HEALTHY CHURCH: Say No to Cynicism

Every season of life brings unique challenges because of your youth, your advancement of age or what you experience. Paul warns a young Timothy to “flee youthful lusts” (II Tim. 2:22). The Psalms challenge us to remain faithful as we get older — “Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come” (Psalm 71:18). This shouts out to all followers of Christ that as you age you are not only to be faithful in your actions but also your attitudes. Whether it is bad experiences or just the longevity of life, say no to cynicism.

“Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth” (Psalm 71:20). No matter how many times you have been mistreated, let down or disappointed, God is ready to revive your soul and spirit. Here is how cynicism is described: “Cynicism is an attitude characterized by a general distrust of the motives of others. A cynic may have a general lack of faith or hope in people motivated by ambition, desire, greed, gratification, materialism, goals and opinions that a cynic perceives as vain, unobtainable or ultimately meaningless.”

In A Praying Life by Paul E, Miller he stated, “Cynicism looks in the wrong direction. It looks for the cracks in Christianity instead of looking for the presence of Jesus. It is an orientation of the heart. The sixth cure for cynicism is to develop an eye for Jesus.” You are probably wondering right now what the other five are. Miller gives them, “Be warm, not wary.” Because of our heavenly Father and the ability to cry out to Him, you can live with cautious optimism. Cautious because of the fall of man but optimistic because He is God. Evil will not have the final word in your life if you have been redeemed by the blood of Christ.

The second cure for cynicism is to “learn to hope again.” Miller states, “Many of us believe in the Christian hope of ultimate redemption, but we breathe the cynical spirit of our age and miss the heart of God.” Even in death, Paul reminds us not to give in to the spirit of this world because we do not grieve as those who have no hope. Another cure Miller gives for cynicism is to “cultivate a childlike spirit.” This is hard because the longer you live, the more removed you are from the innocence of childhood. A great way to attack cynicism when it raises its ugly head is to focus on the shepherd, not the situation (Psalm 23).

Are you also cultivating a thankful spirit? Miller, in the fourth cure, stated, “Either I thanked God, or I gave into bitterness, the stepchild of cynicism. There is no middle ground.” Now is the time to remember Rom. 1:21 — “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Next, cultivate a lifestyle of continual repentance. Cynics are always focused on pointing out what others are doing wrong but seem blind to their own shortcomings. You can repent, and you do not have to be controlled by cynicism. You can say no.

Hopefully, 2025 will bring new hope, dreams and goals for your church. The cynics set themselves up for failure by believing nothing will change, and the church will not see revival. It is far too easy to be negative because you have seen and heard it before, only to experience disappointment again. Why even try? Why even make a commitment because it just will not happen? Michael Hyatt said this, “Cynicism begins to set into our souls. Our disappointment turns to sadness, and maybe the sadness to anger, and then it calcifies into cynicism.”

Here is how cynicism manifests itself:

• “You know, I think I will finally lose that 25 – 30 pounds, but why even try? I’ve been on diets before, and they never work,”

• “I really want to read through my Bible this year but who am I kidding, I start out well every year but never seem to make it,”

• “I want to witness to my neighbor, but I just know they won’t really listen and they certainly will not respond to the gospel and receive Christ.”

I hope our prayer for one another in 2025 will be that God will “…do exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think” (Eph. 3:20).

Could cynicism be a self-protective mechanism to keep you in the boat instead of stepping out in faith to walk to Jesus? Michael Hyatt stated, “It’s like popping our own balloons before somebody else has a chance to do it…. It’s like self-sabotage.” What happened to the truth of God’s Word — “You have not because you ask not” or “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The truth is that our God is able, but the enemy wants to rob you and your church of that truth. God can save souls, send revival, revitalize your church and make a difference for His glory in your community, which He wants to do.

The story is told of a young boy who was out in his yard shooting his BB gun at the stars. An older gentleman walking by asked him what he was doing. He stated, “Well, I am shooting my BB gun at the stars, sir.” The older gentleman chuckled and said, “Son, do you know you will never hit one of those stars?” The young boy replied, “Yes, sir, but I sure am getting closer than you are.” Cynicism always wants to focus on past failures and disappointments, but God wants us to focus on Him and what He desires to accomplish. Art Rainer posts regularly — “Jesus is alive. And that changes everything about today.” Amen!