Individualism in our society, as I look at it today, is the greatest threat to an understanding of the church and the meaning of being a Christian. Yet, the unique contribution of America in the history of humankind has been the perfection of individualism.
The result is a generation of Christians trying to find "God's will for my life" rather than God's will period. They are the people who come to me on a campus to seek God's will, having already decided what careers they will pursue, who they will marry, where they will live, how much they will earn, how many children they will have, and what kind of car they will drive. It is not God's will they are asking for, but rather, "How do I fit God into my life?"
They later become dissatisfied with their plans and instead of changing begin to look around for an "exciting church" or a "new feeling or spiritual experience." They are looking around for what's happening when, as God's people, we are called to make things happen.
What is God doing in the world today? How can Christians make things happen? The answer to both questions is building the local body of Christ. The Spirit of God is at work today "nourishing and knitting people together through joints and ligaments" (Colossians 2:19) into local fellowships that can effectively embody the life of Jesus Christ in those neighborhoods.
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