Power Shifters by Michael Pitts

Author:Michael Pitts [Pitts, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-09-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

Image Changers

Somewhere along the line the contemporary church in America has developed a defeatist mentality. We have bought into society’s erroneous image of the Church as impotent, irrelevant, and outmoded. No one, we are told, with any real brains, gifts, or talents will waste those assets in church life when they can achieve greater success and acclaim serving the popular culture. Many Christians have lived for so long in the shadow of defeat with no clear sign in their midst of God’s presence and power that they have accepted such a state of affairs as the norm. Many have resigned themselves to life in a culture shaped by the secular and humanistic voices in society rather than by the prophetic voice of the Church. Society is prepared to tolerate the Church as long as it keeps its mouth shut about “issues” and focuses its attention on dealing with the broken-down, beat-up, busted and disgusted, dysfunctional people.

As James 3:10 says, “My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” There is no place in the Church of Christ or in the people of God for a defeatist mindset. The Bible says we are winners, not losers. Rather than a defeated people, we are “more than conquerors” through Christ who loves us (Rom. 8:37). When Jesus established His Church He promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18). There is no defeat in Jesus Christ. No matter what our situation or circumstance, in Christ we already have the victory. Ultimately, everything will serve His purpose and our good if we love Him and are committed to obeying Him. That is why Paul says, “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28). In other words, someday God will cause even our mistakes to glorify Him. It’s a given: as Christians, we cannot lose!

So why then do we act like losers? Why do we continue in a defeatist mindset that reinforces the cultural image of the Church as nothing more than a refuge for the dregs of society, a place of “less-than”? Is it because we have come to believe that image? Is it because we don’t expect anything more from our Christian life or from the ministry of the Church? Is it because we have somehow accepted the idea that this is how the Church is supposed to be?

We will never change society’s image of the Church until we lay aside our defeatist mentality and start thinking and acting like winners. To begin with, we must stop being merely believers and become true belongers; we must buy into the work that God is doing all around us to cast down strongholds and change images. Until and unless we as children of God take personal ownership of God’s purposes in the earth, we will never pose a threat to the powers of darkness in our generation. Contrary to what the world thinks, Christians are not helpless, powerless, poverty-stricken orphans.

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