A friend of mine has been posting about the Purpose Driven Life this week. He is concerned with the commercialization of Christianity, but also with the fact that people are content with the ‘fads’ that run through the North American church without wanting something deeper. It has been interesting to see how people have responded to his comments. There is a contigent that says ‘if it works and seems to help people, why critisize it?’
I think they’re missing the point. As I’ve been reading, I’m really starting to wonder why we are content with what’s popular. I think as a culture, we are lazy and undisciplined; we want convenience and we want things instantly; we don’t like expending a lot of effort on anything. And I think to a large extent, we as a church have internalized these values. It is very easy in this society (and in our Christian lives) to fill our lives with ‘fluff’, not realizing that it is ‘fluff’ because we are too busy and distracted to notice. We are blinded into thinking that this is what life is all about, ignoring the aching in our hearts for something more. And as commercialized Christianity continues to throw things at us to consume and fill the void, we run from one thing to the next trying to find fulfillment in our lives…
‘Finding fulfillment in our lives…’ – that’s it! It’s all about us! WE want to be filled; WE want to have purpose (which is not a wrong desire), but our focus is all wrong. It’s not all about US!!! We are selfish and self-centered and we cannot see that we are naked, and poor, and blind!
As long as we are kept distracted and think we are getting OUR needs met, we will not become desperate enough for God. We are satisfied with little when God has promised so much more for us. But what He has promised us will cost us the laying down of OUR lives, and OUR wants, and OUR desires. We don’t want to do that; it’ll cost too much; I won’t get what I want. But it is the only way to truly live! So we continue on with our lives, filling it with ‘fluff’, and we have been blinded to the fact that we are in desperate need of God. I was reminded of the letter to the Laodiceans in Revelation: “You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” (Rev. 3: 17)
My friend commented that these church ‘fads’ appear to have had very little effect on our society. From what I see of Jesus’ life and the acts of the apostles afterwards, society was greatly affected by what God was doing. Today, the church seems to be very much a reflection of our society. Does this concern us, or do we continue on with our busy lives? Why aren’t we more hungry for the things of God? Why aren’t we so desperate for the Kingdom of God to move in our world that we would give up absolutely everything to follow Jesus? I include myself in this. My day is so filled with busy-ness that I spend very little time hungering after God. And that isn’t right. There’s more to this life than just surviving! God has a Kingdom to establish here on the earth and I want to be a part of it!