It's All About Us, and Therein Lies the Problem

I ran across this today, from a favorite blog of mine (Raising Godly Children):

(James Smith, Affliction Regarded" 1865)

"They shed innocent blood-the blood of their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; so the land became polluted with blood!" Psalm 106:38

We may plead guiltless as to the shedding of the blood of the body - but there is the blood of souls! How many of us have sacrificed our children to the idols of the present Canaan - fashion, custom, dress, amusements, and worldly conformity in general!

Look at the poor example we give them!

Look at the worldly company we choose for them!

Look at the carnal practices we allow them to indulge in!

O how many of our children have been sacrificed to the custom, fashion, and the various idols of the world!

These words were published in 1865!  Yes, nearly 150 years ago, and yet look at what he said.    He refers to carnal practices, worldly company, idols of fashion!  If this was true 150 years ago, is it not more so today?

I was recently made aware of The Gospel Project , a new teaching tool from Lifeway with the aim of "immerse(ing) participants — adults, students, and kids — in the gospel through every story, theological concept, and call to missions from Genesis to Revelation."  Matt Chandler introduces the curriculum briefly in a video clip on the website.  I urge you to check out the website and listen to Matt's video.  He uses the story of David and Goliath to explain how the Gospel Project approaches Scripture.  Basically, he explains that many (most) people view the story of David and Goliath by putting themselves in the place of David, and their problems in the place of "Goliath".  But this isn't the point of the story at all.  David is a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ and Goliath is sin.  David's victory over Goliath is, likewise, a foreshadowing of Christ's triumph over sin. (First and foremost, David and Goliath were actual people, and this account is an actual encounter.  But God used their encounter to demonstrate his plans for our future salvation. Don't miss the reality and truth of the Scriptures.) 

In thinking about this understanding of Scripture, and in discussing it with others, I made the observation that one of the reasons so many people, students and adults alike, have difficulty with God's Word is that our culture has developed a "me-centered" theology.  We think it's all about us.  We go to the Bible to find out how we are to live our lives, how we are to deal with our problems, and what God is going to do for us.  That is not at all what the Bible is about.  The Bible is God's revelation of Himself to the world.  Yes, we can learn from it and fashion our thinking and lives on it's premises (and we should do just that).  But the point of Scripture is to know God.  Once we know Him, our lives will naturally reflect that knowledge.  Our problems, likewise, will pale in comparison to His glory.  And understanding who He is, we see the immensity of what He has already done for us.

So, back to that "me-centered" theology.  Doesn't it permeate everything in our culture?  In our churches?  We are a generation who has been made to believe that our desires, our needs, our likes and dislikes dictate everything we do.  And we are raising a generation who believes this even more than we ever did.  We live in a culture of political correctness, fairness, "rights", and tolerance.  We make our decisions as a culture, as churches, as families, based on how our children will "feel".  We never allow them to hurt.  We never allow them to work.  We worry about them having fun, having things, having friends.  And so they believe that they should always feel good, should always get what they want, should always enjoy whatever they are doing.  And then,  we are surprised that they walk away from their "faith" (if it ever was faith).  To quote my husband, "If we keep giving them everything they want, how in the world will they ever understand grace?"  It's no wonder they don't understand the depth of the love of God for them.  It's no wonder they don't return that love with enthusiasm.