In all my years of counseling and studying behavioral psychology, I have often questioned the black and white thinking phenomenon that psychology deems as wrong, because it served me greatly when I believed the devil was bad, and God was good in moments of trial. It was easier for me to keep the grays from enmeshing because I needed definitive understanding for why certain people rise above and others don’t. I know that we can do terrible things as believers because parts of ourselves question if God is trustworthy.  Even though we have faith in our hearts, the motive of it can be selfish protectively or spitefully based on who defined what was good or bad by how they treated us in childhood. The measure of a man’s success often comes with the intention to overcome faulty beliefs by cultivating relationships of love and honor.  To own a flaw is one thing but to do something good in exchange for it defines successful migration toward Christ.  When I look at the scriptures that state, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good or else make the tree bad and it’s fruit bad, for a tree is known by its fruit”,  I still honor the validity of black-and-white thinking because the scripture found in Matt. 12:33 sounds like it supports it. 

My curiosity is piqued when I apply this scripture to those who influence because of their mass following, yet have no anointing on their words or in their character. The people in this time who believe a large following proves that they are blessed or that God is proud of them confuses me because of the deep transformation required to be able to minister from humility and Holy Spirit. I think of a young girl who works at the tanning salon that I visit when she said “the Kardashians are doing something right if they are that famous “. I asked her what she thought they were doing right and her measure of success was being powerful and wealthy. I thought that was sad and daunting because there’s so much more to the definition of what a successful life looks like.  I inquired further about the conflict represented in the celebrities lives and how absenteeism of a strong relationship could prove failure, but I was answered with, “they seem to know what works”.  

The Sadducees and  Pharisees were famous for quoting scripture, but unsuccessful in walking out the truth of it. Their rules and regulations of religion were condemning and permitted them to preach on pulpits they erected themselves. It seems it’s no different today than in the times that Jesus walked this earth because although they had the authority because of their influence, they still lacked the ability to guide people into “what works” when building healthy relationships.  I have always seen liberty play out in those who are free from societal and religious norms and measure their worth through the lens of their savior. Jesus was among the religious elite and yet they persecuted him while pridefully resting on their beliefs as the “ultimate truth”, a tell-tale sign of religion’s bondage.

Popularity is a contest among those who need affirmation outside of themselves through self promotion. The convincing that their belief is correct is made by the opinions of others confirming their ideology as successful. Success from the worldview, which is run by the religious spirit that emphasizes money, (profit) with faith, (belief), has seeped into Christianity covertly with an underpinning of codependency. The religious spirit mixes business with belief and says, “Should I scratch your back, I’ll expect you to scratch mine, and we can form a denomination with bylaws and get permission from the government to operate as a 501 C3 which guarantees payment for our interpretation of the scriptures that they permit us  to preach on; thereby we can grow in numbers without proof of anointing, but it will appear as such because the following will increase. Our preferred audience will tune in codependently for guidance through their loyalty, granting us permission to persuade their views from our superior standpoint, we can be modern-day Sadducees and Pharisees without worry”.

 I see in the spirit realm that those who have stayed in the background and not been promoted in the popularity contests of our current age are being exalted as the light in the darkness.  For clear distinctions on what is good or bad sometimes it helps to remove the greys and stick with white and black thinking that holds onto The Lord’s fruitfulness. It is my encouragement that we would all long to be one that produces fruit in our own lives knowing that we are successful when we are hidden in close relationship with Him.  It could cost us our reputation among large numbers of people groups, but then again the enemy always accounts for numbers that he manipulates in his favor.  In the modern day, I have finally seen that If I remain humble, he will exult my effort and my life in due time, and I won’t have to do it myself. Sadducees and Pharisees are a dime a dozen today just like they were back then because religion is bondage for anyone using it to promote their own message.  I hope the fruit from which I pick bears witness with the humility of my Savior whose measure of success far outweighs the numerous men who profess it.