Christianity A Crutch?

Dear Victorious,

Isn't Christianity really just a crutch? (Be honest about it.)

No God Needed

Dear No God,

I'll admit that I've heard that argument before, but I really have never thought much of it. Even when I view Christians in all their weakness, I don't see Christianity as a crutch. If anything, it is a whole new set of legs. A living relationship with Jesus makes everything else look like a crutch. It’s the power to face problems head on.

There is a God-sized hole in all of us. We were created by God to be in relationship with God. Religion was never part of the equation - but devotion and submission to God were always part of His plan for us. Jesus fills the unfillable hole within us. He makes us whole. He meets our deepest needs. As the song goes, you and I were made for worship. Christ alone releases our full potential.

Everything anyone has ever enjoyed springs from God’s creative genius and generosity. But the human condition seems to take everything from God and in the height of selfishness try to disregard the creator of it all. To become a Christian is to come of age. It is to take up your responsibilities with the One to whom you owe everything.

Until we face our spiritual inadequacy, we are shutting our eyes to reality, hiding from the truth, avoiding the reality that faces us squarely on. (John 3:19)

Christ followers are very ordinary people who dared confront the spiritual need the rest of us fearfully suppress. Through Jesus they somehow found the courage to push against the torrent of popular opinion and say good-bye to their favorite sins and the stranglehold of almost life-long habits. They put their life on the line and to their surprise found the warm presence of God.

No, Christianity isn't a crutch. In act, it is anything but.