The "seven-year itch" is the popular idea that romantic satisfaction in a marriage or long-term relationship often declines around the seven-year mark, leading to restlessness, dissatisfaction, or even infidelity.
According to St. Paul, some Christians get the “seven-ear itch.” He said, “For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully” (2 Timothy 4:3-5).
The old, old story of the Gospel, what we call “the apostolic faith” as contained in the New Testament, is life transforming. It brings sinners to repentance, hope to the hopeless, and love to the forlorn. It tells the story of the cross and of Jesus’ redeeming sacrifice for our sins.
As the hymn says, “I love to tell the story, ‘twill be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.” I have seen it transform the lives of prisoners and change them from criminals to saints. I have seen it give foundational strength to the lives of all who follow Jesus.
Nevertheless, there are many who wander away from the truth of the Gospel into false narratives, teachings, and doctrines. They have “itching ears,” wanting to hear a different gospel. Perhaps they are seeking something that will say to them that they don’t have to suffer or have any trials.
Maybe they are looking for a gospel that will promise them prosperity and a life of ease. It could be they are seeking some “new revelation” that is exciting, unique, or exclusive. Some might be looking for permission to follow their base, fleshly desires and live like pagans while still believing themselves to be saved. Some might be looking for rigidity and a belief in a faultless leader or infallible belief system where they can surrender responsibility for their own souls to an authoritarian person or organization.
All these folks have itching ears, longing for a different gospel from the Gospel preached by Jesus and recorded by the disciples in the New Testament, which has been preached in orthodox pulpits since the days of the early church.
St. Paul said, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with utmost patience in teaching” (2 Timothy 4:1-3).
The key to fighting the “seven-ear itch” is persistence. We must be persistent in prayer, persistent in evangelism, and persistent in reading the Bible, for it is the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
We must be persistent in training children and all the disciples of Jesus. We must get back to the basics, learning from the Bible the right and correct teachings of Jesus as presented to us by the apostles. While we must be open to the fresh, new leading of the Holy Spirit and further application of the Gospel to our lives and our society, let us not chase after every new innovation of doctrine.
We must be persistent in seeking God amid our sufferings and struggles. We must be like the oppressed widow of Jesus parable in Luke 18:1-8, who persistently badgered a worldly, disinterested judge to grant her justice. He kept declining to relieve her suffering, nevertheless, she kept badgering him until he finally granted her justice against her oppressor.
We will have suffering in this world even as disciples of Jesus, but if we persist in prayer, in our determination to follow Jesus, and in learning the teaching of the scripture, we shall prevail and God will deliver us at the right time.
Dr. Dan Darby is a retired United Methodist pastor.
