This is not a memory-stone post, but I often like to look back on different aspects of my life, often to compare where I am now vs where I once was. Caution: I would not advise making this to become too much of a habit, as this kind of thing can breed self-absorption and self-centeredness. Self-reflection can be good as long as you have a specific goal for it, or at least if it is done in moderation.
Although sanctification is a rest-of-your-life kind of thing once you get saved, there are seasons and eras of life where, as necessary, you end up making a whole bunch of changes in your life, to your thinking, to your opinions, to what you like vs don't like, etc.
I came from a world where, although I wasn't ever big into pop culture or Hollywood culture, I had certain things I followed very closely, sometimes obsessively: sports (namely the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Cubs, as well as my sports video games), music (Ben Folds), TV (The Simpsons), comics (Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, Fox Trot, among several others), as well as certain regular hangouts I went to with friends (Six Flags Great America, the Museum of Science and Industry, mini-golf, bowling, Wrigley Field on occasion). The above list isn't exhaustive, but it is a snapshot of what I did with my time especially in my teen years and through my twenties.
Sanctification after getting saved has led me to quite a few realizations and changes, although not to necessarily everything. Again, for us Christians, although earth is not our final destination, it is our temporary home. It doesn't mean we avoid the world, and, because we are human, it's not uncommon to find interest in things here. On a spiritual sense, I do wrestle with it because we are not supposed to get too attached to things here. At the same time, there is grace from God, so long as we don't abuse that grace.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Galatians 6:7-8, NKJV
To that end, I must expressly say that the above verse is as much for me as it is for anyone else.
And really, this is the point of my post. I used to obsessively follow the Cubs, for example. I did stop caring about them more or less after the 2008 season when they hit the 100-year mark without a championship. I did start paying attention in 2015 when they had a good team again. But it wasn't until after they won in 2016, when I was finally able to accept and be happy about the team's championship (the night they won, I still was wrestling with the historical emotional pain that I had shared with every other diehard fan), that I finally was able to let go and be more at peace.
That feeling (really, choice) of peace was evident when considering this year's team. Since the last time I posted about them, the Cubs took a nosedive and started losing lots of ballgames. They ended up missing the playoffs as a result. To be honest, I really wasn't expecting that. But, unlike in years past, it didn't bother me. What changed was my being able to put them in their proper place, which is that they're an earthly diversion. They're a fun diversion, and they are delightful because their home stadium is the closest to my house out of all thirty Major League Baseball stadiums currently in operation. And it certainly helps to have the baggage of past failures and chokes (and curses) finally put behind us all. But, when the new heaven and new earth come, the first heaven and first earth passing away will include the Cubs passing away as well, along with every other sports franchise.
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1, NKJV
I will pick two more examples: one case in which my eyes were really opened about them, leading me to avoid them entirely; and a second case where, although it is earthly and not particularly Godly, I consider it a lot more harmless by comparison, and still consume it (in moderation, of course).
The first case concerns The Simpsons TV show. I have a VHS videotape somewhere deep in storage of me as a seven-year-old excitedly shouting that an episode of The Simpsons was about to start on TV. So this was a part of my life from a very early age. And for many years after, I still enjoyed it. When they came out with their long-awaited movie in the summer of 2007, I was beyond overjoyed. Even though I don't fully understand the word halcyon (as in, "the halcyon days of my youth"), I would consider this film as one of those moments. To wit: I almost never see movies more than once in movie theaters. I'm not a snob; it's just that I don't go out to see movies all that often. So, to see a movie twice while it's still in theaters is a big deal. The Simpsons Movie was one such case. I think there was maybe one other movie I've ever seen twice in theaters, but as of writing this blog post, I cannot recall which film it was.
Although I say I officially got saved in 2013, and baptized at the end of 2013, some effects of sanctification had already been underway since I had returned to attending church regularly starting at the beginning of 2010. I cannot say a definitive point when my interest in The Simpsons waned (it largely was gradual over time), I will say that when I experienced a rebirth in my faith in 2020, I began to realize how demonic the show really was when I looked back on it. Especially as the TV series developed through the years, they mocked God, Jesus, Christianity, and the church more overtly, while praising environmentalism, veganism, Wiccanism, and earth-worship in general. I only perused a few episodes off of Noah Jacob TV's YouTube channel, but from what I did see, his channel examines the demonic aspects of this TV show. Further, The Simpsons has a track record of predicting future events that ultimately came true, which, combined with its demonism, creeps me out. The Simpsons are gone from my life.
As for the second case, Calvin and Hobbes, I still read it. Granted, like The Simpsons, the strip and its creator, Bill Watterson, are not saved; however, unlike The Simpsons, it's not really demonic. The strip can occasionally get mildly preachy with an environmental-themed strip here and there, and each Christmas season rekindles another take by Calvin on whether Santa Claus exists or not and why he should behave well just to get presents (I suspect it's really a front for Watterson to debate whether God exists or not, as one such punchline one year had Calvin comment that he had the same questions about Him). As a child, I really didn't think much of it; after all, I was six years old when I was first introduced to the strip via a few comic book collections that my mom owned. But, the very first sign that I had that something was a little different about the strip (faith-wise) was when I had gotten into a habit of drawing my own Calvin and Hobbes strips and I drew a Sunday strip where Calvin complained about having to go to church. It was then I realized that, in the real strip, Watterson never had the family attend church (ok, once, to go to an out-of-state wedding of a family friend).
But, even now, I still read it, because, unlike other things from my past, and especially including The Simpsons, I don't have this suspicion that Calvin and Hobbes is an evil strip. It's certainly a worldly strip, but it's not evil. I still read it from time to time because it's amusing and admittedly thought-provoking.
Anyway, that's the post. However, before I sign off, I wanted to share the inspiration for this post from a strip that had come to mind. Thus, I shall articulate below:
Calvin: Wow, chocolate chip cookie batter! I love it before it's cooked! Can I have some? Please, please?
Calvin's mom: No, it's got raw eggs in it and you could get salmonella poisoning.
Calvin: [walking away] One more nostalgic part of childhood goes *THBPPTH*.
It came to mind because, in the lately ups and downs of making sense of life at this stage, I'm finding the above strip to be true in more and more areas of life as I had thought I knew it. However, I'm going to consider this also a good thing. Why is this a good thing? Because although humanity is sinful and evil by nature, and from birth, the sanctification work done by Jesus Christ on the cross gives us hope that, as we forsake not only the things of this world but also the things of our flesh and our hearts, we end up sowing to the Holy Spirit in us that Christ gave us upon receiving Him as our Savior and especially as our Lord.
Death in Adam, Life in Christ
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:12-21, NKJV
And especially the promise of new life:
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22, NKJV
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