I read an article today about how showbiz folks, from Lady Gaga to Eminem to Snoop Dogg to Diddy/P-Diddy/Sean Combs/(enter current name here), have invoked the name of God, giving him the nod for their fame, in some cases giving him credit, and in other cases, professing belief that God had a purpose for their fame.
Granted, their acknowledgement of their creator is shallow at best, and is most likely insincere and rooted in an ignorance of who God is and what he expects of us. There is a tendency among all of us to squeeze and mold God into a shape we like, as if he were made of Play-Doh. We formulate our ideals based on whims and fancies. Notions are planted in our heads over a lifetime by people with the same shallow perception of God, and our own perceptions are often patchwork quilts of the parts of these ideas we like, mainly because they don't offend us or make us uncomfortable about who we are.
It's easy for these people to invoke the name of God. People have no problem calling Him by name, except for a few rebellious folks out there whose rejection of the Creator is very active. Relatively speaking, people don't have a problem believing in God; they just have a problem submitting to Him. There is often a general skepticism of the Bible and how authoratative it is, or some other rejection of whatever absolutes might pin them down in what they consider unfriendly territory. In the absence of an absolute standard, they construct one out of Lego blocks. Some have built faith structures that might look impressive in a monochromatic world, but in reality the colors are mismatched and it looks just like it is: a patched together mess of incongruous parts.
A refusal to acknowledge the Bible as authoratative or an ignorance of what it says guarantees that many will absolutely miss one of the most important messages the Bible has to share, namely this:
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2, emphasis mine)
Reflecting on this, you might be able to conclude what I have: people have a much harder time calling the name of Christ and professing their allegiance to Him than they do to God. This is too bad, because it is Christ's name that is the highest and greatest and most worthy of worship and praise. God the Father has said so Himself.
I don't believe it bothers God when his name is maligned as much as it does when the name of His Son is. God the Father decreed that it be this way--that Jesus's name be the one above every other name. So many people just don't understand that God prefers obedience to half-hearted worship or fleeting mention in an acceptance speech or liner notes. Obedience, in particular, to His command to place the name of Christ in the place of utmost reverence and worship.
There's no need to fret though, those of you who are believers and sorrow at the lack of faith that surrounds us. One day everyone will believe, and that's not a Universalist proclamation. Remember:
Every knee will bow...every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Unfortunately, for most people it will be too little and too late to make any difference for eternity.
