Not long ago, while running errands, our daughter-in-law was pulled over for a traffic violation. Lydia, her astute little kindergarten-age daughter, quickly surveyed the situation and arrived at what she thought was the obvious solution to the problem. She began enthusiastically asking her mother to give the police officer one of the donuts they had with them in the car. “Here!” she said loudly, as she handed a donut to her mother. Then, as if to further explain her actions, she added, “Cops love donuts!” Where she got the idea is anybody’s guess, but she had committed her mother to a course of action from which there seemed little escape. Politely offering the officer a donut, the little girl’s mother was mildly rebuffed when he promptly replied, “I don’t like donuts!” Since then, the matter has received a good deal of ongoing discussion among our grandchildren who find it hard to believe that anyone would turn down a donut.

It occurs to me that, in our tolerant culture of political correctness, we are offering the world donuts, when what they really need is the gospel of Christ. Nowhere is this more evident than among those who are replacing God-directed worship with man-centered worship. When did our own desires become most important in worship? The Father seeks a particular kind of worshiper—one who will worship Him “in spirit and truth” (Jn. 4:23-24). Concerning worship, should we give people what they want or give God what He has commanded?

We are told to sing and make melody in our heart to the Lord (Eph. 5:19 cf. Col. 3:16). But, in offering a donut to the masses, some have replaced a cappella singing with a big band and choral extravaganza.

Some preaching has become so watered down that it consists of little more than high-sounding platitudes and exciting stories that capture attention but seldom call to repentance. When summoned, Paul spoke to Felix about “righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come” (Acts 24:25). It is highly unlikely that these were the matters about which Felix most wanted to listen. It is a shallow love that ignores what is needed and focuses only on that which is desired (cf. Eph. 4:15).