Guess what? George Barna has found that 51% of those adults he surveyed felt that their faith had "transformed" their lives! Oh, if only those lives then would "transform" our culture! But sadly, the "transformed" are about equal to the task of "change agent" as the 45% that claimed less or no influence of their faith, when queried by Mr. Barna.

Perhaps that's owing to many Americans' "consumer" approach to their faith. Like any other "purchase" we make, many professing believers figure they'll "buy into" this "God thing," as long as they are getting enough out of it to "feel" satisfied...as if our "happiness" is something we can "buy" through identifying as a Christian. The minute this passive "believe-ism" doesn't deliver, we're ready to bail...whining that Christianity "does nothing for us." But James said that such faith is dead. So what is required of us? How can we find the "satisfying" faith we Christians so fervently seek?

I believe that it's as simple as the words uttered by the prophet Elijah, that day on Mt. Carmel. "How long will you waver between two opinions?" The choice before the people of Israel that day--people who, you remember, could say nothing--was between the God of their fathers, and the gods of baal. But the real choice, of course, was the same one you and I face today.

You see, the people of that day identified as Jews, but practiced idol worship, including the most horrific, unimaginable kind of human sacrifice. We Christians today are, in many ways, no different. We wear the name of Jesus, yet we serve the God of Mammon...and we are living with the consequences of that choice. Choose this day whom you will serve...and the God who knit you together in your mother's womb will satisfy your longings exceedingly, and abundantly.