I’m sure I’m not the only one who had no clue “what” or “who” a SAGE Con is –– right?
When I ran across the reference to this title in a recent article, I had to stop, pull out my handy-dandy dictionary –– Google ––, and look it up. According to the Barna Group, a SAGE Con is a Spiritually Active Governance Engaged Conservative. Let’s break that down. The word SAGE Con, I discovered, is an acrostic used to describe individuals who are conservative in their Christian faith, active in pursuit of a closer relationship with Christ, and passionate about the state of our social, political, and moral values.
The word sage is defined as a profoundly wise person, someone with sound judgment and experience. Sages are said to be great communicators. Those who communicate in ways that influence others to consider new insights and information.
After this new term, SAGE Con, caught my eye, I pondered its definition, along with the definition of the word sage and I asked myself, does God want me to be a SAGE Con? Then I read Ephesians 4:1-32 and here’s what I concluded:
God deeply desires for each of us to walk in a way that others will recognize our love and dedication to Him. He wants us to be gentle, patient, tolerant, and kind, but He also wants us to lay aside falsehood and stand firm in our Christian faith and beliefs. He commands us to speak truth to one another and to walk in a way that is worthy of our relationship with Him. We must not forget the sacrifice He paid to conquer death for each and every one of us and, we must not take for granted our responsibility to disciple, influence, and affect our communities, country, and the world in positive ways. Therefore, whether we consider ourselves a SAGE con or not, it’s important for us to adopt the qualities of a sage; one who is wise, careful in judgment, and willing to influence others in positive ways, both for today and for future generations to come. And, we have a responsibility to stand firm in our Christian values, actively pursue a closer relationship with Christ, and remain passionate about the social, political, and moral condition of our communities, country, and the world.
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.….Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.” Ephesians 4:1-2, 25 (NASB)
- First and foremost, are you active in your pursuit of a closer relationship with Christ?
- Are you walking in a manner worthy, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?
- Are you laying aside falsehood and speaking the truth?
We can be passionate about the social, political, and moral condition of our communities, country, and the world – but we must remember that our relationships with Jesus come first!
Resources for further study:
