Relevant?

In the Christian world, in America at least, we have this idea that is spoken about from time to time about being "relevant".  If you are seeking God a lot, limiting your television watching, talking about God a lot, or putting your kids in a Christian school, you might cause a fellow-Believer to mention that its important to be "relevant" to the world.

By "relevant" the Believer is saying we don't want to seem too-different or "weird" because then non-Believers will not be able to relate to us and they might be turned off from coming to Christ.

However the interesting thing about this is I have never heard a person who is seeking God daily and trying to live a holy life talk about the need to be relevant.  I have only heard the phrase "relevant" used in an attempt to pull someone back who is seeking the Lord.  I think what happens is a person trying to seek the Lord presents a challenge to Believers around them.  The God seeker with their lifestyle encourages, exhorts, and strongly urges other Believers to become a God seeker.  I believe that the enemy of our souls has invented this American Christian phrase and idea of "relevance" in order to tame radical God-seekers and marginalize them.

We have to challenge the things we think and not just go along with every thought or idea that is in the culture- even in the Christian culture.  It is both unwise and spineless to walk forward in a lifestyle of believing every clever phrase or idea that is presented to us.  This idea of "relevance" is one that should be challenged for example.

Think about it- do we have people who are so godly and so full of prayer that no one relates to them?  Who in the world do you know who spends so much time with God, and lives such a pure life, that no one understands or relates to them?  Have you ever met such a person?  I have never met such a person- I'd love to meet such a person actually.  The fact is the enemy tries to convince Believers about this idea of being "relevant" by pointing-out a few so-called Christians who are actually idiots.  The enemy will often produce false evidence to back-up his lies and will use a seed of truth and build an entire false idea out of it.

Certainly we see odd television evangelists, anger-filled "Christian screamers", and other examples in life of so-called "Christians" that embarrass us.  Certainly these people are not relevant or helpful to anyone.  However, those examples of strange behavior have nothing to do with the regular man or woman of God who is simply trying to live a pure life, limit media choices, educate their children to serve God, and live a life of intense prayer.  So you see the enemy at work attempting to link sober-minded radical God-seekers to the worst examples in order to discredit them.

Satan will always try to tame Believers.  He is not concerned about the busy, distracted, television-addicted, and zero prayer life Christian.  What the enemy is worried about- and builds up arguments against- are those who really put God first and seek Him.

The best way to defeat a lie is to bring forth the truth.  So, lets see what God says.  Deuteronomy 6:4-6 says, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." That passage sounds pretty radical to me- in fact there is nowhere in the Bible, which is the Christian's handbook, where there is any concern about being relevant.  This whole idea is an exaggeration and a lie.  In fact the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:15 says, "But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one."  This is saying the person who is spiritual is able to make good and accurate judgments about any area of life.  I have seen this in practice.  I find that sober-minded, God-seeking Believers who have a desire to love one another and do the right thing often make wise decisions in life.

I encourage you then to BE RELEVANT - by being a radical Christ-follower and seeker of God.

Let's GO God!

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