Have you observed of late the mention of Jesus or God being excluded from conversations that used to be commonplace between us? I’m addressing Christian women’s discussions, not the world’s or amongst the lost.
Consider current Christian culture with me a moment, if you will. Whether religiously conservative or liberal, has Christianity lost its primary focus? Has Christendom somehow gotten way too cool for Jesus?
Questions Worth Asking
Increasingly over the last decade or so, I’ve been plagued with questions in this regard, yet agonizing over any mite of pretension or hypocrisy within me. For the sake of God’s glory, I believe they are questions worthy of asking ourselves –no doubt even still, myself included.
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Have you heard these conversations in your circle of friends –perspectives and philosophies with wholesome intent, yet disturbingly, ring hollow without God as their source? Have you noticed created things, often our very selves, having a magnified focus —to the point of greater glory than our Creator God?
Where Is Christ?
Taught by Christians who apparently are so completely enthralled, inspired, passionate, compelled, authentic, vulnerable, fierce, free, and so full of their own interpretations and belief –that they are rendered unable to give glory to God. Surely, this can’t be their intent?! But with all sincerity, what’s up with that? Show me, please! Tell me, where is Christ?
When I claim God’s benefits, His strength, His power, His many gifts, and qualities as my own, but explicitly omit His name as the source, at some point, I literally have to ask myself –why is this the case? Am I ashamed of God? Do I literally believe I am the author and creator of such greatness?
Who Do You Say YOU Are?
How do we introduce or promote ourselves? If my identity or proclaimed purpose in life, are declared first, and LOUDEST through the maneuvering of principles, obeyed Law, specific Bible translation, characterizations, labels, dreams, choices, affiliations, and pastoral followings rather than Christ —in what or where am I placing my hope?
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
If my self-proclaimed truth, journey, or power, bump up against the Bible in such a way that I must divide or re-translate across multiple millenniums of translators to promote my agenda –whose ideas are they and who am I worshipping? Perhaps we are willing to put God’s name on these things —but is He?
Assumption vs Overt Praise
When I carefully fill my vocabulary with intriguing verbiage, rich with meaning, expressing my expansive, well-honed, magnetic ability to communicate, but rarely give honest, specific acknowledgment of God –what am I actually saying? Is He merely worthy of assumption?
Let’s be real here, the forgetfulness of God affects us all. Consider with me carefully, an oft-recurring theme in the Old Testament of the Bible. God repeatedly rebuked His chosen people, the Israelites, for forgetting His works, for refusing Him their acknowledgment, obedience, gratefulness, and praise.
Jesus IS Cool Enough
As startling as it may be to say it, this means —quit doubting, denying, and replacing Him. Remember His faithful loving-kindness with gratefulness and contentment. In essence, get over myself by fixing my eyes and praise on Him rather than any other thing. Jesus IS cool enough.
When I fully embrace God, His creation, His power, His gift of redeeming grace through Jesus, removing my primary focus from all of MY Being, and MY Doing, then my life will declare the wonder of God’s greatness. I will finally have found significance by living out my created purpose —to glorify Him. And my life will no longer speak less of Jesus than He deserves.
Remember Him
Iron sharpening iron as we say between Christian friends, have you considered these things? Does your speech, choices, attitudes, and actions tell the world you remember Him? Let’s chat about it, and thank God for His new mercies together.
Such good reminders and worthy of our consideration…. in all I say and set my heart’s affection toward, I need to live the Gospel in the fear the Lord. “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes”. Thanks, Renee, for submitting such a thought provoking article; you must have labored long on it. Thank you, dear friend.
Thank you, Cricket! Lord bless you for your comment! You are always an encouragement.
Yes, I have prayed long and hard over this post as the Lord worked long and hard on me. Even still the work continues.
Sorry ladies – I’m her brother. Just speaking up to encourage Renee>
I really think ladies tend to do better than men at intentionally and verbally giving praise and due glory to Jesus. My impression – my wife is certainly better at it than me. Christian men can go years meeting in the church parking lot, keeping their discussions about sports, politics, and culture.
Ultimately, it is the same reason that we fail to pray – we are self-sufficient, we are rich, we don’t live as though we see what God is doing because we don’t train ourselves to see what God is doing. I believe it is the same reason that Matthew writes in Mat 18:3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Children aren’t really humble in the sense of humility. They just aren’t. But they do need help and they do recognize who they need to approach to get help. It is that childlike dependency that recognizes our need for Jesus that causes us to call out to Jesus, to extol the virtues of Christ, and to have the basic courtesy to give Him glory for His care and kindness.
Hey there! Thanks, Ray. Thanks for your perspective on this. I hadn’t thought about childlike faith in this context per se, but of course! The key here beyond the childlike faith though is recognizing the source of the help you mention. So many of us look to ourselves and any number of outside sources as our “help”, so to speak, – failing to recognize and praise God in it.
Thank you. This gives me some broader perspective to consider and pray about.
I think for me and reasons why I have struggled with this myself & not speaking more often is a persona I have of people who do, tend to not be who I want to be. Or have shown me that they are actually hiding behind it the fact that they aren’t saved /Walking with God. But then it goes so far for me that I then I’m not giving God the glory he is due because of others failures instead of focusing on Christ and shouting to the world what he has done for me and my family. They’re also the times that I know I am in sin and am hiding myself. I’m embarrassed. I know that I am not showing Christ in my life so I don’t speak of him as often as I should or seek him in a correct manner either.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention! It is definitely something that needs to be changed in my life!
Oh, wow! Thank you for your transparency, Alissa-Jo! Comparison to others IS a pretty huge stumbling block. It either builds our pride or paralyzes us with discouragement. But like you say, focusing on Christ is the answer to it all.
Wow, you truly have an amazing gift with words. Words with which you have chosen to glorify Him.
Thank you for your loving, gentle and timely word of admonishment.
I enjoy your Grammiechats 😃
Thank you, Carrie! I’m sorry to be so slow to respond these days. Writing new chats has been a challenge in this season of loss. I appreciate your encouragement.