Unhealthy Faith
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of
this world rather than on Christ.
Colossians 2:8
I once heard a story about a first-grader who handed his teacher a note on the first day of school. It read, "The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents." I thought that story was funny, but it also got me thinking about our heavenly Father. Perhaps He sometimes feels like pinning that note to some Christians.
It's so important that we represent God accurately! And one way to do this is by avoiding what I call beliefs of unhealthy faith. Here are a few examples: "When tragedy strikes, true believers should have real peace about it." Does that mean if someone really close to you suddenly dies in a tragic accident that I should feel at ease and at peace? That's crazy!
How about this one: "Material blessings are a sign of spiritual strength." So men like Hugh Hefner, who created the Playboy empire, is a spiritual giant? I don't think so! And here's a real classic: "More than anything else, God wants me to be happy." Help me find that passage in Scripture.
Be careful of these simple little proverbs that people try to pass off on you as Spiritual truths. Read and study God's word regularly so you can discern statements of an unhealthy faith.
- Steve Arterburn
"We need the gift of discernment again in our pulpits. It is not ability to predict that we need, but the anointed eye, the power of spiritual penetration and interpretation, the ability to appraise the religious scene as viewed from God's position, and to tell us what is actually going on." - A.W. Tozer
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