by Glenice Mills
Recently I was in New Zealand and was very aware of the huge resistance to change, particularly to infrastructure and proposed change to building redevelopment in their largest city, Auckland.
There was such public opposition that the voice of the people has again held New Zealand back and kept them the same. The problem is - there is no resolution to existing issues, such as housing and transport.
So how does this relate to us as Christians? Perhaps one of the most subtle oppositions to the powerful move of the Holy Spirit is conservative thinking.
I was very mindful while over there that there is little change in Christian circles, that this conservative thinking is resistant to the ongoing release of the rise of the Apostolic/Prophetic in New Zealand.
In the big picture I saw this conservative thinking as a ruling stronghold over not only New Zealand, but many other nations also.
If we think of conservative nations, Britain would be our first thought. Conservatism is rooted in our colonial past and could in fact be related to our western culture. Perhaps this is a reason why we don’t see powerful miracles of God taking place that Africa and other nations see.
To be conservative means to be averse, opposed to rapid changes. It is moderate in thinking, avoiding extremes.
Perhaps like no other time in history we need to look at where conservative thinking has held the church back and in particular where we have been innocent victims of this wrong way of thinking.
So what does conservative thinking look like and how does it manifest in and through the body of Christ?
IT IS RESISTANT: Scripture tells us to resist the devil and he will flee. However we are more likely to resist the leading of the Holy Spirit if He wants to come in a way that is not familiar to us. We tell ourselves things like, “This has never been done this way before,” or “This cannot happen this way as I don’t feel comfortable with what is happening.” “This is the way I like it and I want it to stay the same.”
IT OFFENDS: Because it unsettles our sense of comfort we feel challenged and will react in offence. This offence will be directed at the leader or the one instigating the new thing. Why does it offend? Because it challenges the status quo.
WE LIKE TO SETTLE: We put our roots down, become secure, and think that is all that is involved. Like the pot plant in its pot, it looks good until it withers because it has grown out of its space. Its roots become twisted, the plant starts to lose nutrients, and before long it is dying from the inside out. The good news is if the plant is transferred to a bigger pot it can begin to grow and flourish again. It does need to be taken out of the old pot and into the new. So it is with us and our walk with the Lord.
We dare not settle.
CONCERN FOR OUR REPUTATIONS: Perhaps one of the biggest ways we can oppose the Holy Spirit is by being concerned about what others think. This holds us back as we place man’s opinions higher than wanting to please the Lord. It is in fact disobedience and is grounded in selfish thinking resulting in bowing to others.
IT IS A CULTURAL PROBLEM: Culture resists the Spirit of God. When culture says that ‘we must keep things the same, that we should stick with what we know’ then we have subtly bowed to an ungodly way of living and being. Culture must bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and so our conservative thinking must have no stronghold over us.
TRADITION DICTATES US: We always need to be checking ourselves and seeing where we have subtly come in agreement with wrong thinking that says ‘we need to do this the same way as it always works.’ Tradition is man’s own thinking and has nothing to do with the leading of the Holy Spirit. Tradition takes on many forms and guises.
Who says church should go for an hour and a half following set formulas? Perhaps the Holy Spirit wants to have permission to move upon His people and come in ways that would upset our sensibilities? Tradition is doing the same things over and over again expecting the same results. How does that work when the Holy Spirit comes to bring change in the hearts and minds of those who are His?
FEAR RULES: Sadly we easily submit to ungodly fear - fear of being different, fear of what others think, fear of looking foolish. This holds us back and keeps us in conservative thinking. Fear has rulership over our lives rather than submitting to what the Lord wants.
SUSPICION: Conservative thinking is always suspicious of anything new and will find any excuse to keep things the same. It is mistrusting of any who would be different and are often the greatest resisters to any who want to bring change. They do not believe that anything good could come out of something new.
REBELLION: When we know what we should be doing and don’t do it, we are in rebellion. When we settle for what feels good we are in rebellion. It is sin. The Lord will come to us in many ways to try and make us uncomfortable, but we have choices.
It is about whether we are prepared to count the cost, to be different and to choose to change. There is risk, it takes faith, but it can be done.
The challenge is: WHAT ARE WE HOLDING ONTO?
Conservatism is birthed in and out of a selfish desire to hold onto something because it feels good.
This is opposite to the message of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The truth is: someone has got to go first. Jesus, His disciples, and followers were change agents. They were radical and wherever they walked they challenged the culture, and religious thinking of the day. Throughout history men and women have been raised up to bring change whether it be through inventions or the proposing of new ideas. Whatever it is and through whom it comes it brings radical change in the present time and for generations to come. If we look back in history and we think of ones such as William Wilberforce and his law banning the slave trade or Martin Luther King and his stand against racism, the world today would not be where it is without these radical men. We dare not be a resister when the Lord is challenging us in this hour to embrace the new things He is wanting to do. The Holy Spirit is ever changing and for Him to have His way we must be flexible. Perhaps it could be said that the opposite to conservatism is flexibility. It is being prepared to go, to do and to be obedient to follow and obey all that is required of us in this time. It will mean being different, standing out and perhaps coming at great personal cost.
The choice is yours. Do you want to stay under conservative thinking or be one who is prepared to be different?