Religion or Christ?

“There seems to be a growing fear and confusion in my church about the decline of Christianity in America. I’ve read the statistics. I continue to read them, and they tell me that many of my peers have decided that religion isn’t for them. It’s not that they’ve rejected the idea of a higher power completely, they just don’t seem to find any value in claiming a particular religion. For many, this is a scary time. They see this as a decline in the nation’s moral compass, an abandoning of God’s principles. The funny thing is, I don’t.

Every morning I wake up knowing God’s purpose for me. While I don’t know what methods He will use, I do know that He has placed me in the midst of a land full of opportunity and guided me to help heal some of the damage religion has caused here. I think that’s the first step in all of this—realizing that we have collectively used God’s Word in ways that blatantly contradict His character. Repeatedly. And we continue to do so.

Becoming Christlike

In many ways this has made it easier than ever to stand out as a true follower of Christ—all you have to do is treat people the way He would have. It’s really that simple. See, Jesus was magnetic. He didn’t need to talk people into coming to His events or sermons. He drew them naturally, because human beings crave love, attention, and appreciation. We want to be around people we can trust.

God has a plan for me—personally in my interactions and corporately in my church. Sometimes, often, that means holding my church accountable for how it treats people. It means leading by example and trying to cultivate a Christlike character in my life. But it also means taking up the responsibilities passed down through generations of flawed, struggling people. I think that’s how I find purpose each day, knowing that things need doing and that God has equipped me to do them.”

Kaleb Eisele writes from the Pacific Northwest.

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