In the 1970’s Time Magazine dubbed the young people of that era, “The Me Generation.” Recently the same publication ran an article entitled, “Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation.” If you doubt that we are focused on ourselves, consider this; the iPhone literally flipped it’s screen so we could take pictures of “Me.” In fact it only took one year after the iPhone was introduced for the publishers of the Oxford Dictionary to proclaim “selfie” their word of the year We literally focus on ourselves. This inevitably has crept into the church. We are in danger of turning the gospel of Jesus from a message of self-sacrifice to a mantra that asks, “What can Jesus do for me?”
If you are looking for a group of people with a cross on the building who will gratify your fleshly needs, you certainly can find one. Valet parking? Yep. Free food and gourmet coffee? Brought right to you. Rock show entertainment with a feel-good message? No problem. Daycare, recreation, and a personal experience of God (whatever that means)? Coming right up. Repentance, self-sacrifice, and submitting to the will of a loving heavenly Father even if it means (gasp!) giving up something I like doing? Hold on their preacherman, that doesn’t sound like the kind of church I am looking to find! It never will be if “I” decide what worship should be. We have made “Me” the god to be worshipped instead of asking how God wants me to worship He.
Here is the other problem with “Me” centered religion. It doesn’t go anywhere. It only demands and takes. The Dead Sea is one of the most stagnant and lifeless bodies of water on the planet. It is because it never gives. The Dead Sea has no outlet for the water it receives from the Jordan River. It doesn’t flow. It just takes and takes. And it is not a healthy body of water. We as Christians can fall into the same temptation. We want the church to feed us. We want the song leaders to provide uplifting worship services. We want good Bible classes, and we want to be shown hospitality, and we want to be encouraged. We may scoff at the idea of performance-based worship and a recreation themed church but we fall into the same “Me” trap.
The worst part is, we aren’t happy and we don’t know why. We blame everybody else for not giving us what we need. We become salty and dead inside. What we need is to give. When I focus on my needs all the time, I become a taker. What I need is to love someone who has nothing to give in return (Luke 12:12-14). I need to become the one who feeds, leads, teaches, welcomes, and encourages. My reward will be great in heaven and I will be well fed and encouraged.
Let me add this. “Me” centered religion is also very small. Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”-Matthew 16:24-25. My human tendency is to hold on to what I think will make me happy. The cruel irony is, the very things I hold on to will cause me to lose my soul. Jesus says, “Trust me. Let go and I will give you something better.” But that takes true, life-changing faith. So what will it be?
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”-Matthew 11:28-30.
He is calling me to be part of something bigger and greater than my selfish wants, needs, and desires. The choice is up to me.
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