Over time in our Christian culture today, we have begun to take on more of the world's way of thinking in an area, and this drift is often a slow and subtle one and not seen by us until we are all sucked into it. Honestly, so many others are doing the exact same thing that it has become a "norm" and we don't recognize it for what it truly is - another way to focus on self. It is my prayer that for me a change needs to arrive so that I won't get caught up in it as I easily can as well, as I am not naive enough to think I am immune and have not fallen prey to it before.
You can see the clear evidence of it in social media, and just because social media is here to stay culturally, does not mean that as Christ-followers we need to get caught up in it and lose sight of the Biblical counsel screaming at us from the pages of Scripture to deny self and everything connected to it.
I am writing this for me and maybe it is something that can help you as well. This post has come out of a sense in my spirit from Christ in regard to several passages of scripture and this focus of self.
John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Q: What does this mean for me? In looking at just the words it is pretty clear as to the meaning- I have got to become smaller compared to Jesus period. John at one time was the center of a revival in Israel and when Jesus came upon the scene, John had to embrace the disappearance of His ministry. Did you hear that? He had to embrace the disappearance of his prominence in the kingdom. His time had come and his ending would be brutal.
Now in today's ministry world or in our culture we are never encouraged to decrease. This is quite the opposite that you will hear as we need to make sure we are heard & always recognized.
I should ask myself a question always in every activity and in every setting: Q: Am I saying, typing, writing, preaching, serving, etc. so that I get more noticed?
James 4:13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Our American culture teaches us and pushes us toward making sure we have a bright and profitable future where the American dream is realized. When we get caught up in it, boasting about the temporary things in the world become more prominent in our conversations.
Sadly, what has at times drifted into our Christian mindset is that the main way we can determine the blessing of God is the ability to have more money, things, recognition, stuff, etc. Such boasting is arrogant and according to James is a sin. This is not the sole means of determining God's blessing in our lives. We should not forget that Jesus did not have a place to lay His head and He was the most blessed person ever. It is not stuff that matters, but living to honor the glory of His name.
James counsels us to not be so boastful about the "profit" of tomorrow when our life can disappear just like the mist ever so quickly.
1 Thessalonians 4:11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
This is the verse that has been clanging around in my heart and one that calls me to examine myself and my sinful desire to be "loud" about myself. It makes me wonder whatever happened to the pursuit of the Biblical calling of aspiring to live quietly. This verse crushes the mindset of making much of ourselves and boasting of our tomorrow without considering God's will. Let's break down the verse so we can see the principles...
1. Aspire to live quietly - We are not to do anything that draws attention to ourselves. Aspiring to live quietly means that we don't boast about us and our things, but we get lost in living for Him and that choice will make us less loud, yet more godly. Look what it says..."aspire to live this way". It is a goal, an intentional choice, etc.
2. Mind our own affairs - Social media in this area does two things - gets others involved in our business or encourages us to get involved in other peoples affairs. I think life was better when we did not know everything other people did during the day. Social media has led to the glamorizing of the mundane of life.
3. Work hard with our hands - We are to work in such a way that honors Christ and it is to be marked by a God glorifying ethic. This was Paul's instruction to these believers. Paul says do something that leads to "walking properly". And oh the time we can waste reading about the lives of others when we could be doing something much more productive.
4. Living this way means we walk properly before outsiders. This is so necessary today and could be one of the reasons the church has lost some of its influence. We can be like the world by making much of ourselves and our accomplishments.
5. Work hard in such a way that are not dependent on others. We are encouraged to work in such a way where we are able to make our way to meet our family's needs. This is not saying we don't ever except help, rather that we don't live solely relying on others work to take care of our lives. We have all been at a place where we needed some help, but that is not to be the consistent practice in our lives.
These are just some things I've been thinking through and ones I am going to make a change with.
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