I received a stark reminder of something this week.
It's something I don't necessarily think about a lot. Something I suppose I take for granted or just assume to be the way of things for everyone. When I do think about it, I just shrug and say "Well, duh." It's so obvious.
But this week, I actually stopped and gave it some Serious Thought. Is it actually obvious? Or is it one of those things that, in theory, seems straightforward, but in practice is actually pretty much ignored?
I'll stop being cryptic now and just lay it out.
My relationship with Jesus involves exactly two people: me and Jesus.
I know. Duh.
But I think we've become really comfortable inviting other people into it. I think our relationship with Jesus can very easily become filtered through other things.
What things, you ask?
Our church.
Our denomination.
Our pastor.
Our spiritual mentor.
Our ministry.
Our Christian non-profit/sending agency/organization.
Our school.
Our politics.
There are more. Take your pick. I feel like this list is enough to tick most of you off, though.
What does this look like in practice? Try a few of these on for size.
"I go to church every Sunday and attend small group there. We're always attending the fun events they have, and the kids just love the activities there. We've made some amazing friends at our church, and I just don't know what I'd do without them."
"I really believe in the precepts of our denomination. They've done a great job of laying out what we believe and how it should impact our lives. They have a great plan for the future, and they are keeping us on the right path."
"My pastor has been such a good friend to us. I love his teaching, and his messages are just so on point! He always seems to just say that one thing that gets me through the week."
"I had an amazing conversation with my mentor the other day. Our book study has been so timely for everything going on right now, and my mentor has been really encouraging."
"This ministry is growing like you wouldn't believe! So many people are coming to know Jesus, and I am so blessed to be able to help them. We're probably going to expand our outreach programs and start some new churches in the villages."
"This organization is doing great things in the community. I really appreciate how they give so many opportunities to get involved. Did you see their story of impact the other day? Incredible!"
"I'm just learning so much in my Bible class. And really, how Christianity is interwoven in history is amazing. I read Ephesians in the original Greek and have a deeper understanding of Paul's mindset."
"Governor So-and-So is going to do great things for this country. He believes in God, and I think God has ordained him for such a time as this. The Party is behind him all the way."
If your relationship with Jesus is defined by or filtered through any of these things, you are in for a fall.
Because All.
Of.
These.
Things.
Fail.
Church - "I don't like the singing. The programs have become really stale. I don't like it since the Johnsons moved away. The kids are too old/young/rambunctious."
Denomination - "I don't agree with that interpretation of the rules. We need to be more relevant/stick to tradition. The foreign contingent of the denomination isn't doing things the way they're supposed to."
Pastor - "I can't believe he said that/wore jeans/embezzled funds/had an affair/raped a child."
Mentor - "They said something the other day that made me uncomfortable. They were too busy to meet me. I discovered they watch porn."
Ministry - "We just aren't growing anymore. We decided to stop telling people about Jesus because it makes people uncomfortable. I haven't seen my kids in three months."
Organization - "There are some really sketchy things in their past. They had to leave that country for unspecified reasons. They spend money on unimportant things."
School - "We spent three hours arguing about where an article goes in this sentence. It changes everything!"
Politics - "The government lied. My candidate lied. The Party lied. None of them have my best interests in mind."
Any of that sound familiar? You mad yet?
Look, I'm not denouncing any of these people or places or organizations. All of those statements up there about how much these things can help people are positive. We're supposed to go to church. We're supposed to engage in discipleship with others. They can be excellent tools to help us grow in our faith. But they aren't integral to the process.
My relationship with Jesus involves exactly two people: me and Jesus.
Jesus is the only constant in that equation. He's not going to fail, He's not going to change, He's not going to alter the dynamics. He's definitely not going to invite anyone else in.
That's all us. We're human. We're fallible. We're incredibly fickle. If we start making our relationship with Jesus dependent on someone or something else's actions, we're doomed. I hear about it every day. People fall away from the faith because the person or thing they made responsible for that faith failed them.
I can readily admit that I've struggled with this. For a very long time, my faith was not my own. I had faith because my parents did. I had faith because my church was good to me. I had faith because I went to a Christian school. I had faith because it was a logical progression of my upbringing. But the moment that foundation started to shake, I was in trouble. I had very little faith of my own to serve as an anchor. My faith was not solely contingent on my relationship with Jesus. It took me a long while to decide whether or not Jesus was worth pursuing solely on His merits.
