Creed Happens.
We all give ourselves to something. Some give themselves to their bae. Some give themselves to their work. Some give themselves to their children. Some give themselves to their identity, be it sexual, ethnic, political, or religious.
We all give ourselves to something, and when we do, it becomes our life creed. Share on XThe most basic definition of creed is “a set of beliefs (or aims) that guides a persons actions.”
If we believe loneliness to be a liability, then we aim to fix it, often by giving ourselves to someone else in hopes of never feeling alone again. If we believe that comfort comes through never being in need, then we aim to solve it by giving ourselves to our bank account and 401K. If we believe that our sexual/ethnic/political/religious identity is who we TRULY are at the inmost core of our being, then we aim to protect and validate it at all costs, hoping to validate ourselves in return.
The core of Christianity is that all of one’s beliefs and aims are secondary to Christ.
For the Christian, Christ becomes the core belief and aim of one’s life.
When we give ourselves to something other than Christ, it becomes our creed. When we give ourselves to something other than Christ, our beliefs and aims align with that thing to which we have given ourselves.
We have a need for creed.
And, we ALL have a creed because we have ALL given ourselves to something. The question isn’t, “Do you have a creed?,” but rather, does your life creed match up with what you say is your faith?
Creed happens.
Is your creed Christ-centered?
A Creed is a guardrail that prevents our life from crashing into heresy. Share on XWhat is your creed? How does it compare to the historic Apostles’ Creed?
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic1 Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
PRACTICE: Write out the Apostles’ Creed, by hand, pen-to-paper, as an act of devotion.
- You don’t have to be “Catholic” to be “catholic.” Small-“c” catholic means “universal” or “all,” meaning all of the church… not just the Big-“C” Catholic churchgoers. So go ahead, use the word “catholic.” If you are a Christ-follow, you are a part of the catholic church, even if you have never been to a Catholic church. Kapish?
When I was in basic training in the Army, every soldier had to memorize and recite the Soldiers Creed upon order. Later, as a paratrooper I was expected to learn the Airborne Creed. When I was promoted to sergeant I had to the Army’s Primary Leadership and Development Course (PLDC – because the Army loves their acronyms). While there, the NCO Creed became a part of the daily routine. We recited before every class, before every meal, and it was the close of the last formation of every day. After completing that school, while back at my unit, new sergeants were often ordered to recite that creed if they acted in a manner inconsistent with the values expressed within it.
I used to think these onerous tasks of repetition and recitation were trivial. But after reading your post here, I’m reminded of James chapter 3, and the power of the tongue (or more accurately, the words we allow to pass over it). James reminds us that a large ship is steered by a tiny rudder, or that a great fire is set ablaze by a tiny flame. As I consider that, I realize that the constant repetition of these creeds had a profound effect on how I viewed by responsibilities, my place, and my identity within the Army.
I confess my lack of discipline in approaching my spiritual creed with similar consistency and vigor. Thank you for the thoughtful post and inspiration to rectify that.
What a wonderful illustration of the power of creed and repetition!
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