“Do not conform to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then
you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and
perfect will.”-Romans 12:2
When Christ came to the earth He came with the primary
purpose of reconciling creation back to their Creator. He came to reveal hope
and purpose to a people who had lost hope and did not understand their reason
for being here.
One of the main ways Christ revealed His mission was by
challenging status quo. He did not conform to the ways of the world, but worked
to shift the way people lived in the world. He did not rest on what was
accepted, but influenced what was acceptable in the eyes of God.
You see, He did not want to allow the culture of the time
and what was influencing culture to infiltrate the hearts and mind of His
people. So, He started to show how life was meant for so much more and the
people of the world were capable of more than what they were doing at the time.
I believe He is still trying to reveal that same message
today. I believe He is waiting for His people to rise up and leverage their
influence to begin shifting culture that has allowed for pain and suffering to
reign in so many lives.
The issue is, before we can try to shift culture in the
world, the culture of the Church has to transform. The culture of the Church
has become complacent. We have allowed the world to view us and define in
certain ways without trying to change their perspective.
We have allowed a narrative to be written about us that is
not cohesive with the gospel of Christ nor the purpose of the Church He laid
out for us in scripture. We have allowed for ourselves to rest in our salvation,
but forgot that salvation should cause us to move into the world to share the
good news of what we have discovered.
The narrative being written has defined Christians as
hateful, racists, anti-everything, hypocrites, and much more. We have to change
it!
This means, people who are followers of Jesus begin to rise
up and show unconditional love and service to all people. We no longer sit and
allow the few people who claim Christ, but have no clue what it means to follow
Him, to speak on our behalf. We shift our identity.
That means pastors start challenging culture within the
church they lead. It means people within the church begin challenging those who
hold firm to old ways and do not welcome new thoughts or ideas. It means
followers of Christ begin to walk in their communities in search of ways to
show and share the gospel of Christ and not wait for people to enter their
doors before talking to them about who Christ has created them to be.
This culture change within the Church would then begin the
narrative change outside of the church.
If you don’t want stereotypes to define you, then influence
change in your culture to create new stereotypes.
We should be pursuing cultural change, not complacency.
Christ did not look at the world and say, “Well, that’s just the way it is. I’ll
die, but I don’t expect change.”
NO! He came to say this is how it is, but I am showing you
and telling you how it should be. The only way it will become what I am showing
and defining is when my followers decide to live by what I have taught.
May we be a part of change. May we be a part of cultural
shift. May we be a light to a dark world. May we change the narrative of
Christians in the world by creating change in our church culture.
Let us use our influence to better society and move through
the world showing a new way to live.
Peace and blessings friends.
QUESTION: Good or
bad, how can you see the church influencing the culture around you?
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