Pragmatism is the philosophy that believes things have value based on their effectiveness; the idea that if something works it is right. Usefulness is most important. And this philosophy is thriving in our culture today, partly because it is so sneaky. Of course we want to use systems that are effective and produce good results, but the danger lies in only valuing something or someone for what they can do. For example, certain people are not very useful, therefore it is okay to remove them from society; or taking care of one's home does not bring in money, therefore it is not as valuable as work that does produce money.
John Snyder says that "in religion, pragmatism values God; but it values Him because He is the most useful of all beings. He can empower us to accomplish our goals--world evangelism, healthy families, personal fulfillment, moral excellence--whatever they are. A useful God is the pragmatist's great desire. Though hard to spot at times, the shift from worshipping God because of who He is to focusing on Him because of what He can do is a major alteration. It is the difference between true Christianity and pragmatism. Ultimately, it is the difference between loving God and exploiting God, between worshipping God and worshipping self."
So we can be pragmatic towards other people and towards God but we can also be pragmatic when considering our own lives. We can value our work, personalities, and life stages based on what they accomplish rather than simply living in obedience. It is tempting to think that investing in your non-Christian neighbours will only prove worthwhile if they come to love Jesus, or that cleaning your home is only worthwhile as long as it stays clean (hence you might as well give up if you have small children). Pragmatism towards self says that you are only as valuable as what you can produce, so if your life is not producing any definite results, it doesn't contain much worth.
This is a subtle lie that we must reject. Every life has worth because every person is made in the image of God. Every act of obedience has worth because to walk with the Lord in the light of His word, hearing the Spirit's voice, this is what we were made for.
This is true whether you like your current life station or not. Perhaps you have small children who wake you up throughout the night and fight throughout the day and you think to yourself I'm so overwhelmed, I don't want to do this anymore. Or you're working at a busy job that doesn't pay great and you think I don't like this. I don't want to do this anymore. But you know that the place you're in right now is the place God has assigned you to be for the foreseeable future. Will you serve Him with joy in a difficult place that you do not like and that seems not to produce the results you'd hoped for?
As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. 2 Samuel 22:31
"The way to combat pragmatism is not merely to attack it as a short-sighted approach to life. A better strategy is to once again look at the God of the Bible as He describes Himself and to ask ourselves with each glace, 'is He enough for this day?'" Glen Snyder
Is He enough for this day? This day of rushing customers and swearing neighbours and little snotty noses and friends who are discouraged and I myself am discouraged? Do I trust Him enough to praise Him even when He has planted me in a place that I dislike and that, as far as I can see, is bearing no fruit but I must remain? Because I think we can bear under difficulty better when we think it's at least accomplishing something, but what about when by all appearances its not accomplishing anything?
In the drudgery and discouragement, can I take my eyes off myself? Can I trust Him? Can I praise Him here?
What I'm Reading Lately
- The Air We Breathe by Glen Scrivener was our book club book this month. I really enjoyed this book. It is intelligent and thought provoking. I listened to it and the author reads it, which is delightful.
- I also just finished a personal Bible study on Haggai from The Daily Grace Co. which was fantastic. It told you what to read in your Bible followed by a1-2 page commentary, and then 3 or 4 questions for further thought.
- The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka was school reading this week. It's weird.
- The novel I've been working on is A New Day Rising by Lauraine Snelling. It is not thought provoking, but that's kind of what I want in a novel at the moment. It is clean and an easy skim read.
What I'm Enjoying Lately
- Tea. What is it with cold weather and tea that just go together?
- Snow pants. I've heard that there's not bad weather, there's only bad clothing. I don't think that's completely true, but snow pants do making going outside in January an enjoyable experience.
- People's Century. This is a documentary series that you can access on youtube. I have to watch it for a school course and some of it is most definitely not enjoyable because people are awful to each other, but it is very interesting and educational.
- Visiting people. Since New Years, I've been teaching music but been on holidays from my day job. Having time and bandwidth to visit with people has been refreshing.
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