It is about time we unconform to the ways of this world!

I believe it is common knowledge that America is consumerism driven.  We can almost get anything we want the way we want it and as quickly as we want.  I personally have been able to order a non-essential item from Amazon in the morning only to see it delivered to my doorstep that afternoon.  My house is close enough to so many sporting goods stores that I can get almost any item I want within a few hours any day of the week.  I have access to multiple grocery stores and restaurants that will cater to any budget and food item I desire.  If I need a new shirt or pants the opportunities are almost endless for me to find something new or used.  When I feel the need to be entertained, there are parks, theaters, museums, stores, streaming services, etc. Burger King defined it best a few years ago when their slogan was “Have it your way!”.   I feel we have been trained that we can have everything our way and, if we don’t get it our way, there is something out there that will do it for us.  But does that consumerism translate into God’s church?  I don’t believe it does, but I think we’ve allowed it to come into our walk with God.  Hear me out.

Over the past 20 years I have heard Christians have candid discussions on preaching styles, service times, music preferences, small groups vs Sunday school classes, how often we should have communion, hymns or contemporary songs or both, fog machines, building expansions, payment options for tithes (credit cards, debit cards, QR codes, etc.), children in service or not in service, online vs in-person, which bible translation should we use, Ash Wednesday services, global versus local missions, and the list goes on and on.  Sometimes these topics lead to good discussion and sometimes these topics lead to division.  If I am not happy about how church approaches any of these topics, there is one out there that will appease me, temporarily.  At a quick glance there are over 400 churches within 10 miles of my home and I easily pass 20 churches on my drive to Central Church of the Nazarene.  In true American consumerism style, I could search around for a place that has the music I like, at the time I want it to occur, preaching from my preferred Bible translation, where my kids have their own service, the congregation size is just right, the seating is soft, and that there needs to be free coffee available.  We tell ourselves all we need to do is find the right place that meets our needs and then all will be good.  And then after a few weeks of finding the “right” place, they play a song that we didn’t like, or they had the kids set in with us during a service and it was hard to focus.  It is America people!  We should be able to get what we want when we want it, or we’ll just move on to the next church.  I hope you are picking up on my sarcasm here.  Yes, American consumerism has crept into how we view our church.  No, I do not believe God designed it that way.

God designed us to be around others.  God wants us to seek His will and teaching.  God provided us the Bible as His written word.  I have yet to find in the bible a preference on worship style.  He wants us to worship Him.  I have yet to find in the Bible what countries we should send missionaries.  He wants us to go and make more disciples.  I have yet to find anywhere in the Bible where it says who we should let in our homes or churches.  He simply says love our neighbors as ourselves.  I believe we need to focus more on God and less on ourselves.  We hear this all the time and we need to start asking Him what He wants instead.  I know it’s hard.  You and I live in a society that tells us otherwise.  We need to unconform to the ways of this world and let God transform us into new people by changing how we think.  Then we will learn God’s pleasing and perfect will for us (Romans 12:2).  Will you join me starting today?  In every interaction you have in the community, ask God what His will is.  In every interaction you have at church, ask God what His will is.  In every interaction you have at home, ask God what His will is.  I believe we need a revival!  We as Christians need to unconform to the American way so that we can get back to His pleasing and perfect will for us.