PERSPECTIVE 8 october 2024 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida edition Several years ago, Hans Rosling and his colleagues, in their book Factfulness, made the argument that the world, over time, is actually getting better. The team studied ten specific trends over world history and concluded that despite all the bad news and the ups and downs, things are actually improving. Really? I was inclined to dismiss their findings until I overlayed their findings with the impact of the Church over the past 2000 years and was not at all surprised that the impact of Christians on history aligns with their findings. Christians generally have had a very positive impact on people and culture. However, when I look at our current culture, I continue to see signs of deterioration. It seems like things are actually getting worse. Have Christians lost their influence, and if so, what’s wrong? I am a Christian; is there something wrong with me? Reality check I decided to take a good look around me, a reality check, per se. I noticed that differences of perspectives and opinions are no longer civil conversations but venomous attacks. I hear a lot of conversations cloaked in “war language.” I see a serious decline in basic morals, a growing cynicism around leadership and institutions, a thirst for escapism, a rising level of intolerance towards one another, a disregard for integrity, a simplistic rush to judgement, conspiracy theories galore, a lot of yelling, a lot of anger and very little listening, all leading to broken and discarded relationships, often among friends and family. Additionally, I experience a shallow understanding of the Bible, which feeds a feel-good faith, which leads to a growing sense of discontent and entitlement. However, in no other time in history has there been more access to God’s word, freedom to openly worship and attend a local church, access to Christian education, Christian-based conferences, music, concerts, movies, podcasts and books. The sheer volume of biblically based content and community is unprecedented (just ask ChatGPT). I beg to ask the question, why then is everything so broken and seemingly moving backward? Is it a media conspiracy to undermine the Christian faith? Perhaps it’s the fault of the political left or right? Perhaps its streaming content filling our homes with bad stuff? Is it because of porn, preservatives in our food, an alien invasion or all three? Seriously, I am confused. I know we live in a broken world, and I am under no illusion that everything is supposed to be easy. Church history demonstrates this, God says we will suffer. However, I am under the impression that Christians are supposed to have a good influence on people and culture and yet, I feel that sometimes we are the worst examples of all. I am sometimes embarrassed to call myself a Christian. That bothers me because it’s like saying, “I am embarrassed by my husband, my wife or my kids” and that is never a good sign. I am at risk of an unhealthy perspective sprinkled with a lot of self-righteousness and pride…not healthy. Therefore, it has caused me to evaluate how to live out my faith. Am I misunderstanding what it means to be His ambassador? What is my example? Therefore, I found myself asking some hard questions about my own example. Here are some things that I noticed. Too many times I have taken my faith, customized it to my opinions, perspectives and wants, while sacrificing the very essence of what it means to be a Christian. I once heard someone make the statement that “a person is less interested in knowing when you became a Christian and much more interested in knowing why you still are one.” How dynamic and authentic is this relationship with Jesus that I have? My faith is not a one-time decision, a program or project. My faith ought not to be a source of employment, a political strategy or a simple formula for happiness. Actually, my faith should be a path towards weakness and surrender. My faith should be daily and often mundane and non-eventful. My faith is not about me. Stinking thinking I think what I am most embarrassed about is how I meddle in God’s story, and create my own false narrative, one based on my efforts and belittling His. I can twist and pervert God’s story and then have the audacity to get upset at Him when it doesn’t work out the way I had hoped. They call it stinking thinking. Peter was guilty of that, the disciples were, the religious leaders were, frankly, it’s a common theme throughout the history of mankind. I once heard a preacher make the comment, “we proclaim that we are created in the image of God, and yet we spend our lives trying to return the favor” – ouch! God’s story can only be authored by Him and He chooses to tell it through us. I am not the author, He is. Therefore, perhaps the embarrassment that I am experiencing is that the form of Christianity that is often on display is actually not one that reflects Jesus but more a reflection of my version of Jesus…and therefore it doesn’t have the power to impact people and culture. I desire to be an authentic Christian. Proximity So, what now? I believe it starts with proximity. I need to start by assessing my proximity to Jesus, because the closer I am, the more I understand Him and the more I understand Him, the quicker I am to surrender to His guidance, which leads to a life that reflects His. Haven’t you noticed that about your life? Sometimes the more you spend time with a particular person the more you begin to resemble them in behavior, thinking and appearance. My proximity to Jesus ought to reflect His beliefs and His actions. Reflections In my reflections I have observed the following: I know I love Jesus; I am a lover of the local church, and I don’t believe in an isolated Christian. Therefore, I believe that a growing Christian needs to be in a healthy community where the elements of conviction, encouragement and service exist. I believe a Christian ought to be contagious, invitational and kind. I am not in favor of legalism, but I am also not in favor of throwing caution to the wind. I am a recipient of God’s grace but it’s not a license to disobey. I deeply desire humility, but it seems so fleeting. I think a Christian must be quick to laugh but also quick to cry. I believe in a quick surrender. I believe in the power of steadfastness. I am not overly concerned about my legacy because Jesus will take care of that. I fight every day to remove myself from the center of my own universe. I am confident but certainly vulnerable to fear and failure. I believe the Lord Jesus is simply wooing me to follow Him more closely, much the same way He wooed the early followers to do the same. A simple, “come follow me” was all it took. The early work of Jesus required a simple surrender and obedience by His followers. The work of Jesus was not a humanitarian or political movement, and yet its impact continues today. Perhaps there is a simple answer to my question. Perhaps I am overthinking it. Perhaps He is reminding me that as I closely follow Him, not from afar, I will find that I will increasingly reflect Him, His heart, His character and His influence. A small group did this 2000 years ago and changed the world and that is nothing to be embarrassed about. Stephan N. Tchividjian is the CEO and co-founder of the National Christian Foundation South Florida. Visit southflorida.ncfgiving.com to learn more. What’s Wrong (with Me)? - Stephan Tchividjian - CEO and Co-Founder, National Christian Foundation South Florida
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