Servants or Sons?
The modern day Christian identity crisis
Today someone asked me a question about the modern American church.
“How can it have all this money, lights, fog machines, music, OLED screens, technology…and yet feel so shallow?”
The question stayed with me.
No…more than that.
It convicted me.
I think the answer is simple, though not easy to accept. The answer is identity.
Too many of us are focused on the wrong identity.
Too many are focused on servanthood above sonship.
We have many church buildings.
We have many church leaders.
We have many people serving God.
But we do not have enough sons and daughters who know they belong to Him.
And God’s heart is for His children.
Now, if the lights and cameras lead even one lost sheep home, I believe God will use it. That is why I believe things are the way they are today.
And that in itself is a miracle.
But my heart still breaks for the ninety-nine who have been taught to prioritize servanthood over sonship.
Because a servant does not share in the inheritance.
Only a son does.
It’s part of why I’ve become quieter than I used to be.
It’s why you don’t see me trying to build a church right now.
We have a ton of churches.
What we need are people who know they are sons and daughters of God.
It’s why Paul wrote:
“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” — 1 Corinthians 9:27
That verse has many applications. But at its core, Paul is warning about the same temptation that exists today.
The body craves recognition.
It craves platforms, stages, cameras, and lights.
But the Spirit longs for something different.
Even in Jesus’ own ministry, He regularly withdrew to be alone with His Father.
Again and again, He stepped away from the crowds.
Even Jesus prioritized sonship over servanthood.
Sometimes He even taught in ways that offended people. Jesus would intentionally thin the crowds rather than growing them.
Why?
Because the goal was never to gather the largest audience.
The goal was to reveal the Father.
So today I ask you the same question I have been asking myself:
What is my motive?
Am I serving because I first know that I am a son?
Or have I been deceived into believing that a servant shares in the inheritance?