In need of revival
One area under my umbrella of ministry is recovery ministry. Psychologists tell us that people will not change until they hit “rock bottom.” Hitting rock bottom can look like losing your job, your health, your financial security, your marriage, your house, and your children and sometimes all of those at the same time.
Regardless of the specific characteristics, hitting rock bottom is a major loss and trauma. Psychologists also tell us that only 20% of those who hit rock bottom will actually make all of the changes necessary to get their life in order and on the right track. Eighty percent of the people give up and give in. Marilyn vos Savant said, “Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.”
Step 1 of recovery involves overcoming denial that there is a problem that left untreated will result in far more serious problems later. You can’t treat a wound that you pretend is not there. Death can be the result of pretending a serious wound is not there.
The Church of Jesus Christ (Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant) in the United States and even more generally in western culture is in deep denial. “Things aren’t so bad.” “We’re doing pretty good.” “Compared to everyone else, we’re fine.” These are the statements of people who haven’t hit rock bottom yet but are on their way without any changes in course.
A Jewish friend of mine who lives in Israel and has a Ph.D. from Hebrew University said this to me during a personal conversation the last time I was in Israel. He said, “You Americans think that being a chosen people meant we were somehow special or privileged. That’s not what God meant. When He said we were chosen, He meant we were chosen for a specific mission. That mission was to reveal the true character of God to the broken, violent, oppressive, hyper-sexualized cultures around us. We failed. Now it’s your turn. Will you reveal God’s true character to the world, or will you make it ‘all about us’ like we did? That’s idolatry, you know.”
A loss of reverence for scriptural authority, loss of respect for covenant relationships, moral relativism, syncretism, the worries of this life, materialism and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for more has robbed the church of our voice for good in the very cultures we were sent on the mission to help redeem. Scandals rock the church. We didn’t just lose the culture war, too often, it was capitulation.
My statements will likely cause consternation on the part of some which I regret but constructive change can only begin when we face reality, humble ourselves, and admit there is a problem that is beyond our control. Consternation is often a manifestation of denial.
Frank Sinatra had a song “My Way” which a certain recipe for disaster. Christians who insist on doing it ‘“my way” fall into the same miasma as ancient Israel and those who need to seek recovery. People in Celebrate Recovery know there are two key principles in the steps they must reach to have victory over the deception and bondage in which they find themselves. Principle 3: Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. (Step 3) and Principle 6: Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects. (Steps 6 and 7).
How about we submit ourselves to doing it “God’s Way” instead of ‘My Way’? This is the way. (Mandalorians borrowed from Acts 18:25, 19:9, and 24:22.)
Watch for Part II October 21 and Part III November 4 for the great hope that waits for those looking for it.
Bud McConnaughey serves on the staff of North Summit Church, 201 N. Division, Sandpoint. If you want to know more about Jesus Christ and His hope, contact us www.northsummit.com . We’ll be glad to help you or refer you to numerous local congregations and pastors in Bonner County.