Motivational speakers have always been popular in evangelical churches. The gospel of positive thinking blends easily with the American tradition of self-reliance, self-improvement, and rugged individualism. We see ourselves as a nation that has pulled itself up by its own boot-straps. Even from pulpits, we have been urged to have a can-do-it attitude.
Certainly Paul testified, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” To make this message more marketable we sometimes leave out the “through Christ” part and just focus on the importance of believing we can do all things. It is true that a positive attitude can be a great help in achieving one’s goals. At games we see fans waving “We believe” signs.
But too often this kind of positive thinking leads to positive arrogance and self-congratulation. Like players winning championship games, we often take center court and raise our finger indicating we are number one.
Instead of a can-do-it attitude, I think we need a conduit attitude. I want to be conduit for God’s grace, love, and power. Being a conduit guards our hearts from pride and ego- centricity. A conduit attitude guarantees that it is God—not us—that touches the lives of the people around us. When grace flows freely through us, our life also becomes a conduit for praise flowing back to God.
