“CAUTION,” “HAZARDS AHEAD,” “DETOUR” We’ve all seen signs like these somewhere; they get our attention. What they’re saying is: beware, pay attention, look at what you’re doing, be ready for what’s ahead. Don’t assume that everything is as it should be. And that’s what we need to consider here today. There is a fundamental danger involved in doing life as a true believer of the Gospel in a world full of mixed signals and distractions. Distractions arise from various sources depending on where you live and the nature of your circumstances. A lot of people across the globe are distracted by hunger. They need nourishment and it’s hard to come by where they live. It’s tough to think about anything else if you haven’t eaten in several days—I’ve only experienced this by choice when I was fasting, but most people around the world are stressed in this regard. For Americans, distractions are more likely to come from other sources, although hunger can still be an issue for some folks.

We’re more likely to be distracted by the choices that are available to us. It is true that people in the upper echelon of society have more to choose from concerning where they live, what they eat, how they spend their time, etc. etc. But even people on the lower limbs of our tree have options that many people elsewhere crave—witness the incredible pressure on our borders by the influx of immigrants. Even poor folks have access to the internet, social media, entertainment and so on. Whether we know it or not, we’ve been indoctrinated by our culture in many ways. We’ve been given expectations that prompt us to make assumptions about the nature of our existence. Life owes us something! Equal opportunity, satisfaction, achievement, success are all understood to be available—or should be available—to all of us. We get to participate in our government. We get to make choices about how we do life. If we’re limited by our prospects we can seek to change our circumstances: on our own, through our government, through education, through the power of organization, maybe even through our church.

This is the environment in which American Christians seek to walk out their faith, asking questions like: How can we bear witness to the Gospel as we make a living, raise a family, achieve our goals, do life? Americans in general develop various avenues of effort and activity: money making, entertainment, perhaps public service, and this can influence American Christians to seek God as a past time, or perhaps as a secondary alternative to the other activities they engage in order to secure their lives. And the question to be asked is how does that happen? And what’s the plan or approach that we Christians should take as we do life in this world? Hopefully we’re making use of the three sources that have been emphasized on this blog: making progress in the faith by reading the Bible, praying, and going to church. If you’re not doing these things then you’re meandering, at least with regard to the Lord’s agenda. Getting in sync with the Lord doesn’t happen through osmosis. It requires seeking, expecting and listening to what the Lord has to say about what concerns us all. And even the concerns themselves need to be informed by God.

This points us to the emphasis of this post. Even diligent Christians who are availing themselves of the three sources we’ve emphasized for walking out their faith, need to guard against the tendency to assume without due consideration of their assumptions. The goal of achievement in certain ways is an assumption. In America, financial success is a common goal. Careers of various types are attempted, and act as goals for many people. Success in politics, education, medicine, finance, business, or just bringing in a proper income through any number of occupations, is sought and assumed as a proper goal by most Americans. And the Bible can be viewed as supporting those basic assumptions, informing a Christian’s approach to doing life. Scripture tells us that people should work for their livelihood; they should aid those in need; they should resist abusive behavior in their own conduct, and in their engagement with others.(Ephesians 4:28-29; John 13:34; Romans 13:8; Colossians 3:8-11) And these values are ideals embraced by Americans whether they’re practicing Christians or not.

Based on these circumstances, a list of assumptions that American Christians might make, need careful consideration. I’ve organized them into two groups with some obvious overlap. The first group pertains to how Christians should engage the Americanized world in which they live. In this regard it’s often assumed that everybody is an evangelist. All people have a need—even a right—to hear the “good news” of Jesus. And in keeping with this, we’re often expected to present the Gospel that informs our lives by inserting our views into whatever circumstances we find ourselves. I’m not sure that’s accurate. We’re all expected to give an account for why we do life the way we do, avoiding sin in every circumstance, and giving credence to the existence of God. But that’s not the same thing as evangelism. An evangelist is burdened to insinuate the Gospel into the lives of those who don’t know the Lord and to make a case for the validity of the message. That’s a gift that not everyone obtains. The reality of God should be promoted by all believers, but trying to get people to “convert” to Christianity may not be the best avenue for reflecting that reality. Conduct beyond reproach and an intentional effort to avoid improper behavior may be a better way to affirm the existence of God our Savior. Another assumption held by Christians and non-Christians alike is that everybody needs to enhance their income. This is very American; we’re tempted to gauge the success of our lives by the amount of wealth we’ve accumulated. Very difficult to find a biblical basis for that; but we do it anyway even if it’s subconscious. Lastly, we assume that because Christianity has been a cornerstone of culture throughout the history of this country, American values are assumed to be the values of the Word of God. In the first place the founding fathers of this country were not informed exclusively by the Bible. In fact it could be argued that the Constitutional Convention was informed more by political philosophy than the scriptures. That doesn’t mean that our culture hasn’t been significantly influenced by the Christian tradition, it just means that we can’t assume that American values are well informed by the Bible and therefore need to be perpetuated. Christians need to evaluate their cultural circumstances in the light of the Bible not on the basis of an assumed history.

