I watch a TV Ministry almost weekly (left unnamed purposefully) and I really enjoy the great music on the program. However, when one of the preachers comes on screen, his words are almost always superlatives:
"Best song I've ever heard!"
"Most inspiring anthem from the best choir in the world."
"Most profound book I've read in the last 10 years!"
"A story so interesting, everybody will want to hear it."
And all these words are delivered in a bass voice that is trained to resonate! Word inflation cheapens the value of his praise! The end result is that I discount whatever he says. Isn't that sad? A man whose has a life calling to speaking the Truth lacks credibility. Here's why- he is much too concerned about impressing others. He is serving a Christian television monster that requires a growing audience, to provide a continuously increasing revenue stream, so it can on more stations, so it can attract a growing audience..... Are you starting to see the problem? Now, I do not know, nor should I judge, if that preacher has a deep love for the Lord, but it is obvious that the opinions of other people about his church and ministry are tremendously important to him because he thinks he must impress people to attract them as viewers and supporters. When he starts to look around at people instead looking up for the applause of the audience of One, his efforts sure appear to be compromised, at least from where I stand.
Religion that is misused to burnish egos is very common and not just among TV preachers.
I must admit that occasionally when I pray public prayers, I fall into the trap of speaking to the people in the room instead of God! I misuse my prayers in ways that are not related to actually communicating with the Lord. In that, I sin! May God forgive me. Such 'prayer' is not prayer at all, because it is addressed to people in the disguise of speaking to God. Honest prayers care nothing for the opinion of those who may hear them, for they are conversation with the One, not the many. Churches fall into the trap of serving ego-based religion when they give the largest donor a seat on the board regardless of his or her spiritual gifts or Christian maturity, or when they name the new education wing for the person who gave the first $million for construction! Worshippers get it wrong the moment they start to be concerned about what the person next to them is thinking- good or bad- about the way they are interacting with God!
Jesus warns "Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. ... When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.
"And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? "Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. " (Matthew 6:1, 3-6, The Message)
Here's the paradox in all of this. Our good works will attract attention. In this same sermon, Jesus says, "Let your light shine before men so that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven!" The goodness and love that comes from the life of the Spirit in us will make us stand out in a sin-filled world in stark contrast. But, never should our intent be to attract attention! We simply love God, giving our best to Him, seeking His will in all things, and living a life that is shaped to win His approval. The by-product of that kind of life is an undeniable reality that brings attention, not so much to me or you, but to the One we love.
Believer are you trying to look good or are you seeking to serve God well? On the surface the difference is so slight it is seldom noticed, but over time religion that used to enhance our reputation or our standing in the church shows the corrupt core, rotting from the inside out. That kind of pride shows itself in envy and jealous, in craving of recognition, in striving for positions of power and/or influence and James say that "Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats. Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced." (James 3:16-17, The Message) Rotten motives among those who 'serve' lead to many a church fight and much bickering among Believers whose lives should be the epitome of love, according to the Savior's wisdom.
Pastor Bill Hybels wrote a book with this simple title- Who You Are When No One's Looking. That is, I believe, a great test for the authenticity of our desire to serve God. Are you prayers as loud and fervent in your bedroom as they are in the sanctuary? Are your secret thoughts as pure as your carefully screened words? Do you give of your self and your time to those who cannot repay as generously as you do to those who have the ability to repay you with thanks and/or kindness?
Here's a challenge from the Word to ponder today. "When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won’t make you a saint. If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. ... God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well." (Matthew 6:16-18, The Message)
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