Ah...youth

[archive: January 19, 2006]

I was in the airport recently and after I took care of my ethical addiction at Starbucks (coffee), I walked past the bookstore. Casually glancing at the displays of books, I couldn’t help but notice the latest, greatest Christian inspiration book. In hopes of not being sued or verbally lashed for this commentary, let’s just say the book was called “your better than average existence today”. The author of the book is a well-known TV evangelist and the pastor of a mega church. Just seeing the book got my mind racing and my blood boiling.

Whether it is a Christian bookstore or a Barnes and Nobles bookstore, this book is usually in the forefront display of both stores and quite frankly, the very title of the book (not too mention the author and the idea of it’s content) makes my skin CRAWL! In my mind, it’s just a newer, slicker, hotter version of the prosperity Gospel; the idea that the favor and blessing of our Heavenly Father comes in the form of material wealth and tangible things. More so, the fact that people (including my generation) buy this book and others like it is because deep down inside of us we want that blessing. It’s part of being human in Western culture. In some form or another we all equate favor or blessing with being successful; being successful is then associated with material wealth. And so we have many Christians living life with this pervading thought process or ‘prosperity’ Gospel.

While thinking about this book, I walked down to my gate. I was early for the flight and had some extra time, so I decided to read some of the book of Philippians. I started with chapter 1 and when I finished reading it, the following verses hit me right in the gut:

“It is true that some preach about Christ because they are jealous and ambitious, but others preach about Christ because they want to help. They preach because they have love, and they know that God gave me the work of defending the Good News. But the others preach about Christ for selfish and wrong reasons, wanting to make trouble for me in prison. But it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that in every way, whether for right or wrong reasons, they are preaching about Christ. So I am happy and will continue to be happy.” (Philippians 1: 15-19 NCV)

It was as if Paul was sitting in the seat next to me at my gate, patting me on the back and saying, “ah…youth.” You know that saying, it’s the phrase that your parents or older friends say to you when your youthful enthusiasm gets the best of you. And it’s not really the enthusiastic optimism, but rather, zeal.

Paul and Timothy are sitting in prison, writing a letter to the church of Philippi and in their imprisonment, they GET IT. They have the love that passes all understanding or better said passes MY understanding. Apparently, during this time period, there were people preaching some sort of prosperity gospel. The comedian in me immediately had the image of these preachers telling people they would have larger huts, bigger camels and more fashionable sandals. ☺

In all seriousness, it was comforting to know that this was not a new problem yet it was convicting that I was not reacting like a saint, like Paul and Timothy. In all my wisdom, I felt ignorant. In all my maturity, I felt immature.

Paul’s love for people was broad, deep and embraced all that is human. His ambition and his life had one ambition “to know Him and to make Him known.” If they were preaching about Jesus, even for “wrong reasons”, Paul was happy. And that happiness was birthed out of his love and trust in the sovereignty of God. Because of the depth of Paul’s relationship with Jesus – really loving, knowing, trusting and being attentive to His presence – he was able to confidently love and rest in the sovereignty that His Father in Heaven is more than capable of using not only his (Paul’s) helpful, unselfish message, but the ambitious, selfish messages of others to His Glory.

That type of love is beyond understanding, because it is a love that finds confidence in Jesus, not in our own thoughts or judgments. That type of trust is inspiring because it is an outward response of a deep, ever-growing relationship with the Father. Both of these character qualities should motivate us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.”