Weird Things Christians Say

A few weeks ago Geoff and I were driving back from out of town and he asked me this question: Do you ever hear people say that they’ve really been “pressing in” to the Lord?” I thought about it and recalled hearing the phrase before. “What does that even mean?” He asked. We proceeded to have a discussion about what people might mean when they use that vague expression. We didn’t get very far though, because it was actually difficult to come up with any answers. Do they mean they’ve been praying more than usual? Do they mean they’ve been getting serious about other spiritual disciplines? Do they mean they’ve been repenting of bad habits and renewing their minds? Who really knows?

Another vague, but often used phrase/ idea is this: You just need to stop trying so hard and let God work through you. There are many variations on this one, such as “Let go and let God,” or “Don’t think so hard about it; just trust God,” etc. 

These ideas might sound nice in theory, but there’s a problem with them. They don’t make sense. For instance, what does it practically look like for me to stop trying and to simply let God do something through me? Say I am struggling with a specific sin or addiction, does this mean I don’t avail myself of any of the practical tools I have available in fighting temptation while I wait for this mystical experience of letting God work “through” me? Meanwhile, the opportunity and provocation to sin arise, but since it doesn’t seem like God is interested in working through me at the moment, I acquiesce to the temptation.

Also, it’s difficult to find any of the Biblical authors actually saying anything that resembles this hyper-spiritual Christian lingo. While Scripture does say, thankfully, that God is at work in us, it also assumes and even commands our active participation. To the Philippian church Paul says, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). Yes, God is at work in us, but this ought never to be used as a cop-out. Rather, the very fact that God is at work in us is the motivation behind putting forth effort in our growth into Christ-likeness.

Dallas Willard notes that “This process of "conformation to Christ”… is constantly supported by grace, and otherwise would be impossible. But it is not therefore passive. Grace is opposed to earning, not to effort. In fact, nothing inspires and enhances effort like the experience of Grace. Yet it is today necessary to assert boldly and often that becoming Christlike never occurs without intense and well-informed action on our part.”

When I was in college, I spent a summer in Santa Cruz, California doing ministry among co-workers I met through a job on the beach boardwalk. While there, I attended a local church every Sunday. The pastor of the church was a very kind man who had experienced serious burn-out in ministry. He shared that, now that he was on the other side of that burn-out, he approached ministry and life in general differently. He said that his focus was no longer upon making plans, but upon what God wanted to do through him. He said that we need to get out of the way and let God live his life through us. It sounded like a really refreshing idea, and I remember thinking that I should try it out. But when it came down to practical application I was confused. Wait...so how is this supposed to work?

I understand that there is something to be said for holding our plans loosely. And the Christian life is certainly not meant to be one of pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps and trying really hard in a way that is divorced from the helps that God has given us, such as the support of a Christian community, prayer, and other disciplines. But trying really hard is not the problem. I don't see how Jesus could have meant we're not supposed to try when he said that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

I fear that the “Just let God work through you” version of Christianity is doing many a disservice. We need to think through the things we tell others, as well as evaluate how we may be being influenced by the weird/untrue/inaccurate things others say.

 http://www.dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=168