Life Of A Christian

As I think about the last post on need, some other thoughts have come to mind. First, need is a funny thing. I think it’s relative and I think it’s very subjective. I think that it fits right in with our modern culture and the values that it pushes. Somebody once told me that Satan has two methods by which he tries to make Christians ineffective. One is to get us to sin and destroy our testimony and coincidentally our lives and the lives of those around us. The other is to get us to believe that things are good and that there is no need for any great effort to do anything. The first one is more obvious and overt. The second, while more subtle and time consuming, could be much more destructive to the church’s efforts or as i would guess Satan would be quite content with, at least render it ineffective.

We live in this culture that constantly professes that things are just fine and despite obvious financial, social and cultural catastrophes never pushes any agenda other than it’s all good despite the fact that the markers are evident. When I talk about the deterioration of the culture or the economically precarious times that we live in I am labeled a radical right wing zealot that needs to understand the reality that everything is under control and I am told that I need to relax. The problem is that the culture has been lulled into a level of complacency that is impenetrable by any logic or reason. This does not bode well for creating urgency in our walk. As a matter of fact, urgency or need rubs against the grain and could force people to consider the alternatives and nobody wants to do that. Need would be a sign that all is not well and that can’t be allowed to occur.

Another deterrent to showing need is that while not everyone is prosperous, and I refer to various parts of our lives, that people are generally content with just surviving and just getting by. The idea of pushing and sacrificing for more is not an attitude that is pervasive in our culture anymore. It’s almost frowned upon. Along side of that is a sense of entitlement which is justified with the caveat that people don’t want a lot. They just want enough to survive and if that’s all they want then why shouldn’t somebody just give it to them. The need for more is not a concept that is prominent and so reaching out to the God of the universe for more is not either. People can get mediocre from the culture so why need God for more..

Another level of contentment contributes to the formula also. Many people will play the cultural game and get a piece of the pie and then simply come to the place where they are content with a certain level of success and then life becomes all about maintaining of lifestyle and possessions. This type of attitude is not conducive to wanting or needing God in our lives. The combination of any or all of these factors has led to a tremendous lack of a need for God. We have generationally settled into a groove that does not leave room for the God of the universe and His work. 911 gave a little urgency, but that faded. The financial crash of 2008 did the same, but it also faded. The fact is that as a culture we create fixes which are not fixes at all, but do appease our human sense of need so that we do not seek God. I think about the Israelites in the Old Testament and I think that time after time God wanted them to need Him and they would for a while, but they always went back to their own way until it was too late. I feel that, as a culture, this may be our destiny.

As I read about the Christian church around the world it becomes apparent that it’s impact varies depending on where you are. I first observe the church in Europe that unfortunately appears to be all but dead. In contrast, I hear about the churches in Africa and Asia, specifically China and how they are vibrant and growing and of course the church in the United States, where I live, that appears to be somewhere in between and I wonder why these churches are where they are. I think about the New Testament church and it’s actions that are described in Acts and I ponder why were the miracles that happened there happening so easily and so greatly. I put that alongside the persecuted church around the world and how similarly miracles abound and how the growth in the church is uncontrollable despite massive persecution and resistance. Juxtapose that with how despite centuries of history in Europe there appears to be barely a pulse of faith and in the United States while there is still is some vibrancy I can more easily get a picture of and understand more personally what John was talking about when he talked about the church that was neither hot nor cold. We all know how God felt about that.

The question at hand to me is why. What is the factor that leads to God truly living through his people and things happening that leave no doubt that the one true and living God of the universe not only exists, but that he is preeminent. Some would argue that it is faith and or love and or knowledge of the word. I don’t dispute that these are factors, but I have thought about this for a while and I have also felt for a while that there was something else that I was missing in trying to figure out the answer to this question. In my quest for an answer I go again to John and his description of the church that lost its first love and I think about how it relates to me personally. There are moments when I forget what is important and I waste time where it does not need to be spent and I crave to get back to where I have peace and joy and I want what it is that gets me there. I also think about those growing and vibrant churches and what they have that causes the growth and vibrancy.

What I have come up with is need. The answer is how much do we need God. The church grows, individuals grow, the church impacts the world and individuals impact the world when they deeply realize how much they need God. I think back on my personal salvation experience and that moment that I so crudely cried out to God for help in desperation and He answered me and it was so obvious to others around me and myself that God showed up. I think about the church in China and other places where the fact is that those people put there lives on the line every day they worship God and they face persecution for even thinking about talking about their faith. They need God in a tangible way. I think that sometimes we lose that need for God to show up every day and then he doesn’t because he will not impose His will on us if we do not want it. I think that we so often sit back and complain about where God is when he is exactly where we have put Him. In His own little box that we have created. Jesus talked about moving mountains, but I don’t think that sometimes we think mountains can move. I am not sure we even see a reason why mountains should move. That mountain looks just fine where it is to me and well why bother. We do not need that mountain to move.

God on the other hand has a different perspective. He is wondering why we do not need Him to improve our marriages, why we do not need Him to help us figure out our teenage kids, why we do not need Him to help with that cranky boss or neighbor. Jesus said seek ye first the kingdom and all other things will be added. I see it this way. We have one job. Seek Him, want Him, need Him and He promises to take care of everything else. That’s a sweet deal, but do we need God. I see a direct correlation in what we need and what happens in our walk. I do not think that it is an accident that where God’s people are desperate for Him that miracles are occurring and that where people are more interested in preserving what they have that we squelch the movement of the Holy Spirit. Lamentations tells us that His mercies are new every morning but I think that sometimes we are too happy with old mercies.