Dr. Laura, the Gospel and the Fear of Disapproval
Sometimes, during my lunch break, I listen to Dr. Laura on the radio. My friends are always amused whenever I start a response with, "Well, you know what Dr. Laura would say about that ..."
But the thing is, Dr. Laura tells straight. And although I don't always agree with her advice, often I do because a lot what she says is true.
Several months ago, a high school boy called in saying he had saved some money His parents told him he could spend it however he liked. He wanted to buy a computer but they thought that would be a mistake.
"What should I do?" he asked Dr. Laura.
"Well, they gave you permission to spend the money however you want. So if you want to buy a computer, buy a computer," Dr Laura said.
"But they will disapprove," he said.
"Let me tell you something," Dr. Laura said. "People will always disapprove of you. It's a mark of maturity to be able to deal with it. The sooner you get over the fear of disapproval, the sooner you'll be able to get on with your life."
I believe the advice Dr. Laura gave that boy could well serve the Church. There will always be people who disapprove of our message. But we can't let that paralyze us. The sooner we get over our fear of disapproval, the sooner we can get to our work of sharing the truth of God's Word and fulfilling the Great Commission.
My concern is that, as Christians, we too often try to adjust, or "soften," our message to make it more acceptable to the world. The problem is that, no matter how much we tinker with God's truth, it will always offend some people. But this shouldn't surprise us. Jesus said, "They hated me. They'll hate you, too."
Mel Gibson learned this while making his movie, “The Passion of the Christ.” Although his script closely followed the Gospel accounts, many religious leaders and Hollywood peers pressured him to change it. At the same time, Christian denominations are being pushed to ordain homosexual clergy, and church leaders are criticized for refusing to say Islam is just another path to God.
As the staff of Biola Connections, we've experienced the disapproval of some of our readers for things we've printed. For instance, from the last issue we received several angry letters about an article examining gay activism. We were accused of being hateful toward homosexuals.
Did this response surprise us? No, not really, other than the fact that some of the letters were from Biola alumni. Did it hurt? Of course. Criticism always hurts. Are we going to cave under their disapproval? No.
We can't because we have to remain faithful to what we believe God's Word says. Commitment to the Bible's authority is Biola's core value. Without it, we cease to be who we are.
Of course, there will always be genuine differences in interpreting the Bible. But the most essential message, the Cross, is by its very nature offensive. People don't like to be told they are sinners in need of a Savior.
However, a word of caution is in line here. We need to present this message tactfully, with humility, respect and love. We should also strive to provide well-reasoned, articulate responses. Some of us -- probably all of us, at times -- have given Christianity a bad name because of our un-Christlike manner. Our message may be offensive to some people, but we shouldn't be.
At the same time, the most loving thing we can do is present the undiluted message of God's love. We can't be so focused on winning the approval of our hearers that we neglect to offer them the truth they so desperately need.
I believe many Christians feel paralyzed when it comes to sharing the gospel. I know I do. I've spent time getting to know unbelievers only to fear losing their friendship if I tell them about their lost condition. But it encourages me to remember that even the Apostles were afraid of sharing the truth at times (albeit their lives were in danger and mine is not). Peter, who was worried about what the Jewish believers would think, refused to eat with the Gentile believers. And the Apostle Paul asked the Ephesians to pray for him that he may declare the gospel fearlessly. His critics tried to get him to compromise his message. But he didn't because, as he told the Galatians, he was not seeking the approval of men, but God.
It's ironic that we withhold the truth out of fear of losing the world's respect when a growing number of Christians in other nations are risking their lives to share the truth. But even in America, antagonism against biblical Christianity is on the rise. The more secular and immoral our society becomes, the more people will dislike our message. But that's why now, more than ever, we need Christians to toughen up and take a firm, vocal and unified stand for God's truth. Like Dr. Laura, we need to tell it straight.
At the risk of being ridiculed or even hated, we must overcome our need for approval and get on to sharing the only hope for this world.
Holly Peters is managing editor of Biola Connections. She graduated from Biola in 1999 with a degree in English and is currently working toward a master's degree in Christian apologetics. E-mail Holly at holly.peters@biola.edu.
© Biola University 2005