SHARE Magazine July 2017 | Page 16

The Work Hard Religion A A young lady recently told me that while she was away visiting a relative she went along with them to one of their Church’s Bible studies. As a young Christian, she anticipated a study where the Bible would be prayerfully read and discussed but nothing like that happened. No one at this Bible study had a physical Bible, and that’s not too bad, as maybe they had Bible apps on their phones. The problem however, is that they didn’t need a Bible in this ‘Bible study’. The lady who led spoke mainly about how we should be positive and should positively affirm people around us at our workplaces etc... so that we can win them (she did not say for what or to whom we are to win them.) The very young Christian relating this to me was obviously disappointed that there was nothing in that meeting that fed her soul. The meeting was nothing but positive, motivational fluff. To her credit she was brave enough to ask, “to what end are we to do all of this?” There was no satisfactory answer. Such meetings and messages are not strange among the modern, popular, 16 | SHARE | MAGAZINE emerging ‘Churches’. It is no surprise to hear more motivational talk than gospel coming from these pulpits (I assume you know what the true message of the gospel is). It’s as if motivational talk is the new gospel. This is an end time strategy of the spirit of Antichrist that has infiltrated the Church. Another devilish rhetoric that accompanies this motivational deception is the ‘work hard’ and ‘achieve your dreams’ type message. The number of Christians on social media posting speeches of this sort by celebrities who have ‘made it big’... would lead you to think that these people were heroes of the faith. They however are not preaching the gospel according to Scriptures but according to their own misguided interpretation. It’s motivational talk, punctuated with religious jargons. The Cult of Self-Actualization So what is the jist of their message? 1. ‘Keep working, keep striving, never give up’ 2. ‘If you can dream it, you can do it’ July - September 2017 (taken from Walt Disney) 3. ‘Never give up on your dreams’ 4. ‘You can be whatever you want to be’ 5. ‘You can achieve anything if you work hard’ Their message conditions our minds to believe in ourselves and in earthly gains but Jesus’ message teaches otherwise. Jesus says… “...without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 Paul also speaks differently. He says… “...seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Often you will hear individuals tell stories of how these people and others overcame great odds through self motivation to achieve what most others coveted. They paint a picture of success