The Crisis of Introversion

Introduction
Let's face it, we are a nation that is captivated by introspection. We spend billions of dollars on self-help aids, on psychiatry, on self-esteem building activities and the like. We couple this with the pursuit of material gain: the desire to have the biggest house, the best car and the finest clothes that money can buy. Our Christian bookstores are filled to the brim with self-help books - Lord help you if you might want to buy a commentary or Bible study aid! Our televisions are glutted with home improvement shows and fashion tips are easily attainable.While each of these pursuits, in and of themselves are not an issue, when added together, they tend to make a potent recipe for narcissism, the overwhelming and consuming pursuit of self. This is a problem that must change, especially if the church is going to progress towards being the spotless bride of Christ and effective tool for ministering to the world in the name of Jesus Christ.

The Crisis of Introversion
As mentioned above, we have become a nation that is hooked on self-examination and self-promotion. This post is not a diatribe against the material excesses of America, although it should be noted that we are the most affluent nation that the world has ever seen. We are rich and our churches are as well. Unfortunately, when a church becomes too rich, it has a tendency to become fat and lazy. It quickly becomes detached from the true needs of society and quickly shifts into "country club" mentality. I am a firm believer that a pastor has a sacred duty to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. What does that mean? It means that a pastor needs to challenge and to exhort their congregations towards a headlong pursuit of Christ Jesus. It means that a pastor needs to promote discipleship and an atmosphere of genuine Christian community and service. There's the key word!! Service!
Let me make this clear. While it is of great importance to have a positive self-image and to cultivate a positive perspective on life, it must not be pursued at the expense of Christian service. We are called, as Christians, to become disciples of Jesus Christ, to live in community with others and to reach out to those who need a loving and helping hand. It's hard to extend that hand when both of them are clutching a mirror!
I was, for all intents and purposes, a very vain guy. My family could attest to the fact that I used to spend a great amount of time in front of the mirror, "checking to make sure that everything is in place" in the words of Phil Collins. The issue here isn't whether or not you care about your personal appearance, you should give some thought to it, but you don't need to be so consumed by it. This leads to an introverted thought process, in which all revolves around self. In doing so, we become guilty of creating a crisis of introversion. We become wrapped up in our own needs and desires.

How this crisis damages the church
"Well, I stopped attending that church because it just didn't fulfill my spiritual needs." "That church wasn't spiritually deep enough for me." "Those people are mere spiritual babes." "That church only fed us milk. I need meat, so I'm leaving." "Churches today are so full of hypocrites and those who aren't spiritual enough, so I'm not going back."Do any of these phrases sound familiar? Have you ever uttered any of them? all of them? I have at one time or another. All of these phrases have one thing in common. All of them reflect this crisis of introversion. If there is any truth to the latest book by George Barna, Revolutions, then the church is being crippled by introversion. My main critique of this book is that respects and even elevates the need for a Christian to leave the church when it no longer caters to their needs. Folks, this a problem!
While there are circumstances that unfortunately do merit a change in churches, they are not myriad in existence. Short of deep immoral behavior in the pulpit and a teaching of clearly unbiblical teaching and theology, our reasons for leaving a church are few. I want to make this clear in as loving a tone as I can muster. A church is not a spiritual Burger King! You can't always "have it your way." The church is full of people who are various stages in their Christian walk. There are those who can absolutely bury me in wisdom and Biblical knowledge. Similarly, there are those who haven't even cracked their Bibles since becoming involved in the church. Yet, they are all to have a place in the church!
One of the hallmarks of a truly mature Christian is the realization that you have so much more to learn and so many areas that need attention in your walk. This means that no one has arrived yet and no one is so spiritually mature that they can't benefit from the community of the Lord. AND - if you are really are mature spiritually, then you should be actively involved in helping others reach a higher state of maturity. That's right, the church isn't a buffet line! It's a community that is predicated upon love and service with the express desire to make disciples and to spread the message that there is indeed a God who loves everyone beyond their wildest imaginations!When our focus is on us, we lose that edge. We lose that focus on the world's needs when our eyes become myopic. We then become a church and a nation that is materially wealthy but Biblically poor. We become able to recite song lyrics and movie dialogue but can't recite a Bible verse longer than "Jesus wept". When this occurs, the church is bound to suffer and to be damaged.

Is change possible?
I truly believe that change can occur, though! How? By becoming committed to focusing upon the needs of others within our own household, our neighborhoods, our churches, our communities, our nations and our world, we stand to truly be the church of the Bible. When our focus turns to the needs of others, then AND ONLY THEN, do we truly love as Christ commands us to. See, the focus needs to be on love. Love, by nature, can't exist alone. It needs interaction with another. Love, as expressed throughout I Corinthians 13, is never self-serving. It gets over hurt feelings and desires to build up rather than tear down. Jesus stated that all of the commandments could be whittled down to two principles. If we love God with every fiber of our being and if we love our neighbor as ourselves, then we've got it. Love not only covers a multitude of sins, but it is the reason that Jesus came to us in the first place. John 3:16 isn't just good poster material!

Conclusion
I'm not about to say that the church is beyond repair. Yes, work needs to be done. Yes, changes must occur. But no, the church isn't beyond hope. That said, the only way that this generation will be able to have any part in this repair is if we begin to get past our desires to placate self and strive to build up others. By focusing on others, our own issues begin to smooth out. Suddenly, those problems begin to get more focused. Our hurts begin to heal. When our focus is upon restoring the fallen, we get to see mercy and grace acted out. This in turn not only changes us, it changes the church. When the church is changed, the world will begin to change. when that happens, watch out!