I was fascinated by my shadow when I was young. No matter how hard I chased it, I could never catch it. Throughout the day it changed shape from being long and stretched out to being short and squat, and then became tall again. And of course it disappeared when the clouds came out. My shadow’s behavior was unpredictable and mysterious, very different from a real person.
It had the general outline of my body, but if you took a picture of my shadow you would never know it was me. You couldn't identify my face or see any details because on my shadow they were obscured by darkness. I often played with my shadow, but there was no way I could ever know or touch it, for it had no substance.
Sadly today, many believers in the body of Christ are “shadow Christians.” Like shadows, they are hard to chase down, and virtually impossible to intimately know. It's difficult to understand what they believe, because they seem torn between opposing views and uncertainty. Their theology can change depending upon what group they are part of. You rarely hear them speak with boldness and conviction about their beliefs, and when faced with adversity their faith seems to evaporate.
If you attempt to really know them, you frequently run into a wall of spiritual platitudes, words that sound right, but seem to lack real conviction. If you remind them of a promise in God’s word, they're likely to smile and say, “I hope so.” They often seem doubtful, but seldom discuss their difficulties candidly with anyone. Apparently keeping up appearances is all-important, and admitting any vulnerability is just too threatening.
Some of them are event attenders and conference hoppers, constantly seeking “the deeper things of the Lord.” They frequently return excited, but their enthusiasm rapidly drains until they find another opportunity to sit under a new anointing. Others seem content with the status quo and may actually resist a fresh wind of God's Spirit. It's as if any type of change threatens their spiritual equilibrium.
It would be easy to dismiss these “shadow Christians” as nominal believers, but I think that would be a mistake. Most of them are sincere believers who have made a true decision for Christ and want to do the works Christ said would follow believers, but it isn't happening in their lives.
What is hindering them? I think for many it is a deep sense of unworthiness, often fed by guilt and shame. They trust these negative feelings more strongly than they believe what Father God tells them about their identity. He wants to give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Himself. He longs to enlighten the eyes of their hearts so that they can know the hope to which He has called them, and what are the riches of their glorious inheritance in the saints. He wants them to know the immeasurable greatness of His power to them if they will only believe His word... (Ephesians 1:18–19)
James 1:17 assures us: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shifting shadows.” Father God is not a “shadow God.” He means exactly what He says and He values you so much that He has reserved a glorious inheritance just for you!
Come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM or 1:00 PM. Our own Pastor Sue Ahn will be discussing our true identity in Christ. Her message is entitled, “Remember Who You Are.”
Pastor Che
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