Who’s Fooling Whom?
My friend Tracy couldn’t believe his eyes. There before him was a twelve foot tall mountain of undigested… vitamins! The idea of “One a Day” took on a whole new meaning at that moment (sorry, couldn’t resist the beg for a pun). This was just seven day’s worth of vitamins the good people of Omaha had ‘deposited.’
The understanding with all vitamin ingest-ors is simple.
– ‘I invest in my health by adding supplements to my diet’
– ‘Supplements are vital’
– ‘These supplements, though expensive, and a bit inconvenient, will pay off in the long run…’
Maybe. Then again, probably not.
There are a lot of undigested things put into our systems today – things we have decided are good for us or our people. Again, maybe yes, maybe no. The pressing question – “Is the healthy stuff being assimilated into lives?” OR “Are people going through the motions for whatever reason…”
Religion we all say we are against is often being conveyed though we miss when it happens just like the unuseful vitamins. Information without life change produces cocooning. Cocooning separates people from the presence of the change God’s Spirit desires to bring.
Want to see change take effect? Dismantle the mountain of complexity – operate by the power that has the ability to change lives for good.
Take James’ words to heart:
Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet. James 4:10, The Message
About the author
Steve Sjogren
Steve Sjogren is widely regarded as the father of servant evangelism — the idea that small acts of kindness, done consistently and without strings attached, can change a church, a community, and eventually the world. He is the founding pastor of Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, which he and his wife Janie launched with a group of five people — eventually growing to over 7,000 weekly attenders across seven weekend services.
His first book, Conspiracy of Kindness, has sold over 300,000 copies and has been translated into several languages. Today he writes, speaks, and mentors church planters around the world.
