THE FAMILY’S SPIRITUAL MUDDLE


Boy, do we have a spirituality muddle these days! We’ve got more brands than A & P.

In the middle of this muddle, old-fashioned Christianity is taking a beating. The young folks just don’t dig church.

Where does this muddle leave the family? Research by Barna says faith is nurtured in the family. That’s both good and bad news. It’s good if the family is firm in its faith. It is not good if the family is in the muddle.

In today’s Western world, the usual response to a spiritual question is: “That’s personal and private” or another is “I go with what’s comfortable.”

Both responses clearly represent the general public mood. The popular name for that mood is New Age. The central theme of New Age, whatever brand, is “I’ll decide what I believe, thank you.”

This public mood is in direct contradiction to Christian belief (despite the fact that most Westerners call themselves Christian). The Christian, Bible-based belief is that the new life comes when one surrenders self to the guidance of the Lord and His followers.

How’s that for radical? That’s radical! It just happens to go against a tenet of Western culture, i.e. “My Freedom comes First!”. That’s probably why traditional Christianity is on the wane in the West. It can’t stand the cultural competition.

Where does this leave the family? In the middle of a muddle! However, all faiths call for decision. The question is not whether “To Be or not To Be.” But rather “To believe or not believe” - that’s the question!

As the family chooses, so go the children. Barna is probably right about that.

If it is decision time, check out www.newhopecovenants.org - it helps.

Give us your views on THE FAMILY CHALLENGE.