For some reason humility has been on my mind and heart for a while now. I did a Sunday School lesson on money and materialism and I love what I read in Deuteronomy 8:16-17. God tells the people He purposefully tests the people so that they will be humbled so that they don't say it was by their own power that they became wealthy. In a society where our view of a person is based on how successful they are, we are constantly pressured by gaining more and more. When we are successful, we get praise and tend to start believing in our own power. When a person is struggling, they seem like a failure. However, hardships the Lord gives could be the best blessing a person can receive. If the Lord withholds material success and thus preserves the faith of that person and prevents them from falling into pride, that is a great showing of mercy. We have to change our thinking and not view our worth based on what society values, but on what God values. That way when we go through a tough time, we can fully rely and depend on God. When we do receive blessing, we know that it is by His grace and remain completely dependent on Him. For in times of hardship and blessing, He is still faithful to provide everything we need.
Pride and worldly success has consistently infiltrated everything, including the churches. This isn't a new problem, but it is evident in the world today. We are all tainted by it. I am frankly tired of hearing the words growth and outreach become the battle cry of the church. I am not against growth and outreach, but it seems less and less that we are crying growth for believers to come to know the Lord. Rather, it seems like we are crying growth, so we can see our pews filled throughout the week. This is not a pure motivation, but a prideful motivation. Can we please start trusting in the power of the word of God, desire universal redemption of sinners not just our own purposes, and take on the role of building up the body of Christ so that true disciples can be made? I know these are no difficult tasks, but growth of the church in itself means very little if not nothing.
Our salvation and relationship with the Lord is based on a faith in His life, death, and resurrection that requires repentance and a life committed to obeying Him as Lord. Getting people to the church may aid them in hearing this, and obviously the Holy Spirit can and will do a mighty work, but that should not be the main focus of the body of Christ. Take this excerpts from the parable of the sower:
20 The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the [j]word, immediately he [k]falls away.
This person that makes it to the church responds in joy, but is not built up into maturity. It says they fall away, meaning they will suffer an eternity in hell apart from God. It is absolutely not enough, and if our motives are to fill our pews and we are not desperately begging God to save sinners and help them grow in the maturity of faith then what are we doing? God's power is not evident in our pride, but rather in our humility. I really desire we humble ourselves before the Lord, and desperately seek Him that the lost will be found.
In doing so, I am not saying that the church sits idly. My practical response to this goes as follows. My first application is to deepen your prayer life. This is probably the biggest conviction I have right now, and something I desperately want to increase in my life. Second, build up those around you and invest significant time in them. Help those you love and those that love the Lord grow in their faith and make disciples. Lastly, be preachers of the gospel. Tell people who Jesus is and why they need Him so badly so that they may repent and thus glorify God. If they do, spend time helping them understand what it means to follow Christ. I guarantee as you do so, you will grow and your faith will increase even more!
Most of the time when I preach, I am preaching to myself so please hold me accountable to these things. I invite you to join me in trying to develop a better dependence on the Lord. We need to become more disciplined in prayer, more intentional in our time with friends, and more determined to share the message of hope to the world. I love you guys and I hope the Lord works mightily through us all.
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