The Myth of DIY Christianity

Resisting duct tape discipleship

I love a good do-it-yourself project.

Not long ago I bought some painting supplies, watched a few YouTube videos, and turned an old side table into freshly painted, fashionable piece of furniture. As someone who isn’t very architecturally competent, I was proud of myself for this small victory.

There’s something about piecing together different things, learning a new skill, and figuring it out on your own that’s so satisfying. Finishing a project gives you the sense of self-mastery and sufficiency. I can do this, you tell yourself, I can figure this out. And nothing matches the feeling of accomplishment when you lay eyes on your finished product.

But a problem arises when this same belief is applied to the Christian faith.

Duct tape discipleship

It’s easy for us to slip into the belief that following Jesus is something we can figure out on our own.

Like piecing things together to “figure it out” for a DIY project, we can do the same when it comes to following Jesus. All we have to do is listen to the right podcasts, find the right blogs, read the right books, and be sure we get our one on one time in with Jesus.

With some ingenuity and a little bit of spiritual duct tape we can piece the life of discipleship together.

The called Christian

Simply put, to be a Christian is to belong to a particular people.

Consider the words of Peter.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

We aren’t on an island.

We weren’t saved to piece things together on our own. We’ve been brought into a new community, kingdom, and family. Together, as the gathered people of God we all proclaim the excellencies of our saving God.

This is why we find the faith practiced in community throughout the Bible and Christian tradition.

Only when we’re gathering together do we fully represent what Christ calls us to and live into our new kingdom reality. It’s only by a corporate faith that we can be spurred onto greater knowledge, faithfulness, and love. Only by being surrounded by other Christians can we die to our selves and serve one another as Christ commanded us.

Only with one another do we fully proclaim the praises of our saving God.

So don’t fall for the trap of DIY Christianity.

Press into those following Jesus around you, press deeply into your church community, and in the process you’ll find yourself deeper in the arms of Jesus in the process.