I’m working on an article and this has me thinking about an important question that Christians should consider, especially those who hold positions of authority—in any measure, great or small. If we do something as simple as write a blog, we should consider.
Are we creating disciples of Jesus Christ or dependents of man?
When dealing with Christian doctrine or matters of Christian living, we can spend a lot of time going through scriptures and laying everything out in a clear way. That can be beneficial, especially if it is done honestly and without biased loyalty toward a particular view or Christian sect. I know precious few who take the word of God so seriously, so it is a needful thing.
I’ve benefited from detailed bible studies, but nothing compares to struggling with an issue on your own with help of the scriptures and the Holy Spirit.
As someone who writes about Christianity, I’m trying to find the right balance. I don’t want to do all of the work necessarily, because that is not always what’s most beneficial. Yet, we all need some support and guidance. I certainly do.
However, many Christian leaders are more interested in creating dependents–not disciples. Dependents make leaders rich. Dependents maintain the position and social status of their leaders. Dependents hold up Christian systems that should fall to the ground.
The goal is not to gather followers unto ourselves, but to help Christians follow Jesus more closely and learn to trust in Him instead of overdependence on men, including Christian educational systems, Christian sects and denominations, and Christian leaders of all varieties.
As Christians, we should help each other. We are a body in Christ, which is an incredible thing. We are all given gifts that are to be used for the benefit of the whole, and we should revere the gifts God gives us and others. We should also be cautious because many are among us who are not really of us. We need leaders and teachers who can help keep us safe until we are mature enough to spot the difference.
However, we do not want to be overly dependent on any Christian person or system. I think we have a pandemic of this sort of dependence, and that leads to a massive number of immature Christians.
The last thing I want to do is add to this problem. So, this is something I try to be aware of, though I don’t know how to walk that thin line perfectly by any means. It would be wonderful to find that balance. I think that balance is the key to solving many of our problems in Christian society, especially within our churches.
In any case, I write this because I want all of us to be aware. We should be aware of ourselves and of our leaders and pray for us all. I want you to hold me accountable too and keep me in your prayers as I pray for any who read the words I write.
Do you have thoughts on this topic that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear other experiences and points of view.
Jesus Alone 