Rethink: Staying a Christian, Desert Seasons, and Small Things
Here at the end of May, we will question why I'm still a Christian, ponder desert seasons, and explore the ways God consistently uses small things.
#Rethink - May 2023
Welcome to the May issue of #Rethink where we will spend some time questioning why I’m still an orthodox believer, pondering difficult desert seasons in our lives, and exploring the ways God consistently uses small things throughout Scripture and today.
After everything I’ve been through, why am I still a Christian?
This is a question that I explore in my new book, Religious Rebels, and it’s something I’ve been thinking about again recently. I’ve been through my fair share of spiritual abuse, hard circumstances, disillusionment with Christians and the church, religious trauma, and more. Many people walk away from the faith for less. Why am I still a Christian? Why do I still not only believe in Jesus, but desperately want to share Him with others?
If you’ve been around here for any length of time then you know I’m okay with people questioning, doubting, losing faith, and rethinking everything. It has to be done if we are going to find the real God. Too many of us have experienced a religious fake or a Christianese impostor.
But it still breaks my heart to watch people drift off.
I know that Jesus can, and many times will, catch them again. And I think that people are often quick to voice solid faith after religious trauma without actually acknowledging and dealing with doubt and pain. I get this intellectually, but I still feel sad when people get tangled in their own minds or in popular thought and slowly fade away.
Which brings me back to my initial question: why am I still a Christian? Why do I still hold firmly to the historical creeds of the faith? Why do I still believe in Jesus?
I think it ultimately boils down to these three things:
I’ve met Someone I can’t explain.
I know the world is broken.
But I also see the beauty and handiwork of God.
We are all different. Each personality experiences God in unique ways. Not everyone will be like me. But I’m here to tell you that the Being I’ve known for over 25 years is real, knowable, findable, and good. He will meet you where you are and reveal Himself in ways that fit you and your needs. If you let Him.
My theology of brokenness is pretty solid. I expect this world and the people in it to be broken and do broken things. Sin has corrupted everything. And yet I hold paradox and tension because even in the desperate brokenness I can see the beauty and handiwork of God. His grace is everywhere.
There are probably other reasons too, but these are my main ones at the moment. How about you? What is it that makes you hold onto faith in Jesus?
“The best place for God to reveal His love for us is in the place we least deserve it.” ~ Lina Abujamra, Through the Desert
I haven’t done Bible studies for years and now I’ve done two in a row with my new church. This last one, Through the Desert by Lina Abujamra was fantastic. If you are looking for a summer study to do either on your own or with a friend, I’d highly recommend it. The videos are short—just 20 minutes or so—and easily accessible online. Each week has five days of homework that will take you back and forth through Scripture. Lina ties Biblical themes together so that you can see the big picture of God and His purpose for the desert seasons in our lives.
Lina went through some broken seasons of her own after leaving James MacDonald’s Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago. MacDonald was later disqualified and removed as pastor. Lina has been pretty vocal about the abuse she suffered there as you can see in this video. I’d seen the video in that link a few years back, so I knew Lina’s name and was excited to do a study by her. There is something about broken people that makes them incredibly genuine and relatable.
“When all is said and done, perhaps it’s the desert that awakens us to our need for God.” ~ Lina Abujamra
“But God chose what the world thinks is foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong” I Corinthians 1:27 (NET Bible).
God delights in using small things. I have to keep reminding myself of that these days. This book launch thing is terrifying. I feel so out of my element and so small. My book is small. I am not well known. I didn’t publish with a traditional publisher. Sometimes the whole thing feels silly and stupid. What am I doing? Did I make a mistake?
But the Holy Spirit keeps reminding me of all the small things that God has used to accomplish His will.
Gideon’s tiny army defeated a massive one.
The boy, David, and his sling shot killed a giant.
A child’s lunch fed over 5,000 people.
So I’m trying to trust and remember truth. John the Baptist was definitely strange and pretty obscure. Jesus of Nazareth stayed on the outskirts of society never seeking fame or fortune. It’s okay if we are small, obscure, and ordinary too. God can use anything to accomplish His plans! That’s good news.
“God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in His presence” 1 Corinthians 1:28-29 (NET Bible).
Thanks for taking a moment to rethink some of our religious traditions and beliefs. I know that it can be scary to deconstruct and reconstruct our faith, but finding the real Jesus is absolutely worth it. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, questions, or comments.
You can also find me on Instagram, Facebook, my website, and on my podcast Looking for the Real God. I’d love to connect with you on any of these places!