“That message really resonated with me.”
Writers crave those words. We long to connect, and our hearts sing when our words strike a chord with our readers.
But as a Christian, messages that resonate make me nervous because I wonder why they resonate.
Messages that resonate may very well harmonize with the Holy Spirit: convicting, encouraging and instructing us:
- Bless those who persecute you… (Romans 12:14)
- Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility… (Colossians 3:12)
- Walk in a manner worthy of your calling… (Ephesians 4:1)
But since Satan deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, our sinful ears have been tuned to lies. Our crafty enemy and his dark forces are masters of manipulation, and prowl like lions to see whom they may devour. Or at least mislead.
Messages that resonate may join in the chorus of the enemy’s lies:
- All religions teach peace and are equal in God’s eyes, and He will accept anyone as long as they’re sincere.
- The Bible is just a collection of stories that inspire us and teach us how to live.
- If God is truly good, then He wouldn’t allow the suffering of innocents.
Or they may resonate with our own sinful tendencies:
- Yes, you lost your temper, but you can’t help it. That’s how you’re wired.
- You shouldn’t have broken that friend’s confidence, but their family needs prayer so it was ok to share it.
- God wants you to be true to yourself, to be happy whatever it takes.
We’re not just hearing these messages in the media; they’re finding their way into the Church.
It takes discernment and a knowledge of God’s Word to distinguish the truth from a lie.
Now the Bereans were of more noble character … for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. ~Acts 17:11 (niv)
The Bereans didn’t give Paul a free pass. As far as they were concerned, the super-apostle and great preacher was suspect! And yet many Christians today eagerly embrace the teachings of popular teachers, never testing their preaching to see if it adheres to scripture. It’s unpopular for church members and leaders to question those in the pulpit, and they may even face persecution for challenging false teaching.
The Church should be a place where truth is proclaimed, but since her inception there have been Bible twisters who would deceive us. But Jesus promised that those who STAND FIRM to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13); not being led astray by false teaching and messages that resonate with our sinful natures, but tuning our hearts to the truth of His word.
Photo Credits
Featured Image (Misty Pond) courtesy of Dan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
