Crappy Christian Clichès Hurt Believers

We explore the significance of authenticity versus conformity in spiritual expression. The episode emphasizes the necessity of embracing one's unique faith journey, highlighting the limitations of clichés while advocating for genuine testimonials.

• Discussion on pressure to conform to spiritual clichés 
• Importance of unique expressions of faith 
• The role of testimonials and emotional authenticity 
• Critique of scripted versus genuine testimonials 
• Exploration of the biblical context of clichés and their relevance

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:00

Sometimes the things we're saying make people feel bad about where they're on in their spiritual journey. Oh yeah, I'm actually up here on my spiritual path. You're down here. I've accepted Christ into my heart, so I'm living up here Until I'm hearing you say things like that. You haven't succeeded in this whole Christian enterprise. Sometimes we're turning people off. Sometimes we're turning people off, Sometimes we're frightening people away. Sometimes we're putting the bar too high. Sometimes we're just speaking in a different language than what that person's familiar with.

Speaker 1 0:40

So what I would leave you with is have you ever felt pressured to conform to some of these cliches of the faith? Or are people trying to get you to express yourself and your walk and your journey in particular terms that maybe sound more like them, or like the preacher on TV that they listen to, or like your pastor or your prayer leader? And I'm not saying that inspiration from other Christians or other believers is inappropriate. It's necessary. We need to see other people walking out their journey. The answer isn't to take that away journey. The answer isn't to take that away. But we need to be more mindful to not try to smash people into this little box, Regardless of where you're at right now with God or Christ, or your faith, or even outside of Christianity. No one likes to be pushed around right? If you're seeking help, if you're seeking a new kind of light in your life, for that to feel true to you you need to be able to express that in your own words.

Speaker 1 1:58

In the church that I belong to, people would get up and give testimonials. What's a testimonial? Nowadays, we think of testimonials as something that sells toothpaste, a car, a local chiropractor, the divorce attorney. Look at the testimonials from satisfied clients. If you're not familiar with a church or a Christian testimonial, what I believe they're supposed to be are unique, individualized accounts or expression or stories or tidbits, or even just tears. Tears are one of the most powerful testimonials you can offer. Most of us encounter times in our lives when we really are broken. We're on the edge of tears, we're on the edge of crumbling. Somehow he's intervened and answered our prayer. That's just such a profound relief. We feel so loved. We can just breathe a sigh of relief. This incredible tension, this burden, this catastrophe that was going to fall on us has been removed and that can just leave you in tears, and that's a powerful testimonial. But you can see how crazy it would be, and I've actually seen this, so I know this exists.

Speaker 1 3:22

Some places you go to give a testimonial. They're very formulaic. If you're sitting in the audience and people are getting up to give testimonials, it's like they're reading off a script. It seems artificial because life isn't a script. So everybody that's getting up talking about what they needed help with or what God helped them with if it's true, it should all sound and look different. If you had kids and they snuck out to a party and got caught, they've worked on their story. They all have this scripted story and you're just like dude, you guys all sound like you wrote up this script and all tried to memorize it and then come and sell it to us.

Speaker 1 4:09

People have a sense of when they're being sold to or when they're expected to present themselves a certain way. I would encourage you not to bow to that type of pressure, because when people try to get you to conform to a certain type of relationship with God, that often leads you away from God, because only God knows what your unique path is to be. So your path is going to look different, it's going to sound different, it's going to proceed at a different rhythm and at a different pace. We're going to be different places at different times. Sometimes you're going to be talking about what God's done. Sometimes you're going to be talking about what he hasn't done. Sometimes you're going to be crying because of the mercy that God's shown you. Sometimes you're going to be furious that God let you down.

Speaker 1 5:08

When we look at this biblically, what role do cliches play in the Bible? First of all, are there cliches in the Bible, or is it something about just something we're messing up as humans and the way we're applying them? One of the challenges is separating a cliche, a repeated truth or a point that's made emphatically and seems like something we need to be saying, something we need to be calling upon, versus a worthless group of words. What I would say is was Christ more interested in what you said or what you did? Do you think Christ is more concerned with what you say or what you do, or what you say you believe, versus what in your heart? You know you believe or disbelieve? The way Christ is depicted to us, and indeed the way he's depicted in the Bible and based off the things that he said and did and taught, Christ wasn't really a superficial person.