Jesus knew our tendency is to focus on how we appear to others rather than on whom we truly are. That our concern tends to be more on what others think about us than what God already knows about us. He called out the Pharisees for this, but He also calls us out as well by the very fact His words are preserved in the Scriptures for us to read and meditate upon.
And the Church desperately needs to do this. Why? Because it has become enamored with how things appear rather than how things truly are. I recently read a Facebook post by a pastor proclaiming life change was taking place because a group was at a big conference. Now I have been to enough conferences, revivals, etc. to know the vast majority walks away relatively unchanged, just as they do coming out of the church doors week after week.
This may strike you as harsh, but think about it for a moment. How much of our impression of the movement of God is based on outward things—the sheer numbers or the emotions proclaimed? Many people proclaim “great things” are happening at their churches or at certain conferences, but what is that opinion based upon? Typically, it is the numbers, the emotions, or the feel people have in being there. Rarely is there talk about the hard evidence of transformation—not just attendance but actually lives that exhibit true change.
It is so easy to be fooled by the outward show, but the true test is what is taking place on the inside. We can show up to a lot of events, but the question is, are we encountering Jesus in such a way that leads to real change in our lives? Sadly, I think, as we look across the breadth of the Church, the answer is no. Lots of activities and lots of people showing up, but little transformation. Great experiences? Yes. Emotional highs? Yes. Life-transforming change? Very little.
I write this because I have worked with many students who have been to plenty of conferences billed as “life-changing,” but they were not changed. They have been in “dynamic and powerful” youth groups, but came to college with little understanding of what following Jesus involves besides participating in Christian events and adhering to certain beliefs. And more importantly, I have experienced this myself. Of all the conferences I have attended since becoming a Christian, I can say only one was truly transformative for me. Change for me has rather come from seeking to walk daily with Jesus, obeying Him, and confessing to Him when I don’t.
In an age of hype and emotionalism, I think we have missed what the key to life-change really is. It is not chasing after emotional and spiritual highs, or keeping up the pretense of some great spirituality, but rather humbling ourselves before God by acknowledging our sinfulness and our deep need for Him. Only then will we experience true transformation.
Today, appearances aside, what do you look like on the inside? If it is a very different picture, then know the Lord has already seen it and would love to clean it up. All you have to do is come to Him and humble yourself, and then true transformation will begin.
© Jim Musser 2016
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