Watch out for pragmatism

A pragmatist makes decisions based on the practicality of the action. Does it work? Does it serve the purpose? Does it 'get the job done?' These questions are first line in the mind of the pragmatic individual. What's wrong with that? Nothing at all, in most areas. My concern is about Christianity shaped around pragmatism. For many years I lived a Christian life that was mostly built around making good choices that would produce positive results. Somehow what I heard being taught was a whole lot of 'do this and that will happen.' I did not realize that I was actually worshipping self- my true intent being creating a life of maximum benefit to myself. For example, as a teen I was that being sexually pure was an important choice for a Christian, but the reasons given for that choice were based on avoiding sexually transmitted diseases, avoiding pregnancy, etc. Those are not the most important reasons for sexual purity! The Bible points out that honoring God with our body and recognizing the covenantal nature of sex are the real reason Christians adopt the sexual ethics of purity. If a teen is taught only the pragmatic reasons for not sleeping with his girlfriend, he'll 'solve the problem' by buying a condom or getting the 'morning after' pill and then do what he wants.

Many Believers do not live a holy life precisely because they don't understand the real 'why' behind God-honoring decisions. They only see the 'what' and they find a solution to avoid the consequence, then choice to live as they wish. God, Who is to the center of life, is pushed to the periphery and Self remains enthroned. The not so subtle sub-text of a lot of contemporary preaching is how to create a pleasant life and avoid suffering, and then to get oneself into Heaven when we die.

Perhaps you're wondering, "So, Jerry, what's wrong with that?" Much, I say! A careful reading of Scripture reveals that the purpose of a godly life is not health, wealth, and sweet dreams! We are called to selfless service of humanity and our Lord, regardless of personal cost and without thought of benefit to self. The pragmatic Believer finds Jesus' words about sacrificial living inscrutable. He challenges us saying - "he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 10:38-39, NKJV)

We must not and cannot calculate the 'cost benefit' ratio of every choice we make as a Christian. Think of it with a example - Imagine calculating something like 'how many Sundays do I have to be in church every year to stay on good terms with God?' If our true motive in corporate worship is loving God and His people, then we will eagerly set aside all other activities on the Lord's Day and be in worship because loving God is the primary call of every Believer. And after worship, we won't be asking, "What did I gain? Was it a good sermon? How was the music? Were the people friendly?" We'll be thanking God for the privilege of honoring Him with our time and attention to focused worship!

Think of the folly of pragmatic Christianity in another way. Peter was rebuked by Jesus for trying to calculate a pragmatic response to other people who offended him. “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22, NKJV) The Lord then went on to tell a story illustrating the importance of endless forgiveness, based on the model of God's grace.

Love is not the choice of a pragmatist! True love is costly, demanding, and thoughtless of benefit to self. That applies whether we're thinking of love for God or love for other people. I hope I have provoked you today to think about why you are making the choices you're making as a Christian. The truth is that everyone of us thinks about the benefits to ourselves everyday; maybe not consciously, but we're basically selfish creatures and thus, somewhere inside, we're usually calculating - 'what's in it for me?' "Jerry, you're so negative!" No, just honest! I do it all the time, without even realizing it. That's why we need the Spirit to take us to Cross again and again, as Paul says, to be 'crucified with Christ.' Self is amazingly resilient and must die daily, hence the Lord's command to pick up our Cross.

Here's a passage that is not pragmatic. May the words, though familiar, find a place in your mind today.

"If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, Doesn’t revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled. When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!" (1 Corinthians 13:3-12, The Message)