I can't even say I'm totally there, yet. It's a very subtle and seductive temptation to start putting faith in something else. You don't even realize you're doing it until that thing collapses from underneath you, and if you aren't careful, you can lose your faith right along with it. I've seen it again and again, especially lately. I'm attuned to it. Everything going on with the Southern Baptists, New Tribes, United Methodists... These are all man-made organizations. They are going to disappoint you because they are full of flawed people who have a tendency to prioritize themselves or a myriad of other things over their relationship with Jesus Christ.
You wanna get more personal with this? Okay. Let's get more personal about this.
I am a missionary with One Mission Society. OMS has a long and varied history. I believe they have good intentions and wonderful people and leaders who are dedicated to following Jesus. I think many of its ministries are doing important things, and I think OMS is making an impact around the world.
None of these are reasons I work for OMS. I work for OMS because this is where God has called me. If God hadn't called me here, I don't know that I would still be working here. OMS has its fair share of problems. They have always had problems. Sometimes those problems have been minor and fairly easily (and quietly) corrected. Sometimes those problems are systemic and incredibly messy and may or may not be public.
I don't usually talk about them here. Mostly because they don't need to be talked about. They are internal issues, and gossip is a sin. It's damaging to the Body of Christ. But you better believe that if I think something is being covered up, I will absolutely tell whatever authority needs to know, and if it gets ignored then, I'll probably go to World Magazine because I respect them and I think they'd be fair.
It hasn't come to that, obviously. But if I had come here with the expectation that they could be my spiritual home (which I kind of did at first), I would have been (and have already been) sorely disappointed.
But I'm still here. Because this is where Jesus wants me, and this is where I think I can still do some good. But my faith is in Jesus. Not OMS. Your faith, as a financial supporter of my ministry, needs to be in Jesus. Don't put it in me. I will disappoint you. I probably already have. And don't put your faith in OMS to use your money appropriately (though I think you can, and I also think any donor to anything should do their due diligence in demanding to know how their money is used). I'm not asking people to support me. I'm asking people to ask God what they should do with their money, and I'm trusting God to make funds available to keep me doing what He's asked me to do. (I don't know how this turned into a funding post.)
Did I lose you on this rabbit trail? It's very likely. I just want to reiterate my point, and if it's the only thing you remember from this extremely long rant, I'll consider my job done.
My relationship with Jesus involves exactly two people: me and Jesus.
Your relationship with Jesus involves exactly two people: you and Jesus.
You can trust people to be people. You can trust God to be God.
Which of those sounds like a better option?
It's something I don't necessarily think about a lot. Something I suppose I take for granted or just assume to be the way of things for everyone. When I do think about it, I just shrug and say "Well, duh." It's so obvious.
But this week, I actually stopped and gave it some Serious Thought. Is it actually obvious? Or is it one of those things that, in theory, seems straightforward, but in practice is actually pretty much ignored?
I'll stop being cryptic now and just lay it out.
My relationship with Jesus involves exactly two people: me and Jesus.
I know. Duh.
But I think we've become really comfortable inviting other people into it. I think our relationship with Jesus can very easily become filtered through other things.
What things, you ask?
Our church.
Our denomination.
Our pastor.
Our spiritual mentor.
Our ministry.
Our Christian non-profit/sending agency/organization.
Our school.
Our politics.
There are more. Take your pick. I feel like this list is enough to tick most of you off, though.
What does this look like in practice? Try a few of these on for size.
"I go to church every Sunday and attend small group there. We're always attending the fun events they have, and the kids just love the activities there. We've made some amazing friends at our church, and I just don't know what I'd do without them."
"I really believe in the precepts of our denomination. They've done a great job of laying out what we believe and how it should impact our lives. They have a great plan for the future, and they are keeping us on the right path."
"My pastor has been such a good friend to us. I love his teaching, and his messages are just so on point! He always seems to just say that one thing that gets me through the week."
"I had an amazing conversation with my mentor the other day. Our book study has been so timely for everything going on right now, and my mentor has been really encouraging."
"This ministry is growing like you wouldn't believe! So many people are coming to know Jesus, and I am so blessed to be able to help them. We're probably going to expand our outreach programs and start some new churches in the villages."
"This organization is doing great things in the community. I really appreciate how they give so many opportunities to get involved. Did you see their story of impact the other day? Incredible!"
"I'm just learning so much in my Bible class. And really, how Christianity is interwoven in history is amazing. I read Ephesians in the original Greek and have a deeper understanding of Paul's mindset."
"Governor So-and-So is going to do great things for this country. He believes in God, and I think God has ordained him for such a time as this. The Party is behind him all the way."
If your relationship with Jesus is defined by or filtered through any of these things, you are in for a fall.
Because All.
Of.
These.
Things.
Fail.
