Functional or Dysfunctional

Functional comes from the root word function, meaning the natural or proper action of anything. Dysfunctional then means the opposite, the unnatural or improper action of anything. We see dysfunction all around us in this world, families with dead-beat dads, people in codependent relationships, enablers, manipulators, parents having to take care of adult children, grandparents having to care for grandchildren because the parents are not capable, and on and on and on. Relationships that are unnatural and improper.

We are so accustomed to dysfunction that we let it carry over into our relationship with God. Is your relationship with God unnatural and improper?


Q -

1. Do you go to church because of whom you're married to, or dating, or because your parents make you?

2. Are you in a relationship with God as long as the going is smooth, but once it gets rough, you bail?

3. Do you read your Bible to feel good?

4. Do you go to church to get an emotional high?

5. Do you put your trust in any person (spouse?) or thing (job?) more than God?

6. Do you ask others for prayer, because you feel their faith is stronger than yours?

7. Do you seek out encouragement from others to pull you out of your discouragement?

8. Do you pray only when you have a problem?

9. Is your faith based on tradition or conviction?

10. Are you content to be spoon fed God's Word, relying on hand-my-down revelation from others?




A -

1. God wants you to seek Him because you are responding to His Word, not just because of whom you're married to or dating, or what rules your parents have.

2. God wants you to be committed in the good times and bad (He promised we would face persecution - II Timothy 3:12). He is not the one that causes any bad thing in your life. See James1:17 and John 10:10.

3. He is looking for those that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6), not just reading the Word to feel good, but reading to get to know Him, to find out His will, to gain an awe and reverence, a proper fear of the Lord, to be motivated by obedience--that is when we will gain true wisdom from His Word (Proverbs 9:10).

4. Going to church and being emotionally uplifted is totally fine, but to be seeking after a feeling is wrong. We are not to be driven by our emotions. Romans 8:6 says that to be carnally minded is death. Being carnally minded is being controlled by what you feel.

5. God want us to trust completely in Him and not place any one person (spouse) or thing (job) above Him, that becomes idolatry. Proverbs 3:5, Jeremiah 17:5-10

6. Having others pray for you is totally fine and scriptural, but don't ever feel that God won't listen to your prayers. Don't ever feel like your faith is too small. Jesus said faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Faith comes by hearing the Word (Romans 10:17), you have the answer before you to release the faith that He has already placed on the inside of you (Romans 12:3).

7. Getting encouragement from those around you is part of the purpose of the church (Hebrews 10:24-25), but if you are relying on them more than God, you are wrong. David encouraged himself, reminding himself of God's promises, when he was at a particularly low, depressed state (I Samuel 30:6).

8. Prayer is for so much more than giving God our laundry list. Prayer is a conversation with God, we talk to Him, He answers us with His Word. Praise and thanksgiving should be a much higher priority than asking for things. There is a time and place for requests, but that is not all prayer is. See how the prayer starts and ends that the Lord taught to his disciples in Matthew 6:9-13, with praise.

9. The more you spend time in God's Word, with a pure motive of submission to it, you will move away from tradition to conviction.

10. It's time to get out of the highchair, start feeding yourself, start digging into the solid food (truths, revelation) of God's Word for yourself, and He will reveal wisdom to you. Hebrews 5:12-14, read in the New Living Translation.




I hope you will allow the Holy Spirit to use this strong word to teach you. I don't mean any of these things to condemn you, but rather convict. How do you know the difference? Condemnation pulls you away from God, conviction pulls you closer. We all need to examine our motives and heart from time to time. Some of you have pure hearts, some of you just don't know any better. We have all been at one of these places at one time or another. It's time to grow up. I have actually seen people that live a life of spiritual immaturity and dysfunction and as a result have a hell-on-earth life. They are saved, but they do not walk in victory. God wants better for you.