I have been thinking quite a bit lately on whether or not I am (and the church is) more cause oriented than Christ oriented. There is little doubt in my mind that we live in a culture that is very much cause oriented. Through social media, the potential of rallying people behind the latest cause, program or product can be almost immediate. It would also seem that people are quick to jump on one of these bandwagons because there is an unwritten expectation that the commitment will make me feel good and won't last long which then allows us to move on to the next cause, program or product.
This may work to a certain extent in respects to getting things accomplished, but do we really want to be a people whose lives are defined by the latest cause we've attached ourselves to. Is it possible that it is far easier to be cause oriented rather than building upon the foundation as Christ followers by being Christ oriented in all that we do. I sometimes think that in both my personal life and in the life of the church, we find ourselves spinning our wheels because we have given ourselves over to the tyranny of the urgent and bounce from one cause, program or product to the next because we've moved away from a centralized focus upon Christ.
Imagine what each of us as individuals/church families could accomplish for God if everything we do is rooted in who we are in Christ. A proper understanding of this will only come if we are daily spending time fixed upon (gazing intently) unto the Author and Perfector of our faith and listening to Him. I would think that the natural outflow of a person/church that is Christ oriented would accomplish all that God has called us to accomplish. I really believe churches would be much more productive for the Lord if we spent more time helping one another better understand Jesus and our lives in Him instead of seeking to rally people to the latest cause.
Still much to chew on in respects to theses thoughts and the practical implications of them for the church...
2 comments:
I think sometimes "we" choose the cause rather than allowing Christ to send us into it. We stay very busy and feel productive but I question too, is it productive for Christ? As a people or the Church we forget about "the calling" and just gung-ho right into something. Much to think about, thanks.
But world beleives in cause orientation......
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