I’ve traveled to a few countries and to various parts of the US. I’ve loved every one of them. The food is different. The people are different. The music, movies and TV shows are different. What they wear to the beach is different. Even what’s an appropriate word can be different. Notice I didn’t say any particular culture is better or worse, just different.
The question for the believer in Jesus is, who decides how you live in those different locations – the culture or Christ? The answer sounds obvious, but is it? AW Tozer once said, “One compromise here, another there and soon enough the so-called Christian and the man in the world look the same.” When someone can’t tell the difference a believer and a pre-believer in Jesus, culture decided.
Yes, we live in the world, but we are not to be like it. Christ is a wonderful example of this. He lived in a Jewish world, yet He broke all kinds of cultural taboos when He visited the woman at the well in John 4. Paul speaks about this in Ephesians 4:8-10, “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.” Jesus found what pleased His Father, not His culture, and did it.
Not all cultures have it wrong, but none have it all right either. The Word of God must be our filter to discover what pleases the Lord, no matter where we find ourselves on this planet. Tozer went on to say, “What you do not absolutely surrender and give up to God comes between you and God.” Do you want a certain TV show, clothing item, or word coming out of your mouth to become between you and Jesus? The Bible calls this separation, death.
Don’t let your culture come between you and Jesus, even if it’s a Christian one. Instead, continue to use the FREEdom process to filter your culture through so you can stay focused on allowing the Spirit to change you into Jesus’ image. Then go disciple others to do the same. Guess what? The culture will change.
Set “FREE” Nowww