I’m sure you’ve heard of Fair Weather Fans. The fans who jump on the band wagon and cheer for the team that’s on fire this season.
If you are a diehard you probably loathe these flavor of the month fans. Where were all of these people last year when you didn’t even make the playoffs? It’s easy to get a little resentful as they express their undying love for your team now that things are different.
You want to say, “Pick a team and be all in through the ups and the downs.” As a diehard you’ve learned that what makes the victories even sweeter is being with the team through all kinds of seasons.
Christianity doesn’t seem to suffer from lots of Fair Weather Fans. Life brings too many new and difficult challenges every year for that bandwagon. If you were expecting God to give you a life of ease you’ll become disillusioned in no time.
Fair Weather Christians aren’t really looking for a relationship with God, they are looking to use God to further their own interests. A genie in a bottle. They aren’t at God’s service, God is at their service.
Fair Weather Christians aren’t nearly as problematic as their cousin the Foul Weather Christian. People seem more inclined to jump on the God bandwagon when things aren’t going so great.
Foul Weather Christians seem to only need God when there’s a problem in their life or in the life of someone they love. It’s like they’ve relegated God to Fire Extinguisher status: “Use Only In Case of Emergency.”
The moment someone is sick, receives a diagnosis, hears the “D” word (divorce), gets laid off, experiences a natural disaster, or any other storm of life they instantly have time for God.
What was so hard to prioritize and keep in focus a few weeks ago now has become crystal clear. The Foul Weather Christian sees that the only thing that can change their situation is God…and that’s a good thing.
But after the weather changes and the sun comes back out something strange happens. You would think this person who so needed God’s help would feel a deep and lasting sense of gratitude, but their memory is short.
It’s back to the sports fields…back to traveling…back to life that just gives lip service to a God they “love” but have no time for…until the next foul weather situation.
Once the crisis de jure is over they go MIA until the next storm rolls in.
In the end I’m not sure there is much of a difference between a Foul Weather Christian and a Fair Weather Christian. They both look at God the same way, but from different perspectives of the same event.
The Fair Weather Christian wants God to keep them from bad things. The Foul Weather Christian wants God to rescue them from bad things…as quickly as possible. In the end they are both looking to use God for their comfort and benefit. They aren’t at God’s service, God is at their service.
God has been reduced to a tool, a strategy, a savings account, an insurance plan against the unexpected and unpleasant.
Could that be you?
Here are some questions to consider…
-When was the last time you went to church?
-What prompted you to go?
-Were you trying to get something or give something when you went?
-When was the last time you talked to God?
-What was the last thing you prayed about?
-When was the last time you served or gave to the mission you care about?
I’m not saying that only the perfect and faithful should go to church…that’s silly.
What I’m saying is…BE ALL IN…through all of the seasons of life. Be an Every-Type-of-Weather Christian. Accept the good with the bad (Job 2:9-11).
God isn’t interested in being your major medical plan. He’s interested in a life-long relationship. It’s never too late to go all in!
