Is it really all about you and me? So much of our existence is formed around this false idea that I am the most important person in my universe. From the time I learned the words "mine" as a child, I have been battling with selfishness. I believe this self-centered, carnal mental posture fuels much of our "it's all about me" mindset in America.
As Followers of Jesus Christ, we claim to be in an ongoing relationship with the Creator of the universe who manifests His character through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. If this is true (and I believe it is), then why is so much of what we see in American "Christendom" still focused on meeting my needs and making me (and others) feel comfortable? Over the past 30+ years, much of Christian publishing, church structure, worship services, youth events, and even "Bible studies" have been geared to making me and my neighbors feel "good, safe, successful and unimposing" as I approach Christ. The problem is, that there is nothing "comfortable" about a cross. And at the heart of Christianity is a belief that "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20). GULP!
Now relax... I love the church of Jesus Christ in all of its diversity, craziness, hypocrisy, denominations, sects and unique dogmas. She is without a doubt the Bride of Christ and a beautiful site! Christians of every flavor are some of the most amazing people I have ever met and I am grateful to be a part of the Kingdom of God alongside them. And let's face it... It has to be a supernatural entity to put up with crazies like me. :) But I get concerned that we have allowed a self-centered, entitlement mentality to sneak into the blood steam of the Body like a bad virus and it may be infecting our day-to-day health.
This morning I read in Acts 14 when Paul was instructing the early church and encouraging them to remain true to the faith (vs.21-23), he said, "We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God." Keep in mind, this was just days from recovering from a physical beating he received form some religious folks in Antioch and Iconium where they pummeled him and drug him to the edge of the city to die because they did not like His message of Christ's redemption. As an American Christian in the 21st century, it is hard for me to grasp that type of commitment, sacrifice and resolve.
Could it be that we are not allowing God to sanctify this area of our lives and instead we are trying to form a new kind of Christianity around a spiritual and emotional mindset that focuses on wealth, comfort and attraction rather than on the cross, denial and sacrifice? Could it be that we are creating a church in our image instead of allowing God to sanctify us into His image?
Maybe we need to be reminded of what Isaiah prophesied about Jesus Christ and the human condition in Isaiah 53:
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
This thought was put in a fun little video that a friend of mine made (thanks Tad) called "ichurch". Check it out!
In this journey we are on to "live out" the Gospel in our daily lives, let's take some time to ask God what He may want to say to us about who is the center of this universe. I may not understand all of God's great cosmos, but I know who is at the center of it and it's not you or me.
"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34)
Learning to die, so I can live,


Recent Comments