would like to give them counsel about an issue in their life, but you’re really just expressing your personal opinion about what they are doing and how you don’t like it. This blanket covers your big issue by pretending to help another with theirs - makes me think of the mote in the eye story.
Frilly dress up blankets:
These fancy blankets put the spiritual cover on what you are actually doing. Often you will use Bible verses to express thoughts and pressure someone into looking good on the outside, but not really impacting their heart and life. You may look spiritual with this blanket, but you aren’t doing much good for yourself. These actually look nice, but they don’t truly have an impact.
Afghan blankets:
These are those strange blankets that don’t make any sense to me at all. They are mostly crocheted (my number one past-time in the Winter) and have huge holes in them (how effective a blanket is that?), like when you start into a doctrinal diatribe about a subject, but have the true doctrine completely mixed up. Some folks will talk to you about the end times and discuss how they know the time and date or who the real Devil is (I know a couple of folks I think might just fit the bill - you know who you are). When I was a teen we used to call one of my friends houses “Afghanistan” because there were probably 50 of these blankets in their house.
Lessons Learned: Don’t fake people out. If you care about them, then just care about them...don’t wrap it in a spiritual blanket for your benefit.
Thoughts: What style of blanket do you use for spiritual wrapping? That’s an ouch question, but it helps to self-examine. Do you have some other blanket examples you can share with us?

24 comments:

  1. That's an interesting analogy, and one that requires a lot of self-honesty to examine. I would think that picking and choosing Bible verses that support one's personal/material desires would fall into the blanket category.

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  2. Craig, thanks so much for visiting my blog yesterday. Always nice to meet other bloggers. Your post is a good reminder to always keep our motives pure and honest. Blessings to you!

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  3. Love your thought on "desires" and matching scripture - nice...thanks for coming to my site...

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  4. honesty is the best policy...keep reading...

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  5. Thanks for stopping by my blog, I really appreciate it. You have great insight here into intentions. Many times we are really good about looking like we're trying to be helpful when in reality we're just trying to make ourselves look good by how knowledgable we are. Sad but true. God weighs the heart, though. I was actually thinking about this the other day as I was driving to work. I have a lead foot (I'm working on it, though) and I was thinking: is my reason for trying not to speed because I don't want a ticket or because it's the law? Intentions are very important, and honesty with ourself and others is key.

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  6. Good thoughts - thanks for reading. Spread the word if you think I can hep others. Read a few more and give me some feedback...

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  7. Thanks for stopping by my blog! We happen to own the biggest, warmest afghan known to man (knit by my mother). I think it weighs about 3 pounds and my cats think it is bomb -- rarely leaving it during the winter.  :-)

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  8. And same to you - keep reading and enjoy that huge blanket!

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  9. Craig, Thank you so much for checking out my Blog. thinkgodly.wordpress.com  I look forward to digging through yours. I really like the content and how its delivered. It will be on my list to read regularly!

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  10. Wow - kind words and I am following you through DISQUS now - hope this site can be a help...

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  11. Craig, thanks for stopping by www.TheHillHangout.com. I appreciate your comments. Interesting thoughts, and I'll admit, you might've stepped on my toes a bit ;) Good reminder that "a man sees the outward appearance, but God sees the intentions of the heart." I'll be sure to look around your site.

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  12. Thanks for the comment and coming by my site too. I step on my own toes most every time i write...it hurts - actually look at my blog about Big Toes and haunting fails - http://i-never-fail.blogspot.com/2011/12/big-toes-and-haunting-fails.html 

    Keep the comments coming...

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  13. Thanks a million for stopping by at my blog. You have a lot of great posts on here as well. God bless :)

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  14. Keep coming by and thanks for the comment.

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  15. Very good points. This all happens too much. 

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  16. We all do it - it's very easy...thanks for reading. Keep the comments coming...

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  17. Thanks for reading and keep the comments coming...

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  18. Stopping by from Grateful for a Coffee Break!  Thanks for sharing!

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  19. Thanks for coming by. Keep visiting.

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  20. hi craig! thanks for stopping by my blog! 

    i really like the quote you end with at the top of your blog. that's something i'm definitely learning more about these days. 

    i look forward to reading more of your posts :]

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  21. Thanks very much - I wondered if anyone actually read the top :) Keep the comments coming...

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  22. I read the top too! thanks for stopping by my blog, Craig. I do appreciate it. I have a fondness for afghan blankets (the real ones, not the spiritual ones) but alas, we've had to surrender them all to our dogs who love to make nests out of them and curl up to sleep.

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  23. Funny how the animals (sometimes children) take over sometimes - keep the comments coming - thanks 

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Comments always welcome...