Untrendy

I've always considered myself a pretty boring Christian and now that I'm online again, I can confirm that I am still very boring.

By boring, I mean that I've typically been hesitant or suspicious about trends in general, even before I came to know the Lord. That's not to say that this is always a good thing, but in looking back over my life, I'm beyond grateful that God used my cautious nature to alert me to the notion that just because something is popular, it doesn't mean that it's necessarily good or right. As a result, I'm rarely the type to get on bandwagons.

Where I think this suspicion has played out most has been in my Christian entertainment choices, funny enough. As I seldom consume secular entertainment, I suppose I'm already untrendy there. It's also not the focus of what I'll be writing about here as it doesn't play much of a part in my life.

In thinking back to when I was a young Christian, I remember being excited about anything that had to do with God. It is only by His grace that I did not get caught up in a lot of things that could have led me astray. The fervour was there, but not necessarily the spiritual discernment yet. Thankfully, I can't recall too many Christian books early on that I was enjoying—non-fiction or fiction—that I later realized did not glorify God or pointed away from Him. Truthfully, this might also have been the case because I was trying to soak up the Bible as much as I could at the time.

Even though I still have much to learn about God, He continues to lovingly protect and shape my mind as I desperately need it! The Holy Spirit has been instrumental in nudging me away from certain books or teachings over the years, and I praise Him for that.

While this is not to point fingers and only to provide some examples, one of the first books that I remember trending among Christians was The Prayer of Jabez. Though it might have been beneficial to some Christians over the years, I remember feeling uneasy after reading it. I'm not disparaging the book or those who were spiritually impacted by it, but I couldn't figure out why it was so popular. If anything, I was confused because the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10 is quite short. It's an earnest cry to God and references back to Jabez's name sounding like pain; however, I remember thinking it was a bit much to build an entire teaching on with my limited understanding of theology at the time. I also didn't think it made sense that Christians would pray this relatively obscure prayer when Jesus gave us the Lord's Prayer (not to say that we can't pray all sorts of things to God, but we shouldn't turn it into a mantra either). Since it's been a few decades since I've read the book now, I have to acknowledge that the author might not have written this prayer in a way that was meant to be prescriptive; however, it did spark quite the movement.

Over the years, I've noticed that there have been more Christian trends that have come and gone without my interest or participation and I'm thankful. I don't think I've missed out on anything, and I'm truly content with not being "in the know" on what other Christians are hyping up. It would be an extensive list to name all of the trends as there are so many that keep popping up, but I have veered away from a lot of emergent trends, contemplative practices, progressive teaching, and so forth. Over time, some of these teachings or entertainment choices have been highlighted for how they've strayed from biblical Christianity. Others still remain popular and will continue to be enjoyed by many Christians, regardless of my thoughts or feelings on it.

All that to say, I used to think that being untrendy meant I was a little "out of it," but since being online again, I'm actually relieved that I've missed out on a lot of trends. I don't think it's the worst thing to be untrendy, especially when it comes to Christian materials that might not be the best out there. It's probably worse to fall for a lot of hype and then discover that the hype was unwarranted. In regards to reading, I could probably tell you a number of titles I have read that were heavily promoted that ended up falling flat. With a new year ahead, I appreciate that I can skip these trends and focus on what I want to read instead. Rather than focusing on all the trends that I'll avoid, here is what I desire in my reading:

• Solid Christian fiction that not only tells a good story but accurately reflects who God is, does not glamourize sin, and where characters face the consequences of their actions like in real life. I'm all about the redemption arc as that is the story of humanity, but there are a few parts that can't be skipped over just to have a happy ending. Repentance is pivotal in Christian faith, along with themes like self-sacrificial love or denying oneself for the sake of the cross. It's surprising how many stories depict characters who continually wrong each other but instead of recognizing sin and making amends to stop this type of behaviour, things seem hunky-dory and they can just kiss whenever they want to instead (no, just no).
• Biblical teaching in Christian non-fiction books where the focus is on God and not myself; I do not want to read Christian self-help books when "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). If it's something that willpower could have solved alone, we wouldn't need a book reminding us of that. It goes without saying that my willpower fails a lot and these books don't seem to help.
• Christian memoirs and biographies that don't shy away from the realities of living in a fallen world but also point to Jesus as the only source of hope. I've read a few stories where it has gotten bogged down in biographic details and it misses the work of God; at that point, it might be a nice memoir or biography, but it's not really a testimony of who God is and what He has done.
• Books that focus on the truth of the Bible as opposed to introducing "new" spiritual practices or understandings, sometimes for the glory of the author. Yes, there is much to mine or uncover in the Word of God so in a sense, there is always something new that God will teach me as I grow in my understanding of Him. However, when Christian authors write like they have the latest inside information or an entirely new way of practicing faith, it's not new (Ecclesiastes 1:9). This actually puts me on fuller alert as God's revelation is not esoteric, only to be revealed to a select few. I'm also troubled when churches jump all over these new trends as opposed to just faithfully preaching and living God's Word out. Honestly, how well have some of these trends lasted?
• Finally, joy-filled and hope-filled stories, whether fictional or non-fictional. There is so much darkness in this world that I don't want to further soak my mind in all the depravity of sin. I'm not saying that books can't be descriptive in this, but there is a fine line between accounting for particular circumstances that characters or people face, and dwelling on them to the point of bleakness and despair. Paul's powerful description of the resurrection body in 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 ultimately points to how Jesus has achieved victory over sin and death: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the hope that we live with as believers, and it truly gives us a reason to rejoice.

I'm hopeful that in avoiding trends and being careful with what I read instead that I can have a fruitful reading experience. I keep praying for discernment, and seek to be vigilant with the type of books I'm now purchasing or borrowing. If anything, this has meant way fewer book hauls, along with a purging of some books that I realize no longer interest me (hint: a lot of the popular titles over the years are ones I've struggled with most and am delighted to donate!).