In one of my group texts with friends from church recently, an interesting commentary from The Hill's John Mac Ghlionn was shared. He asserts that "America is merely witnessing a Christian reboot, not a Christian revival." Mac Ghlionn's analysis stems from his examination of cultural leanings and how Christianity is often presented in the mainstream as a celebrity-driven identity fad. Authentic Christianity, he argues, has been "detached from its roots and repackaged for mass consumption." Mac Ghlionn also notes that church attendance has been on the decline even before the COVID-19 pandemic, a trend that polls continue to track. The popularity of faith in our current culture is something I have always been skeptical of, given what Scripture says about the cost of following Christ. In Matthew 16:24-26, Jesus said that to be His disciple, one must take up one's cross daily and follow Him. The New Living Translation provides an excellent breakdown of these verses: "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" Giving up our "own way" means that we are aligning ourselves with God's will and delighting in His plan for our lives, as we must trust His direction for the path He has designed for us to take. Now, this does not mean that God will always say no to everything we pursue, but sometimes He does because He knows the eventual outcome will harm us or pull us away from Him. Many people, sadly, have lost their souls to the world because they have chosen a path laden with misguided aspirations. They conform to the world instead of rejecting its cravings.

The saving of the soul is the core message of salvation in Christ, and I thought about this as I was reading Mac Ghlionn's point about many Americans enjoying what he defines as "the aftertaste of Christianity" — that is, what they deem the surface gratifications of faith, such as listening to a chart-topping Christian song or simply admiring well-known biblical teachings like Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. This has resulted in what Mac Ghlionn describes as a "cultural accent" of faith with no "full-time commitment." I agree and would humbly add that this "full-time commitment" requires what Philippians 2:12 instructs as working out your salvation. One of the deepest biblical truths I have learned from my pastor's teaching is that we must continue working on our souls by renewing our minds through Scripture. The soul is the seat of our will, thoughts, feelings and emotions; therefore, it must be revived through study and meditation on God's Word. Many scriptures point to the rejuvenation of the soul, such as James 1:21, which urges us to "humbly accept the word God has planted in (our) hearts, for it has the power to save (our) souls," and Psalm 23:3, where David fervently wrote, "He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." So, when thinking about the soul, this is where true revival begins. It is an intimate experience with God, transformative through His Holy Spirit. For those who have what Mac Ghlionn calls faith of "bumper-sticker profundity," some deep soul-searching and examination should take place.

Since faith is being advertised and consumed by the masses, those who are attending church (and this includes me) must ask themselves what they really want from God. Do we yearn for a genuine and close walk of faith with Him, or are we content with a form of godliness that has no liberating and healing power? It's easy to get caught up in church hype and the bells and whistles of flashy worship services, but at the end of the day, none of this feeds the soul, the part of us God truly desires.

Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on X: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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