I mentioned last week two deceptions of the age we live in that may not be on our radar scope. The first is the excessive individualism of our culture, to the detriment of seeing ourselves in community, most especially as active and functioning members in the Body of Christ. And I only hinted at the second one when I wrote of the attention we give to matters of comfort, convenience, and ease. I called that a spiritually lethal mix.

It is always a good spiritual exercise to pay particular attention to those elements of the faith, taught in Scripture, that cut against the grain of our own sensibilities. Otherwise, if we only are enthusiastic concerning those teachings that we already agree with, we have no way of knowing if we are humbly trusting God’s Word. It is when God’s word challenges our sensibilities that we have a chance to learn to trust God.