The Real Thing
Have you ever gotten a knock-off, thinking you’ve beaten the system but only winding up disappointed in the long run? Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not too bougie for Great Value or Kirkland brand, but there are some things that you just have to get the “real thing”. Growing up, you might not have found a box of Apple Jacks in our pantry, but you might find Apple Dapples, Apple Loons, or Apple Whirls. While these are all fundamentally the same thing, there’s just something different about that name-brand ultra-processed sugar. It’s like the time I had a friend who tried to convince me that that Twist and Shouts are just as good as Oreos. Obviously, I quickly rebuked them in the name of Jesus, and they are no longer in my life…
Just as there are counterfeits or imitations in our world, Satan wants to offer counterfeit or imitations in the spiritual realm. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are hungry and interested in spiritual things at rising rates, and while this produces an incredible opportunity for revival, it also has created an opportunity for Satan to creep in with his distortions of the truth.
These generations are more likely to seek spiritual direction, believe in a higher being, and be interested in attending church or a religious gathering than their parents and even grandparents in some cases. The Springtide Research Institute found in a study that 82% of Gen Alpha say they are at least slightly spiritual, and many Gen Z are open to a higher power. They reported that among 13-year-olds (Gen Alpha), 74% identify as at least slightly religious and 82% as at least slightly spiritual.
This is encouraging but also presents new challenges. For example, that same study found that among ages 13-25, 44% report engaging with crystals or herbs as a spiritual exercise; and 21% say they do so at least weekly. Pew Research found that 26% of U.S. adults believe spirits or spiritual energy can reside in certain objects (crystals, jewels, stones). One estimate said of the social media platform TikTok said that videos tagged “manifestation” have amassed over 34.6 billion views as of May 2023. A U.K. edu-study (via Oxford Brookes University) reports 63% of Gen Z believe astrology has positively impacted their careers, and 15% attribute it to landing “their dream job”.
It’s important that we as followers of Jesus understand that not everything spiritual is good! More than ever we MUST be ready to engage our spiritually curious world with truth. This empty spirituality wants to disciple people to put their hope in vague forces. You’re taught by our culture to “manifest” what you want to see or told that the “universe” made something happen.
It matters that we have the real thing. As followers of Jesus we don’t need the “stars to align” we can place our hope in something (someone) secure and strong. Our needs and hopes and dreams can be placed in the hands of the Father, who loves us and is worthy of our praise.
In Jesus, we have real access. In Matthew 7:7-8 Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
As christians we don’t have to manifest things into existance, we can pray about them. We don’t need to count on the universe to do right by us, we can talk to the God of the universe. We can go to God in prayer and he will hear us! I know it’s convicting to me to consider what would change in the world if God answered every prayer I have prayed in the last week instataniously. Would there be less hunger? Would there be more people going to heaven? I fear for many Christians if that happened, all they would have is blessed food and a few good nights of sleep.
I want to challenge you to not place your hopes in something as pueny as your own ability to manifest, when you have access to the same power that raised Jesus from the dead! You don’t have to wish on a star, you can place your faith and hope in Jesus! This is the real thing.
When we fall for a faulty faith, we also fail to credit the true source. Jesus continued, “Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.” (Matthew 7:9-11).
One of the lies of a disconnected spirituality is that the credit goes in the wrong place. Either it is given to someones ability to manifest, or it’s thrown into the either carelessly for anyone to claim. The truth is there is a God, who has been revealed to us through Jesus. When we rob God of the priase that he is due, ultimatly it hurts us.
God will still be worshiped even if we aren’t the onese who do it. (see Luke 19:40) But when we chose to take the credit ourselves or to not give it to God we miss out on the joy and blessing of doing what we were created to do.
So don’t waste your time trying to manifest your hopes or dreams into existence. We don’t need charms or good luck. We have accses to the throne of God almighty who is able to do exceedingly, aboundantly more than we could ask, think, hope or imagine.
