Blue Jean Christianity
Blue Jean Christianity and What it Means to Me
What is “Blue Jean” Christianity?
The good news is that it has nothing to do with that pair of jeans we own, so our closets are good. 🙂
Frankly, the idea of a Blue Jean Christianity has a spiritual meaning for me. It’s a term I came up with to describe a “casual” faith.
It’s the kind of faith that surfaces only on our terms, when it benefits us, or makes us look good. Sadly, a casual or lukewarm faith doesn’t exist for God’s purposes, but for our own. It’s when church-attending happens only twice a year.
The Bad News
We know that God is sickened by “lukewarm” believers.
Whoa – did I say “sickened?”
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. –From Revelation 3:16, King James Version (KJV), Public Domain.
A graphic description, huh? God is so nauseated by lukewarm faith that He wants to spit it out of His mouth.
If that isn’t convicting, I don’t know what else is.
Unfortunately, that kind of faith used to describe me, starting back during my college years up until about age 30. I believed in God, but never talked about my faith or got into discussions about faith matters. I went to a few church services in college, but not many after that. It was all about the business of friendships and pursuing a career. I never even considered my eternal consequences. The adage, “come what may,” seemed to suit me perfectly.
But God
I was heading in one direction back then, but God’s will would not fail. It took several wake-up calls, before I finally got it. I’m grateful that my life changed, even though the spiritual road I’ve been on is fraught with a lot of painful bumps and bruises. It took time, but God is now at the center of my life where He should be.
Have I missed opportunities to share my faith? Yes. Instead of seizing an opportune moment, I’ve taken the easy, “keep your mouth shut” route. We all do it at times. God opens a door, and we’ve blown it.
It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over
A glance at the definitions of “lukewarm” in the dictionary include “tepid, and “blase.´”
Do those terms describe your faith?
Does your faith take a back seat, present only on Sundays? Or, are you active, engaged, and ready to share when an appropriate occasion comes up?
We can pray for those opportunities, and God will bless our prayers.
Why Did God Put Us Here in the First Place?
It’s pretty simple. We’re here to glorify God. Our focus should be on Him, not on fame, celebrity, fortune, or anything society deems as most important.
That means that casually pulling out the “faith card,” only when we’re in the mood or at church, doesn’t cut it.
No one is advocating tackling someone or “thumping” them, as some atheists and misguided people like to characterize what we do. They are wrong on so many levels.
As human beings, we should care about the lost because,
God cares that none of us should perish.
Nonbelievers will face judgment.
Our Truly Caring God
He created us, not the other way around.
Thankfully, we have a just and merciful God. He has clearly paved a way for our redemption through the Cross, our repentance, and faithful prayers. Once we take hold of that divine promise, how could we not share it with our neighbors?
The time is coming when this world will sink into apostasy. It’s already infecting America, and it’s spreading rapidly like an incessant virus. Our blessed hope is in God’s promise of salvation for authentic believers, and He always keeps His promises. Our desire should be to take the promptings from the Holy Spirit and plant those seeds when and where we can. The Holy Spirit will do the rest. Our mission field could be overseas, or it could be right down the street in our neighborhood.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.                                     –From 2 Peter 3:9, King James Version (KJV), Public Domain.
Life isn’t about bragging rights – that new car, new house, or vacation in Hawaii.
If you’re braggin’, it ain’t right. 😉
Those fortunes are exciting for a time, but unlike what society says, they don’t represent the true meaning of success. Our lives are designed to worship and glorify God.We are here for His pleasure.
Do we thank Him for those blessings when they come our way? Do our lives and actions always reflect His glory? If we’re honest, the answer is most likely, “not always.”
Something to think about, huh?
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