The following are misconceptions some Christians believe. While there is a bit of wisdom in each, believing or stating these to the wrong person and in the wrong context can limit the power of God. The pervasiveness of some of these notions has caused many to doubt God or leave Him all together. Sometimes advice by Christians is equal to instructing a hungry person to go and be full. May these thoughts enrich your walk with Him.
1. Pray to God and all will be fine. How will it be fine and how do you know what God will answer? While we cast our cares onto Him, His answer to our prayer may actually be "no." The correct statement may need to be, "Trust in God and all will be fine." Whether Paul was free on the open seas or in a jail cell, he was content. Did his prayers immediately alleviate his troubles? No. However, his trust in God kept him faithful and content.
2. Always wear your best to church. Why? So God knows I'm right with Him? So others do? How does wearing a tie bring me closer to God? This cultural factor found within churches today causes us to focus too much on one’s dress, which can make modesty & discreetness difficult (2 Timothy 2:9).
3. Dress casually at church. Why? So I can impress people with my laid back, Christian attitude? A lack of care over what people think and how we present ourselves in formal settings does not aid in a Christian’s influence because we should be most concerned with what people think. Also, appropriate dress for certain occasions, including worship, can aid in someone's reverence for the event.
4. The church I go to teaches the right way. While we hope this, we must not be so naive to think that we hold the golden goose when it comes to doctrine. If we are right, then the word of God will speak to that, not us. One can become so stuck in this thinking that they neglect study and a true analysis of scripture.
5. When a young man becomes a Christian, we must get him leading in the worship service ASAP. This is important, as it is part of a man’s role in the church. However, leading a prayer or serving the Lord's supper is not the epitome of Christian service, but we sometimes treat it as such. Who would God be more pleased with? The man who leads prayer, teaches Bible class, and lives like the devil the rest of the time or the man who is much more faithful but doesn’t lead prayer because that’s not his talent. There’s much more to Christian service than being in front of people. Does the training of our young Christians reflect this?
6. We must get more teens in church. Getting them attending a church may actually make them hate it if the adults don't show these teens a better way than what they are currently living. They need to learn about the power of God, not just fill a pew space. Their attendance is important, but love, teaching, and guidance must also be a part of the equation. If you bring in a teen drug dealer and don't show him better, you've done nothing but give him a new set of customers.
7. Our lessons are Biblical. While Bible might be quoted a lot, is it used accurately and is it relevant? Are we trying to reach people with the power of God? Are we saying the same things every service or are we sincerely searching for what God is trying to tell us? While God may be our audience in worship, each lesson must be geared to pierce the hearts of those present. Take the lesson of the woman at the well. The lesson found here is relevant for all times, but unless the teacher/preacher bridges it to the listener of today, it’s wisdom may fall on deaf ears.
8. God is testing you with your trial (health, money, or family problems). How do you know this for certain? When giving advice to someone in distress, this is a stretch. If a weak Christian thinks God has brought the turmoil upon them, they might actually stop trusting in Him. Maybe Satan is trying to pull him away from God. Who knows? Will the person’s faith come out as gold as in 1 Peter 1:7? Sure. However, what matters is that the person trusts God enough to get them through the difficult circumstances for whatever reason they may be occurring.
9. The old ways are best. Just how Biblical are these old ways? Humans often think in irrational ways by not considering the validity of a certain point. We call it stubbornness, but it can be a bit more complicated than that. The desire to hold on to what is old can be addressed by a psychological force called “value attribution.” Value attribution means that once someone becomes committed to an idea they have placed a certain value on; it becomes very difficult to help them see the value of anything other than what they have conceived in their minds. If you look in your parents’ medicine cabinet, you might find that they are still using the same product they were using when you were a child. They have placed a certain value on that item and can’t be easily swayed into thinking that something else works better. In Acts 10, when Peter met with Cornelius, Peter references the fact that he should not even be in the company of Gentiles. Because of Peter’s faith in God, however, he changed his ways and accepted them. The old idea of considering others as unclean had been done away with. Peter accepted this new teaching and applied it to his ministry. Click here to read my complete article on this topic and on number 10.
10. Our churches need to work to be more modern. Just because something is new doesn’t mean that it is better. There is a psychological force called "diagnostic bias" that can throw a congregation into a whirlwind of decision making toward the new. After considering a potential or current plan of action, if it is dubbed “old-fashioned,” many congregations would reject it because they have “diagnosed” it as out of date. Sunday school, Bible-based sermons, and familiar songs are main stays of church work and should not be written off simply because they seem to be old. Christians need to love the Word and they can only do this through consistent Bible study. Preachers need to speak on more than what is popular and their lessons must have substance if they are expected to really change lives. Click here to read my complete article on this topic and on number 9.
