The Rise of Egocentric Christianity

If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Matthew 16:24

 

 

Several years ago, I noticed a significant shift in the music being played in churches throughout America. By that, I am not talking about the style of music (which, in itself, has become a divisive point of contention among believers), but in regard to the use of words in the songs.  In the last decade or so, the pronouns most commonly used in our songs have changed from "you" and "He" to "I" and "me."  On the surface, this may seem like a detail too trivial to mention, but I believe that this is just a micro-symptom of a larger issue: the problem of egocentric Christianity.

 

If you don't believe that egocentric Christianity is a problem in your church, just ask your pastoral staff how difficult it is for them to find workers for the preschool and children departments or how many volunteers show up for evangelism projects.  One of the greatest indications of egocentric Christianity is the mindset that the church exists to minister to the members.  As a result, egocentric Christians do no feel any compulsion to serve the church in any way.  Instead, they evaluate their church solely by how it ministers to them and their family.

 

Egocentric Christians suffer from spiritual myopia (i.e., short-sightedness).  The are so focused on their own needs and wants that they are incapable of seeing the needs of those around them or experiencing grief over the lostness of others. Their self absorption stunts their ability to grow spiritually and their faith stagnates.  Instead of putting their time and energy into Christian service, it is channelled into hyper-criticism of the church (which can never fully meet their needs) and fellow Christians (who do not share their belief that they are the center of the universe).

 

One of the greatest consequences of egocentric Christianity is that it perverts who God is.  Since their world revolves around themselves, egocentric Christians begin to believe that God exists to make them happy.  They pervert the image of God into a glorified Santa Clause who showers them with blessings because they are on His "nice" list. When trouble or tribulation strikes them, the egocentric Christian, like a petulant two-year old, becomes angry at God; believing themselves to have been betrayed by Him.  They often leave the church, bitter and disillusioned, thinking that God has "let them down."

 

Sound familiar?  I'm sure that all of us have met someone like that.  What we need to realize is that the mentality of egocentric Christianity is invading our churches and slowly seeping into the minds of American Christians.  We certainly see this problem in the lives of some of the believers around us.  However, if we take a long, hard look at ourselves, could we honestly say that we have not begun to drift toward this condition ourselves without realizing it? 

 

What is your attitude toward your church? Are you serving to full extent of your abilities?  Do you grieve over the lostness of your neighbor and take every opportunity you can to share Christ with them?  Or has the me-ism of our current culture begun to take root in your heart?

 

John F. Kennedy once stirred the nation with this challenge: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."  Maybe it is time that we take that challenge and apply it to our churches.  Instead of focusing on what the church is doing for you, seek out ways that you can serve the Church; not just the local church, but the body of Christ worldwide.

 



A Heart for Missions

For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Luke 19:10

Several years ago, I was talking to an aquaintance whose husband is in the ministry.  In the course of our conversation, I mentioned a recent overseas mission trip that I had taken. With a look of distaste, the woman responded.

"My husband and I have never had any desire to go on a mission trip.  It's just not something that we are interested in."

I was shocked that she would actually voice such a view, but since that time I have come across hundreds of church members who share that same sentiment.  They view missions as an "elective" of the Christian walk; one that they can take or leave at will.  However, they fail to recognize that, to have a heart after God's own heart, we must have a heart for missions.

In Luke, Jesus states that He, the Son of Man, came to seek and save the lost.  In today's language, we could say that Luke 19:10 is Jesus' purpose statement.   It is the reason that He was born in that stable in Bethlehem and it is the reason that He laid down His life at Calvary. Missions was at the very heart of Jesus's ministry and, as followers of Jesus Christ, we should have a heart for missions, as well.

The focus of the Christian walk should be to become more like Christ daily.  Henry Martyn, a 19th-century missionary to India and Persia, who died on the field at the age of 31, said, "The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become." A missionary heart is the natural result of a growing walk with Christ.

Now, I am not saying that if you haven't been on a mission trip then you have a shallow Christian walk.  There are many reasons why we may not be able to go, ranging from financial to health issues to family responsibilities.  However, if you have a heart for missions, even if you cannot go yourself, you will be committed to regularly praying for those who do go and helping in any way that you can to send them. 

The fact is, if you truly have a heart for missions, you will already be actively evangelizing the lost in your own community.  Many Christians believe that modeling the Christian life at work or in their neighborhood is sufficient to evangelize the lost, but they are mistaken.  Living the Christian life is just a prerequisite to evangelism. The word itself is derived from the "good news" that we call the Gospel.  Good news must be shared verbally with others.

Is your heart in sync with God's heart when it comes to the lost?  When was the last time that you grieved over the lostness of a co-worker or family member? Take time today to evaluate where your heart is in relation to the heart of Christ.