It is not worth an intelligent man’s time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.
– G. H. Hardy
This quote just grabbed my attention this morning. It seems as though we, as Christians, are called to be in the minority. And I might even go as far as to say when “Christianity” is in the majority, it is greatly flawed. Take the Pharisees in Jesus’ time, and then (dare I say) the Roman Catholic Church. In both cases, the service of God was reduced to mere religion, and the people at large were serving God outwardly instead of inwardly, thus not serving Him at all. I believe America is that way, and that “Christianity” in some form or another has become the state religion.
So dare to be in the minority. I challenge you as I challenge myself to question everything you do. Are you doing it because it’s just what you’re “supposed” to do? Are you really striving to serve God in what you’re doing, or are you just going through the motions? Who are you trying to please?
It’s not worth your time to conform to the majority. Strive to follow God and it’s certain that you will be in the minority.
Very true. I picked up a book by John MacArthur yesterday (“Hard to Believe”) at the DAV and it deals with this very thing. He talks about the new “Tastes great, less filling” gospel. It’s a gospel that is friendly, accomodating and non-confrontational.
I remember hearing of a study that found that parents were more likely to ask their kids – after Sunday school – whether they had fun, as opposed to what they had learned.
The gate is narrow and there are few who squeeze through, and then of course, only by God’s grace. The gospel is about self-denial, not self-fulfillment. Many churches see this as a hard sell and prefer the “seeker friendly” approach.