Church - "I don't like the singing. The programs have become really stale. I don't like it since the Johnsons moved away. The kids are too old/young/rambunctious."
Denomination - "I don't agree with that interpretation of the rules. We need to be more relevant/stick to tradition. The foreign contingent of the denomination isn't doing things the way they're supposed to."
Pastor - "I can't believe he said that/wore jeans/embezzled funds/had an affair/raped a child."
Mentor - "They said something the other day that made me uncomfortable. They were too busy to meet me. I discovered they watch porn."
Ministry - "We just aren't growing anymore. We decided to stop telling people about Jesus because it makes people uncomfortable. I haven't seen my kids in three months."
Organization - "There are some really sketchy things in their past. They had to leave that country for unspecified reasons. They spend money on unimportant things."
School - "We spent three hours arguing about where an article goes in this sentence. It changes everything!"
Politics - "The government lied. My candidate lied. The Party lied. None of them have my best interests in mind."
Any of that sound familiar? You mad yet?
Look, I'm not denouncing any of these people or places or organizations. All of those statements up there about how much these things can help people are positive. We're supposed to go to church. We're supposed to engage in discipleship with others. They can be excellent tools to help us grow in our faith. But they aren't integral to the process.
My relationship with Jesus involves exactly two people: me and Jesus.
Jesus is the only constant in that equation. He's not going to fail, He's not going to change, He's not going to alter the dynamics. He's definitely not going to invite anyone else in.
That's all us. We're human. We're fallible. We're incredibly fickle. If we start making our relationship with Jesus dependent on someone or something else's actions, we're doomed. I hear about it every day. People fall away from the faith because the person or thing they made responsible for that faith failed them.
I can readily admit that I've struggled with this. For a very long time, my faith was not my own. I had faith because my parents did. I had faith because my church was good to me. I had faith because I went to a Christian school. I had faith because it was a logical progression of my upbringing. But the moment that foundation started to shake, I was in trouble. I had very little faith of my own to serve as an anchor. My faith was not solely contingent on my relationship with Jesus. It took me a long while to decide whether or not Jesus was worth pursuing solely on His merits.
I can't even say I'm totally there, yet. It's a very subtle and seductive temptation to start putting faith in something else. You don't even realize you're doing it until that thing collapses from underneath you, and if you aren't careful, you can lose your faith right along with it. I've seen it again and again, especially lately. I'm attuned to it. Everything going on with the Southern Baptists, New Tribes, United Methodists... These are all man-made organizations. They are going to disappoint you because they are full of flawed people who have a tendency to prioritize themselves or a myriad of other things over their relationship with Jesus Christ.
You wanna get more personal with this? Okay. Let's get more personal about this.
I am a missionary with One Mission Society. OMS has a long and varied history. I believe they have good intentions and wonderful people and leaders who are dedicated to following Jesus. I think many of its ministries are doing important things, and I think OMS is making an impact around the world.
None of these are reasons I work for OMS. I work for OMS because this is where God has called me. If God hadn't called me here, I don't know that I would still be working here. OMS has its fair share of problems. They have always had problems. Sometimes those problems have been minor and fairly easily (and quietly) corrected. Sometimes those problems are systemic and incredibly messy and may or may not be public.
I don't usually talk about them here. Mostly because they don't need to be talked about. They are internal issues, and gossip is a sin. It's damaging to the Body of Christ. But you better believe that if I think something is being covered up, I will absolutely tell whatever authority needs to know, and if it gets ignored then, I'll probably go to World Magazine because I respect them and I think they'd be fair.
It hasn't come to that, obviously. But if I had come here with the expectation that they could be my spiritual home (which I kind of did at first), I would have been (and have already been) sorely disappointed.
But I'm still here. Because this is where Jesus wants me, and this is where I think I can still do some good. But my faith is in Jesus. Not OMS. Your faith, as a financial supporter of my ministry, needs to be in Jesus. Don't put it in me. I will disappoint you. I probably already have. And don't put your faith in OMS to use your money appropriately (though I think you can, and I also think any donor to anything should do their due diligence in demanding to know how their money is used). I'm not asking people to support me. I'm asking people to ask God what they should do with their money, and I'm trusting God to make funds available to keep me doing what He's asked me to do. (I don't know how this turned into a funding post.)
Did I lose you on this rabbit trail? It's very likely. I just want to reiterate my point, and if it's the only thing you remember from this extremely long rant, I'll consider my job done.
My relationship with Jesus involves exactly two people: me and Jesus.
Your relationship with Jesus involves exactly two people: you and Jesus.
You can trust people to be people. You can trust God to be God.
Which of those sounds like a better option?
Beautifully said.
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