How God Saved me from my Functional Saviours
Excerpt from Simon’s sermon, “Our Part in God’s Story” on 10 March 2019
I am a goal-orientated person and I confess that God wasn’t one of my goals. I always had other priorities. To briefly introduce you to the functional saviours of my life, they are namely: grades, social acceptance, self-righteousness, physical looks, and many more. To explain to my non-Christian friends, a functional saviour is what we look to for comfort for satisfaction instead of Jesus. It’s like you’re happier when you see the foodpanda guy approaching than when you read your bible in the morning. You have to look physically good so you can’t go out without putting makeup on. Your confidence comes from knowing that people perceive you as smart and successful.
My functional saviours rarely gave me joy in life. It was nice when you think you’re morally superior to everyone else, or when people love you, or when you get into good schools. The only problem with all these saviours is that they fade, which proves to me that they were weak.
After all the recognition and fulfilment of goals I had, my heart was a little lost. Jealousy and hatred abound. Insecurity was still there despite the good looks and good social standing. My soul was still searching for a stronger and lasting Saviour, because surely they were not powerful enough to save myself from these destructive emotions and thoughts.
Jesus found me and saved me. God was gracious to me despite my rebellion. Like Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “God being rich in mercy, even when I was dead in my trespasses, made me alive together in Christ.”
There was joy and peace knowing him. It was different from anything I’ve experienced from my functional saviours. I no longer crave to be socially accepted, but now I’ve the eyes to see who’s struggling and is in need of the gospel. I’m no longer chasing after functional saviours, but now I’m chasing to seek after the righteousness of God and his kingdom.