Word of the Week: Decline
If you follow much religious news, you’ve probably heard that religious belief in America is on the decline. Fewer and fewer people identify as Christians; more and more people identify as “Nones.” Places like the Pew Research Center give all sorts of troubling statistics and sometimes such figures can discourage us. What’s God doing now? There’s a lot to say when we see numbers like that, but 1 Peter 4:12-19 gives us a place to start. God uses suffering to purify his church and I think the church in America is experiencing that kind of sifting now.
Not everyone who goes to church belongs to the Church. You have probably guessed as much if you’ve spent much time with church folks. Jesus says as much in Matthew 7:21-23. There are people who attend religious activities and talk religious talk who don’t have a saving relationship with Jesus. There are people who just put on a mask, but their hearts are far from God.
What does this have to do with the stats? It doesn’t explain everything, but it explains something. There’s little social advantage to being a Christian these days. Reading the Bible doesn’t get you invited to the cool kids table. In fact, holding Christian convictions can even come at a social cost. For example, more and more Americans think the Bible’s teaching on sex and marriage are oppressive and bigoted – and so is anyone who believes it. Social pressure like that can cause people to fall away. Being a Christian isn’t worth putting up with that kind of abuse and so they stop altogether. That response speaks volumes about what their faith was like in the first place.
Peter’s encouragement in times like these? “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” Don’t get hung up on what people call you. Keep the faith and press on! This pressure only reveals the quality of our faith. Jesus is still on the throne – and one day everyone will call him King. Our willingness to put up with suffering says what Jesus is worth to us. What’s he worth to you?