Worldly Christianity
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Christianity states that our purpose is to Glorify God. The reverse of this is the worldly ambition of self glorification. One common way this manifests itself in the world is the importance self actualisation is given. To raise yourself as high as possible, to do great things, to have as much power, wealth, knowledge, intelligence and fame as you possibly can.
If Christianity is opposed to the worldliness to the self why then does Googling “most popular Christian verses” reveal Jeremiah 29:11 as the first verse on the list? There is nothing wrong with this scripture. It is a message to a specific set of God’s people, at a specific place, at a specific time in history and perhaps it is a promise that can be generally applied. These people had no hope, as a people they seemed to have no future. The scripture is a powerful promise that God is God and would give his people a future.
But it is also comfortable for a world that is obsessed with self. It is popular because many Christians and “Christian” teachers reflect the world rather than Christianity. The fallen nature which deifies self and desires fame, popularity, power, wealth, importance and seeks to derive meaning and purpose from self uses Christian symbols, vernacular and even scripture to legitimise itself.
So lookout for worldliness dressed in Christianity, in what we think, read, watch and desire and remember our true purpose is to “Glorify God”.
