I want to be relevant. When I teach my Wednesday night class full of 9-12 year old girls, I want to be relevant. I don’t want them looking at me and thinking, “Mrs. Dee has absolutely no idea what I’m going through.” But, the fact is that while I am not too old, much has changed since I was their age.
I want to be relevant, but I do not want to compromise my convictions. This is the tension I feel often when the girls ask questions that challenge me. They normally want a yes or no answer, and sometimes it is just not that simple.
How do we, as Christians, be relevant to the younger generation and the society at large without compromising our convictions? Why is it even important to be relevant? These are questions with which I continue to struggle, but I will give my thoughts at this moment and would love to read yours as well.
First, I do believe that we need to be relevant. What I mean by this is that I want others to look at our church and believe that their lives would be better with a thriving relationship with God. If they do not believe that, then I do not see much hope for the future of the church. We need to show others how a relationship with Christ impacts our daily lives, helps us make decisions, heals our broken relationships, etc. If other people do not think there is a need for them to have a relationship with God, then why would they want one?
But, I have witnessed that there are churches (and ministers) that have sacrificed holiness (sanctification and convictions) on the altar of relevance. I mean that some people have stopped preaching against sins, vying for holiness, pleading for reconciliation among their members, etc. So, you may ask, “Where is the danger in this?”
Jesus was the most relevant person of his time – he ate with tax collectors and sinners, he forgave the adulteress, he preached out against hypocrisy and healed and delivered the people in many cases. But, he was more than merely someone to whom the people could relate. He preached holiness and reconciliation. He offered wholeness and redemption. His entire message was about helping us to become whole and complete in every area of our lives.
Sometimes becoming whole and complete can be painful. Sometimes helping someone become complete involves talking about holiness, and not just leaving out the difficult aspects of living a Christian life in a secular world. So, while I want to be relevant, I never want to lose sight of what makes me relevant – answering difficult questions with honesty and grace and Scriptural soundness. A necessary aspect of being relevant in the Kingdom of God is being Scripturally sound (healthy) and Spiritually sensitive (discerning).
Blessings to all,
Dee
