I LOVED my kids when they were babies, I LOVED them when they were toddlers and when they were preteens too. One of the stages of life you rarely hear parents say they loved is their teen years, but I’m happy to report that I have LOVED that stage too. There have been different aspects of each stage to treasure, I think one of the most fun stages has been their teenage and young adult years. They are now big enough and coordinated enough to adventure with and we have certainly done our fair share of adventuring, but they are also really developing into adults with their own opinions and beliefs about the world around them and we get to have some amazing conversations.
Very often, as it was today, our conversations are prompted by their discussion topics on their dual credit and college courses. We have an in-person discussion as they word their thoughts so they can type them up and post them for their classes. Gracie, working in her Theology class, was studying moralistic therapeutic deism and preparing to evaluate society from her viewpoint to ascertain if she thought today’s society was representative of it or not. Those are definitely college words! Liberty never disappoints! So, what is that and what did she decide, and we discuss?
According to her professor, moralistic therapeutic deism would be, being a good moral person, feeling good about oneself, feeling good, secure, and at peace, and with regard to deism not about repentance, obedience, or suffering and seeing God as being far away, absent. This emerged from a book called “Soul Searching” in 2005. Do we see this in society today? Both mine and Gracie’s responses were yes, we see a constant stream of quotes and memes encouraging people to put themselves first, to do whatever makes them happy. I read one this morning that said something to the effect of it is not your responsibility to sacrifice for anyone else, do what’s best for you. We can never forget the YOLO movement either, you only live once, do what makes you happy and whatever you want. Live it up! Additionally, the self-care memes and quotes are in no deficit either, but I’ll mention self-care in a bit as some measure of self-care is necessary but likely not for the reason that the movement boasts.
That was the general gist of our discussion about the existence of this thought process in society. Now why would her Theology professor want her to be aware of it and how does it line up with God’s word? That’s where the learning and growing begins. It doesn’t line up with God’s word. In fact, almost all of it is counter to God’s word, just reading the book of Philippians alone would allow you to realize that.
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any [a]affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete [b]by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing [c]from [d]selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude [e]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be [f]grasped, 7 but [g]emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and [h]being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death [i]on a cross. 9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to [j]desire and to work for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without complaining or arguments; 15 so that you will [k]prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you [l]appear as [m]lights in the world, 16 holding firmly the word of life, so that on the day of Christ I can take pride because I did not run in vain nor labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.
Philippians 2:1-18 NASB95 (BibleGateway)
Those verses alone would be enough to illustrate the incongruities but, since there is a therefore, we could benefit from going back and looking to see what the therefore is there for. In doing this we’ll actually discover more incongruities as the previous verses in Chapter 1 of Philippians, verses 21-30 detail what Godly living is. Paul says to live is Christ and to die is gain, living a Christlike life does mean sacrifice and we know from James chapter 1 that we will encounter trials of many kinds. Paul calls living on in the flesh fruitful labor, which indicates work, he encourages the church at Philippi and us, to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. This indicates that when you’re living for yourself and putting yourself first that you’re essentially your own god. You are seeking to serve self rather than Jesus. When it’s all about “me” it’s not all about Christ.
I will say there’s a difference in taking care of yourself with proper nutrition, exercise, sleep, etc. Sometimes we fill our plates with so much that taking a break to rest and rejuvenate is necessary, even Jesus attempted to go away with his disciples and rest.
When you are truly living for Christ, you know you were bought with a price and your life isn’t about you anymore, it’s necessary to untether from worldly ideologies and tether to the Word of God as the ultimate authority.
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Raychel Writes 