The second category of assumptions has to do with how Christians, informed by the Bible, should conduct themselves in our current American environment. One fundamental assumption taken by American believers is that if an activity is not regarded as specifically sinful in the Bible then there is nothing wrong with engaging it. For example, there’s no commandment that says thou shalt not engage in social media, but I would say that continuous exposure to the ebb and flow of ideas on various social media platforms, crowds out truth and replaces it with opinion. And opinion can be consistent with specific Biblical values without promoting the basic intention of the Bible, which is to worship God and serve His purposes. Another assumption that influences our walk with God is the notion that an available opportunity—one that’s not prohibited by the Bible—is an indication of our Lord’s leading. This can be complicated and has to do with our ability to hear from God in a nuanced fashion. On the one hand the case is made that the Lord’s provision is an indication of His direction, but assuming that without seeking the Lord in prayer and through the counsel of others is a precarious posture. And it obstructs the opportunity to learn to hear the Lord in the particulars of life. God our Father wants our relationship with Him to be vital, but that’s a posture that needs development; we need to get to know the Lord and learn how to walk with Him, and we need to be willing to be “yoked” with Him—which is contrary to the American ideal of personal independence. (Matthew 11:29-30) Jesus is the great example of this approach. As He went about promoting the Father’s agenda to a lost generation, He routinely withdrew to seek the Father in prayer, looking for guidance and affirmation concerning the direction He should take. This brings us to one other assumption having to do with how we spend our time in general. Even diligent Christians who are invested in their walk with God can lose sight of the Lord when there’s nothing on the agenda. They’re prayed up, they’ve been in the Word, there’s no particular issues pressing them, and they find that they have time on their hands. Now what? In these circumstances it’s easy to think that they can do whatever they want—as long as it’s not sinful. The assumption is that they’re on their own for a time. That’s when we need to be careful. The Lord may release the load we bare, His reins may not be binding for the moment, but it’s still the case that our fellowship with Him should inform even our down times. We’re not really who we are if our fellowship with God is compromised, even for a short interlude. What makes us who we are—meaning who we’ve been called to be—is derived from our “communion” with the Lord. It’s not just doing the right thing, it’s abiding in Him.

There is one other way in which assumptions flourish in our current circumstances. It’s what I call the “everybody knows” syndrome. Sharing common beliefs is very comforting. It renders us a part of something bigger than ourselves. We are not alone in our endeavors to do life. And the mysteries of life that confront us all are not so daunting if we share a common understanding of those mysteries with others. This is true for the wider world and the community of believers as well. Apart from God, human existence is commonly assessed on the basis of scientific conjecture: “everybody knows” that the earth is three or four billion years old and that human existence is derived from the process of evolution. It’s comforting for people who don’t know the Lord to agree on such things. They’re not alone in what amounts to their “lostness.” But this type of agreement can be comforting for Christians as well. In the face of the depravity of this world, great strength—and comfort—is derived from our common faith in Jesus. However, Christians can also agree on things that may not be as fundamental as the cross. Proper dress, proper use of finances, proper forms of entertainment, the role of government, can all be things agreed upon by a body of believers; and that type of agreement can provide comfort as we attempt to navigate the influences of our strange world. But it’s those types of things that need to be looked at carefully and assessed in light of the scripture and by seeking the Lord. Agreement is one thing, but assumptions based on what “everybody knows” can be dangerous, or at least an impediment to our progress in the faith. We can’t just assume that a commonly held “secondary” belief IS  proper just because everybody knows and agrees on it in our church community. It’s in circumstances like these that we need to seek the Lord and try to hear what He has to say about a particular issue, and then if the answer deviates from currently accepted norms, it needs to be tested through counsel with others.

That’s how I ended up going to seminary. I came to the Lord during a period of revival in which charismatic gifts were affirmed. Legitimate and impactful presentations of the power of the Holy Spirit were exhibited and emphasized in those early days of my walk with the Lord. But as I laid aside the “old man” and took on the “new man,” eventually it became apparent that I wanted—and needed—to get beyond the basics of our faith and to learn everything I could about the revelation of the Christ and His influence in the world at large. This was out of step with the community of believers of whom I was a part. What I had to do was pray and seek the Lord for understanding concerning the direction my life should take, and this included counsel from others including my pastor. Fortunately the counsel I received—while not enthusiastic—did not try to obstruct my path. And my extended education turned out to be the best thing for me.

What I’m saying is that prayer and fellowship “can” counteract the tendency to assume if they’re engaged consciously and deliberately. And I’m also saying that we need to be alert and conscious of our assumptions, relying on our avenues of communication with the Lord in order to evaluate our views rather than relying on what “everybody knows.” Get to know your creator. Learn how to communicate with Him. Test what you hear from Him in collaboration with the Bible and other believers, especially those who’ve been given authority in the Church. Recognize the call that the Lord has placed on your life and answer that call. And don’t assume. Watch what you’re doing and remember the Apostle Paul’s admonition:

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15-17)