Sinking Surreptitiously into Spiritual Defection
by Sam Ang
John and Adeline feel they are good Christians - better than most. It's just that since their children have grown up, church has not been quite as important anymore. They have heard almost every sermon they could hear and John says he is tired of "re-runs." Besides, they have convinced themselves that they have not left God; they are just leaving the church. After all, they are retired.
Would that be the best excuse for avoiding church and serving the congregation? Could they not be involved in a ministry where their spiritual experience will encourage the younger generation?
Betty has been leading women's Bible study for several years and finds it the most fulfilling thing she has ever done in her life. She loves teaching. She knows that teaching about God is a good thing, but she cannot help wondering whether she is doing it for the right reason. Sometimes she feels guilty, secretly wondering about her true motivations. She thinks they might not all be sincerely spiritual, but she's pretty sure she does not want to know the truth. If no one is complaining at Bible Study, why should she worry? Feeling better, she dismisses the disturbing thoughts.
Spiritual defection happens slowly and most Christians are not even aware of it when it happens. It is easier to spot it in others than in ourselves, and since it manifests itself differently in different people, it can be difficult to detect. In other people's eyes, and even in our own, our Christian faith is pure and strong, our motives unquestionable.
We are not all that we are pretending to be, and we know it. Often, our godliness is for public consumption. Our patience may be plastic. Our public prayers may be eloquent but our private prayers are often non-existent or anaemic. And thus, we begin a downward spiral defection from sincere service to Christ and His Church.
In time, we become FAKES! Because we are so different, we may not recognise ourselves as spiritual fakes at first. The deception goes deep in some of us. The problem, of course, is that deception is so ingrained in us that the deceit often becomes second nature - not just in church.
Did you catch a glimpse of yourself in the description above? If you did, don't take it personally; you are not alone. In fact the church is filled with spiritual defectors who come in all shapes, sizes, styles and varieties.
How do we arrest the problem and not become a fake? Let's start with some soul-searching questions:
- What are your primary reasons for serving? Remember God is more interested in why we are doing something than in what we are doing.
- Are we secretly attracted to spiritual reputation? Acts 5:1-10 tells the story of the infamous Ananias and Sapphira. They wanted to look good spiritually in the eyes of their fellow worshippers. Unfortunately they were fakes.
- Is there much joy in our service to the Lord regardless of whether people notice our work? Sure, we get discouraged sometimes when the ministry is tough and nobody seems to notice our labour. But do we quickly rise above the disappointment and press on, rather than quit in resentment?
At the end of the day, we can fool everyone around us, but we worship a God whose eyes roam the earth for an honest heart. Let's get real with Him.
Note: Much of the content is taken from "Faking Church" by Dan Schaeffer. |
