Black American Idols- Does your popularity condemn you?

No, Brothers and Sisters, we are not going back to high school.  Perish the thought.  However, High School may be a great place to begin this post. 

I know high school.  I should. I went to 4 different schools between 9th and 12th grade.  If there was one thing that I understood, it was this---the overwhelming majority of people wanted to be popular.  We all wanted in some way to be accepted by the peers we attended class with everyday.  As such, we were all sheep when it came to our taste in clothing, music, and other people.  Unfortunately, things have not changed much since high school.  Why do you think Facebook has a 'friends' counter on it.  Because it tells us how popular we are.  I've even heard grown people lamenting the fact that someone had ceased to be thier friend on Facebook.  

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Let's examine this through a biblical lens.  First, the word church means 'called out.'  Those of us who make up the body of Christ are 'called out' of the culture to be set apart for God.  Peter says it this way:

1 Peter 2:9-10 - 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called
you out of darkness into his wonderful light. NIV

If this is true, why do we as Black Christians seek the approval of the Black culture at large when we know the standards of the black culture are very different from those of God?  If we belong to God, why do we seek mans approval?  What are we doing getting our ideas from various media outlets that are spewing out unchristian ideas that sound good to the unsaved, but should be shunned by the Christian. 

Being popular means we must put aside Christ and embrace the world, because the word says the world will hate us like they hated Christ.

 John 15:19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

  So if we are popular with the world, then the world is seeing us and not Christ in us.  We are called to deny ourselves, and our selfish desires to be like the world so Christ can be glorified. 

 Matt 16:24-26 - "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and
take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose
it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a
man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?

The danger is that our desire to be popular will cause us to sin.  It will lead us to do things so we can 'look' like the culture we so desperately want to be accepted by.  Your desire to be popular will cause you to compromise your relationship with Christ in favor of a union with this world.

But our Bible teaches this:

Eph 4:17-24 - 17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no
longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are
darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the
ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all
sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every
kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. 20 You, however, did not come
to know Christ that way. 21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in
accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to
your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by
its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and
to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness. NIV

I will end with this thought.  More is not always better. If you have a plethora of worldly friends and worldly relationships, you may want to question your commitment to Christ.  If your friends have not turned on you because of Christ, then you may not be showing enough of Christ in your daily walk.  If the Bible is true, then people will hate you because of Him.  You will not be popular.  You will not be beloved.  You will walk the narrow road which does not allow many to walk with you. 

Black American Idols---Happiness, Idol or Not

Greetings Brethren,

I know it has been some time since I last posted.  It was not for a lack of trying. 

Today, I want continue our discourse about idols.  Specifically idols in the Black American community, and in the Black American church.  I don't wish to step on your toes, but if I do, you may want to take a moment to examine your thinking through a biblical lens. I have done so myself, and the more I think about my own thinking through the light of the word of God, I find myself lacking. 


It's funny how things work sometimes.  Twice this week I have spoken with different people who mentioned in the course of conversation that they do not believe that God wants them to be unhappy.  It was the first conversation that led me to post about this very topic.  It was the second conversation that confirmed it. 

The question on the floor is this: Is happiness an idol? 

I see many television preachers selling happiness on TV, and I often wonder what happens when people send in their money and they do not receive the happiness promised.  Why is happiness a goal for so many people?  Should we be so focused on our own happiness?  Does our preoccupation with being happy reveal a sort of selfishness within us?  

Remember, our working definition of idol is bascially anything that replaces God in our hearts and minds, or anything that we 'worship.' 

Many times I hear people say, if they just had this, or just had that then they would be happy.  That a certain job, or relationship, or car, or degree would be the thing that makes them happy.  And of course, if it makes you happy, then God must want it for your, because God wants us to be happy?  Right? 

Thus, we chase after the thing that will make us happy.  Then we get it.  Then we are happy.  Then the thing gets old, or boring, or broken in some way and we are no longer happy.  Then we fixate on something else to make us happy.  Sound familiar? 

Brothers and Sisters, if you are chasing after happiness, then happiness may be your idol.  And it is a false idol, like all other idols.  Like all other idols, happiness is temporary, and it cannot last into eternity. 

I do not believe that God is concerned at all with our happiness.  I believe that God is concerned with our salvation.  Question, if everyone was happy all of the time, why would we ever need God?  Why would we turn to God?  Why would we seek his face, or his grace, if we were always happy? 

When I think about my own salvation, it was due to me being very confused, very distraught, and very unhappy.  That unhappiness was the thing that drove me into the arms of my lord and savior.  To be completely transparent, when I am at my lowest points, I am closest to my savior.  Read the following scripture written by Paul in reference to a 'thorn' in his flesh that the lord would not take away.

2 Corinthians 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.


  If Paul, who wrote most of the New Testatament, had an ailment that God refused to take away, so that God's power would be made perfect in Paul's suffering---what makes you think God wants you to be happy?    Did you know that almost every apostle was murdered for Jesus?  That they died horrible, terrible deaths, because they followed Christ?  Was God concerned with their happiness?    What about David?  David spent a large part of his life running from his enemies.  Was God concerned with his happiness?   Consider Job, who was a faithful servant.  Was God concerned with his happiness?    Brothers and Sisters, God wants us to believe in Jesus, repent of our sins, and spend eternity with Him.  If we must suffer for that to be accomplished then so be it.  It would be far better for us to suffer in this life than in the next, because if we suffer in the next life we will suffer for eternity.    I hope this is clear.

I hear too many Christians saying that God wants us to have life, and have it more abundantly.  YES,  HE DOES!  What do we think that means?  That means Jesus!  It means Jesus came so we can have access 24/7 to the life that he gives---eternal life with Him. Read John 10:10 again, and see if it makes sense now.  The life Jesus provides is Jesus, and communion with with Him, our savior.  It does not mean we are going to be happy.  It means that whatever is happening, we can always go to our High Priest with with it. 

 Lastly, I want to say this.  A few chapters later, in John 14:6, Jesus says this: I am the way the truth and the life.  You see, Jesus himself is what we need abundantly.  He works all things together for our good.  That is all things--happiness, sadness, poverty, prosperity, all things.  So just because things didn't work out the way we planned--we know that we are being led to a good place by a good Sheppard; even if the way is rough. 
 I can say more, in fact I think I will next time.  Until then, examine your thoughts, search the scriptures, and see what the word of God has to say about happiness.  Maybe you are in a place where God wants you because he can work with you in this place.  He can perfect you in this place.  Maybe your trial is necessary to make you weak so his strength is perfected in you.  Maybe we are too concerned with our own happiness and not concerned enough about His will.  Remember, Thy will be done, not My will be done.