Is the Church superstitious?

Definition

I define superstition as, "deriving truth from the created."

Superstition

Many people are superstitious. Whether they look at the stars to determine the truth (horoscopes) or believe they will have a bad day because they saw a black cat, they use circumstances and creation as a means to determine truth. Anything from fortune cookies to shapes in the clouds are interpreted as being of significance for the superstitious person.

Message from God?

The principle of looking to the natural, created realm for truth is prevalent in the Church. Believers don't go to fortune tellers but instead run to prophets for a word from God. Believers interpret their circumstances as God's message to them. Every dream and every "strange" occurrence is somehow a message from God.

Dependence on the created

Undoubtedly God can communicate to His people in any way He chooses but the believer must be careful not to depend on the created rather than on the Creator. Those who trust created things more than God are practising idolatry. The apostle Paul writes,

"They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator." Romans 1:25

Led by God

The born again believer who has been born of the Spirit has been given the Holy Spirit to lead him and guide him.

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth." John 16:13

"...those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." Romans 8:14

God has given us His Spirit so that we can hear from God and do His will. It is by the Spirit of God that God communicates to His people. That is why Paul prays that the Colossians would receive spiritual wisdom and understanding in order to do the will of God (Col. 1:9,10).

What about God's prophets?

Someone might argue that God used the natural to speak to His prophets. For example, God asked Jeremiah,

"What do you see?" Jer. 1:11,13

However, they fail to realise that God's prophets walked closely to God and were already hearing His voice when He told them to look at the natural to confirm God's Word!

Listen to God!

Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice" John 10:27

The primary reason Christians look to the natural realm to hear God is because they are not spending time with God and learning to hear His voice out of an intimate relationship with Him. Consequently they don't know God and depend on people, circumstances and the natural realm to determine truth! Clearly this can lead to deception and being completely misled by unspiritual people and the enemy!

Depend on God!


God wants His people to depend on Him and not on creation. The natural realm points to God so that we seek Him first (see Rom. 1:19-23). The principle of looking to God as our Source is so important to Him that Jesus even rebuked the teachers of the Law for depending on the Word more than on God (see John 5:39,40)! God's Word must lead us into an encounter with the living God - the Author!

The believer must learn to be led by the Holy Spirit. Clearly we will only know God's voice if we grow in our knowledge of Him by spending time with Him, by reading His Word and praying.


Spiritual revelation

Ask the Lord for spiritual revelation and understanding as you read His Word, and expect God to speak to you (see 1 Cor. 2:9-14; Matthew 13:11,12). Meditate on what the Holy Spirit highlights to you and allow the Lord to show you the deeper things of God.