Stood the Test of Time
“We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.” (Ephesians 4:14)
There is always somebody out there telling you your faith is “naive,” “shallow,” “ignorant,” “outdated,” etc., but it is essential to take your time in making changes in your understanding of the faith. Brilliant and faithful people have lived and contemplated the Presbyterian faith for hundreds of years. To cast it off because you somehow know a better way is more than a little arrogant. You may come to disagree, but it should take decades of study and living your faith before making an informed decision.
I believe the year was 2006, and this woman wrote this stupid book, The Secret. The premise is that if you focus on something, it will come to you. If you concentrate hard enough on money, money will miraculously come to you. Oprah Winfrey celebrated this ridiculous book. Soon, The Secret was on the best-seller list. Christians were no longer praying because they could get what they wanted by spending their prayer time “focusing” on their wants.
All was great. It was working. The success of the book seemed to illustrate the truth of its message. The author focused on the book’s success, which all came true. But a couple of years later, the whole scam came crashing back to earth. No matter how much the faithful focused, they couldn’t stave off the most significant recession in American history. People focused on money but still lost their jobs, homes, and faith.
Christianity, and our Presbyterian denomination, has survived five hundred years. Through great joys and terrible disappointments, God has put our faith through the refiners’ fires. While no human entity is perfect, the Christian faith and our Presbyterian denomination have stood the test of time.
Today, thank God for the foundation of your church. Many of you have been influenced by the faith you were taught since childhood. Your commitment to others, your morality, your compassion, etc., was laid upon your heart by your church and its Biblical understanding. Ask God to guide you beyond the winds of religious popularity and remain grounded in the gospel's truth. There is substantial comfort in affirming a faith that God has blessed. Rejoice in being a Presbyterian. Our denomination has stood the test of time!
This devotion was originally published in September of 2017