Spirits of the age

I believe that, in every generation, there are ‘spirits of the age’ that the Church has got to confront. Revival comes, in part, by identifying those spirits and attitudes unique to a generation, and then seeking God for wisdom in dealing with them. Sometimes it comes by combating the spirits head on, while at other times it is recognizing their affect on the culture around us, and then devising ways to reach the culture. Whether these are actual demonic spirits, or human attitudes I don’t know, but undoubtedly Satan is at the bottom of it all.

Among the spirits I see in our day, there is the spirit of convenience. People want to do what is convenient for them, and society has worked hard to cater to their desires. Unfortunately, the gospel is a very inconvenient experience based on sacrifice and commitment. Another spirit is a spirit of selfishness, which runs contrary to the scriptural dictate of selflessness and servanthood. Marketing gurus say the key to making a sale is WIIFM (What’s in it for me?)

I also think that there is a spirit of slumber, in which people are lulled into a false sense of security. This is certainly and endtime spirit, for in the parable of the Ten Virgins (which addresses the immediate time before the coming of the Lord) all ten virgins are sleeping. Paul warned that it is high time to ‘awake out of sleep.’

There is also a spirit of materialism, which is a direct violation of the commandment, ‘thou shalt not covet.’ This spirit drives the advertisement industry and makes individuals perpetually discontent with the things they have, and always wanting bigger, better or more. It is sad when people will add cable, a second cell phone, a newer car, a better IPOD, but complain about raising money for Sheaves For Christ.

The first step is to identify these and other spirits of our age. The second step is to understand that these spirits may easily infect us, as leaders, and our churches, as well. Finally, we recognize that these spirits are part of the culture we are trying to reach, and so we pray for wisdom from God in dealing with them in reaching our world.