Scripture
We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
2 Corinthians 10:12
Observation
Paul is challenging the echo chamber some leaders in Corinth have been living in. They have found people who are critical of Paul in his absence and supportive of their own agenda to control the church. They are using the “confirmation bias” of their correctness by surrounding themselves with those who think just like them. Jesus described this as the blind leading the blind resulting in a one stop drop to the bottom of the ditch they never saw coming. How could they act so foolishly? They surrounded themselves with those who thought, acted, sounded, and led the same as them. They blocked out the wisdom, advice, and counsel of anyone who disagreed with their point of view. Thus, they had to find a way to discredit the Apostle Paul, because he wasn’t following the party line and they couldn’t allow any dissonance in their echo chamber. You see, what they didn’t realize was that Paul was never going to echo them because he had set his life to echo Christ and Christ alone. Paul wrote as much a few chapters earlier when he said, "19For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. 20For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory." (2 Corinthians 1:19-20) Whatever Christ says “yes” to our life becomes the echo are “amen” to. Conversely, whatever Christ says “no” to our actions will align. There’s a great clarity that comes when we exit the echo chamber where I reside as the center of my universe and enter the freedom of Christ’s leading in every area our lives.
Application
According to Wikipedia, “By participating in an echo chamber, people are able to seek out information that reinforces their existing views without encountering opposing views, potentially resulting in an unintended exercise in confirmation bias. Echo chambers may increase social and political polarization and extremism. The term is a metaphor based on an acoustic echo chamber, in which sounds reverberate in a hollow enclosure. Another emerging term for this echoing and homogenizing effect within social media communities on the Internet is cultural tribalism.” Just as in Paul’s day I see a lot of Christian’s living out a confused faith with one foot in their echo chamber of choice and one foot set to follow Christ. Why do we choose to live in such an uncomfortable reality of fence straddling? If we’re honest, we like to hear what we like to hear. Jesus loves us so much that He doesn’t tell us what we want to hear, but what we need to hear. If I’m the center of my universe then it’s not hard at all to find multiple people on the internet to agree with me no matter how whacked my stance may be (flat-earthers anyone?). That’s why it doesn’t work to live in an echo chamber of my choosing while trying to follow Christ. Christ is not only the creator of the universe He’s the center of it. Hebrews 1:3 describes Him this way, “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.” The irony is that the One who holds this world together by His Word gives us the freedom to imagine a world in which we are the center of it. He stands back and watches us gather our “followers” around our pet theologies, our political positions, our cultural bias’. In His infinite love He also draws near when we call out to him after our “echo chamber” world inevitably comes crashing down upon our heads revealing how hollow our lives became when we no longer lived Holy- set apart- unto Him. My life is going to be an echo of something, let my life be an Amen of Him.
Prayer
Lord, I see so many friends, followers of You, vacillating back and forth over decisions for their lives. Yet, you make it clear right here that when You are my strongest “yes” the “no’s” become much easier. Barna just released a new study showing that 38% of Pastors have thought about quitting full-time ministry in the past year. I don’t blame them. This year has been one the hardest of my life in ministry. I can’t help but wonder if this revealing how much of our ministry had become an echo chamber instead of us echoing You? When half as many people are attending weekend services there’s half as many voices to confirm and affirm. Maybe, we shouldn’t be looking to our people to echo us when we should be serving them by echoing You! Lord, I pray for my fellow ministers, for all who follow You, for my own heart, to be all in on You! I’m so glad you don’t just tell me what I want to hear, but that You love me enough to tell me what I need to hear. What I’m hearing you say is it’s time to exit the echo chambers that feed my ego and to follow You no matter how uncomfortable or unpopular it may be. Forgive me for double-mindedness. I set my heart to follow You all the way through. You are the center of my universe. You hold it all together. Yes and Amen!
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