target

oftentimes, i let the graceful eloquence so beautifully wrapped around a professional author's words, trample my desire to add insight on top of their genius.

however, i don't like to let it stop me.

so then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, strengthened in the faith you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. colossians 2:6-7

what kind of faith were we taught? and who were we taught by?

i really don't think my faith was just handed to me the day i accepted Jesus. obviously, i had some [faith]. i was committing to believe in something bigger than i could imagine. that's a big leap. but the discovering of my faith, the strengthening of my faith wasn't just matured over the time it took for me to dedicate my life to the Lord.

my faith has been developed (and continues to do so) through a series of unfortunate, and fortunate events that have shaken my beliefs. shaken ... me.

and although i like to think that i have created my belief system on my own, i still think that so much of my faith (and that of most) has been highly influenced by the examples set before me. obviously.

perhaps that is why the ideas the leaders in my life instill are so incredibly crucial to my views of Christ and his character now... and eventually those views shall turn into a belief system. which is already happening, but i still have a ways to go.

this verse follows the one above:

see to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. colossians 2:8

now if that doesn't nail it...