“Though you have not seen him, you
love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with
joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your
faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8–9)
It is not that a lack of sight that
makes Christianity seem untenable it just makes it different than most
experiences today. Instead of having joy based upon an empirical basis we have
joy through our communion with the invisible God through the portal of faith.
In recent years I have noticed a
trait, particularly among men, where faith is impeded. I am talking about the
cultural fixation upon fantasy. Many man today are wrapped up in a world of
fantasy and also find it increasingly difficult to live by faith upon the God
who is invisible.
In each of the examples below men
are giving themselves to something they can see but is not real. However, with
Christianity we give ourselves to something that we cannot see but is actually
real. (In the following examples, I want to make clear that I believe the first
is sinful but the others are not inherently so.)
Pornography
Over the last 2 dozen years
pornography use has exploded. Some may call it an epidemic. Young men are being
raised on it and the addiction continues through the college years and into
their thirties and forties. As a pastor I don’t often go a week without hearing
about somebody’s struggle in this area. Let’s think about what is happening
here. Pornography attempts to enjoy the blessings of sex without the
relationship of marriage. However, this is not the whole story. There is also
the fact the medium for consuming it is not real, it is a bunch of images.
Everything about it is a fantasy; the women, the experiences, and whatever the
pleasures that come from it. It is all a fantasy. Many men are wrapped up in
this sexual fantasy and it is therefore little wonder that they are distracted
from a faith what is real yet unseen.
Fantasy
Sports
Technological advances have made
fantasy sports more accessible. For those who are unfamiliar fantasy sports are
a type of online game where participants put together virtual teams of real
players in a professional sport. Their teams compete against each other based
upon the statistical performance of their respective players on their rosters. Each
participant runs their team like an owner or general manager. In these leagues
participants will track the stats over the year and award a winner at the end.
Obviously playing fantasy sports is not a sin and I am not making this point.
However, it is part of the overall cultural preoccupation with a fantasy world.
And it is this that attends to my larger point that this fixation upon the
visible but unreal tends toward making faith in the invisible but real more
difficult.
Video
Games
As with fantasy sports, video games
are not inherently bad. However, they are a distraction from reality. Nearly
50% of Americans play at least 3 hours of games per week. It is interesting
that the average age of a game player is a 35 year-old man. I understand that
for many games are fun; they are something of a hobby. I also know for many the
hobby can become a bit obsessive and dominating. Many people, particularly men,
are caught up in playing video games for hours and hours a day. I have
counseled far too many men who were spending their best hours of the day
conquering worlds while their real families and real souls were being
neglected.
Living
in a Fantasy World
When you put these three together
there is a common theme of living in a fantasy world. Pastors and church leaders
attempt to encourage men to serve in the church, study God’s word, evangelize
their neighbors, and step up and lead in the church. However, often times, upon
pressing upon the heart, we find that men are reluctant and stagnant in their
Christianity because they are thriving in a fantasy world.
Is there any wonder why there is
such a decline in biblical masculinity in the church?
It is a shame that many men are
far too busy conquering fake lands, looking at fake women, and winning fake
championships to follow Christ’s path of self-denying, cross-bearing, service.
Pastors are attempting to preach and
teach God’s Word to people who are living in this world with their minds and
hearts in a fictional place must be diligent. They must labor to present Christ
in his surpassing glory. The Bible that condemns also convicts and converts us.
We go from belittling God’s glory to broadcasting it. Christ goes from a
fictional hero to a living Savior!
Perhaps you are one who is consumed
by a fantasy world. If these things are crowding out or impeding your faith it
is time to evaluate and make some adjustments. Perhaps there are sinful
indulgences (or in the case of pornography, sinful practices) that are
preventing you from growing in Christ. As is always the case the first step is
prayer, confession, and repentance. Then work toward accountability and service
in the local church. I can assure you that seeing the real gospel work in real
people’s lives will bring a lasting joy to your soul that is incomparable by any
standard. Christ is far too precious to take a back seat to anything. If we
believe this then we ought to live like it.
By Erik Raymond is senior pastor of Emmaus Bible Church in Omaha, Ne. He and his wife Christie have six children. You can follow him on Twitter.
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