why is it that our generation doesn't adhere to the faith in which we are raised?
is it because we genuinely believe we "outgrow" the religious background our parents provide?
is it due to the harsh judgment handed down by small-town churches that seem to have their critical voices amplified in the public sphere?
is it a result of our inability to reconcile our faith with the world that we see when we leave the nest?
is it the effect of too many late Saturday nights that lead to an aversion to anything other than a casual brunch late on Sunday mornings?
why is it that the collegiates are leaving church en masse?
i know this is a question that pastors and parents ponder periodically, as membership amongst my generation dwindles significantly across the nation. after having a late-night discussion with one of my very best friends, i started to analyze the same question that plagues our faith-leaders.
as a recent college graduate (okay, no longer so recent, it's been over a year...eek!), i like to believe that i know everything there is to know about life. i would love to believe that graduating from a prestigious university affords me all the knowledge that i'll ever desire. i've embarked on the journey of my professional career, i attend professional development, and i even have my very own dependent (#hersheyshoutout). i do lots of adult things, though i do still love to call mom to come "shopping" with me, which normally entails her buying me clothes...anyways, my point is that any truly enlightened person understands that they know absolutely nothing. every day is a new adventure. life can blindside you at any moment; north carolina had a stinking earthquake this past year. april was colder than march. adorable, sweet children die of hunger every day. billionaires give away their fortunes to strangers for the good of others. our world is twisted, unexpected, and no one knows it all. that's why it's wise to acknowledge the truth of our uncertainty and lack of control, accept that God has ordained our every breath, and embrace His sovereignty. what's interesting is that when you "outgrow" that, i have yet to figure out what you've grown into. i'd much rather believe that God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient than believe that God is just a novel concept for those seeking vague solace in times of desperation.
i do think that the media chooses to misrepresent Christianity as a faith; a lack of understanding of the true Gospel makes it difficult to truly grasp and portray the basis of belief. however, if you've grown up in church, this isn't news. every church in America, from the 25-member congregations of Mayberry to the megachurches of metropolitan areas, is filled to the brim with sinners. the notion of Christians as "better" than anyone else is purely Pharisee, and sinful at its core. it is our pride that is so often the root of the other sins that plague our human existence: adhering to the notion that attending church, tithing, or even serving devotedly in a ministry makes anyone a better or more deserving person is against the very message of the Gospel. now don't get me wrong, i believe in loving and serving our world, in living in a Christ-like manner, and in fellowship and worship as essential parts of a thriving faith. however, i believe that all of those aspects of faith are a result of the heart-belief that Christ is Lord, that He died for us, and that we ought to live our lives in response to this generous gift of salvation.
note: you can't earn your way into heaven, period. "it is with your heart that you believe and are justified..." Romans 10:10
perhaps we struggle simply because we sheltered children, after a life of hand-sanitizer and vaccinations, are confused as to how much evil and ineptitude we see in the world. that's a possibility, right? even in our own neighborhoods, there are families who can't afford to feed their children on the weekends. in our own families, there are people getting shot, being diagnosed with cancer or some other horrific disease, or losing a job they depended on to provide for their own needs and those of others. i know it's a terrible, mad world, but that's our own fault. we are the remnants, or rather the descendants, of the original sinners. we sin from the minute we begin to consciously make decisions as children; ask any parent of a toddler, and they will support this assertion. we are not "generally good people," even if we believe we are. perhaps it's not that we are openly angry or abusive, maybe we just don't give freely of our abundance. laziness pervades our personalities, as we cheat on papers and exams and assignments rather than take the time to do the work ourselves. greed exemplifies American society as a whole, and i don't even feel like i have to elaborate. we worship sex, love, liquor, singers, the opinions of others, the sun; the only Being worthy of praise orchestrated the creation of the world and everything in it. why glorify the chocolate chip when it's one of 15 in a perfectly-constructed banana-buttermilk-allpurposeflour-egg-vanilla-seasalt-blueberry-chocolatechip-butterinthepan concoction?
"every good and perfect gift is from above..." James 1:17
ultimately, i saved the hardest reason to confront for my last point. regardless of our excuses or objections, committing to faith is just that, a commitment. in our youth, we are encouraged to explore, adventure, embrace, and tolerate. the commitment that faith in Christ requires is messy, it gets in the way, it's tough, and it is a divisive decision when our society seems to have adopted the stance that the Christian faith is an outdated, unnecessary aspect of a well-rounded life. #nopainnogain is a marathon motto for a reason, folks. yes, sometimes it is difficult to reconcile the goodness of God with the evil and deceit and horrors we are privy to here on earth. often, i wonder what the "young and wild and free" crowd has that truly concerns them. every single Sunday, i wonder why the alarm seems to always go off too early to allow me to get a full night's rest. i'll respond to this point with two counter-arguments:
1. "You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment." Ecclesiastes 11:9. this verse is one of my favorites, though for reasons that lie in the last part that I purposefully emphasized. although we are given the gift of joy and earthly pleasures, we are called to find our hearts so deeply engrossed in the pursuit of Christ that the delights of our hearts should align with His will. this verse, and others like it, aren't free passes to live like you have no boundaries in your youth; rather it is an open invitation to learn to dwell deeply in the beauty and brilliant Light of the Gospel while you are young and free to pursue Christ with the energy and exuberance that accompany youth.
2. grow up kids. the mark of a true adult isn't that it's now legal for you to stay out until you choose to come home, or that you can inhale alcoholic beverages with no regard for the presence of the A.L.E. the mark of an adult is shouldering responsibility for your actions, for your future, for your soul, and for the mission of Christ. so get out of bed, commit to serving and tithing, and act adult rather than claiming the perks without any of the effort. that's called friends with benefits, and we all know only mila kunis and justin timberlake made that work.
#ramblings
#inspired
-lc
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