What really matters? That's a question the modern day church-goer needs to evaluate, especially in these days of deception and falling away. Jesus prophesied that as we get closer to the time of the Tribulation, this falling away will become more common place - “And at that time many will fall away…And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many.” (Matthew 24:10-11). The Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul warned - “…in the latter times some will fall away from the faith …holding to a form of godliness but denying its power” (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:5). God's viewpoint could be directed to many modern day church-goers - “I am amazed that you are to quickly deserting Him who called you…(Galatians 1:6)

President John F. Kennedy raised another issue for self-centered, consumer oriented church-goers. He was stating politically what modern church-goers should be saying to themselves: “Ask not what your country can do for you…ask what you can do for your country.” Modern, self-centered church-goers should replace “country” with the more important concept, “church.” The church was never designed to be “consumer oriented” but rather the church was designed to be a mutually edifying group of God's people helping one another to grow in conformity to Jesus Christ…and that will require humility and self-sacrifice.

Today's My Utmost for His Highest hits upon these topics:

“We imagine that God has a special interest in our personal biases. We're sure He'll never deal with us as He does with others. We think, “Well, of course God has to handle those people in a very stern way, but He knows my biases are OK.” Not a bit of it!

Instead of God being on the side of our biases, he is deliberately wiping them out. It's part of our moral education to have our biases pierced straight through by his providence.

God wants only one thing from us: unconditional surrender. When we are born again, the Holy Spirit begins to work his new creation inside us, and a time will come when the old life will have gone entirely—the old sense of self-importance, the old attitudes.

How are we to get this new life? The life that has no self-interest, no oversensitivity? How will we get the love that is not easily angered, that thinks no evil (1 Corinthians 13:4-6)? The only way is by allowing nothing of the old life to remain—only simple, perfect trust in God, such trust that we no longer want God's blessings, only God Himself. Have we come to the place where God can withdraw His blessings and it doesn't shake our trust in him? Once we've seen God at work, we will never again worry ourselves about what happens. All our trust will be in our Father in heaven, whom the world cannot see.”

Today's consumer-oriented church-goer will have real problems with this Truth Matter. It takes commitment and an unending pursuit of truth to realize we live to edify others in the body of Christ not insist on fulfilling our personal biases. We all have to remember -“the whole body, being joined and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the properly measured working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:16)

My prayer for you and me this day is this: Lord, as long as we see the church having to acquiesce to our biases, we will view that church as consumers. Help us to put aside our biases and see our roles as building up one another in the body of believers God has placed us in. Our prayer should reflect this song:

Make me a servant, humble and meek.
Lord let me lift up those who are weak.
And may the prayer of my heart always be:
Make me a servant, make me a servant, make me a servant today.

Walk with the King today and be a blessing.