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The world isn’t looking for someone to win the latest debate in the culture war. They’re looking for an alternative to the whole mess.
by Karl Vaters
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Apparently the church is losing the culture wars.
We must be. My Facebook feed says so. And Facebook never lies, right?
Today it’s about bathrooms. Tomorrow it will be something else.
Each issue is presented as ‘The Most Important Issue of Our Time!’ Until the next time.
Many Christians – including Christian leaders – get drawn into these endless debates with two primary responses: we whine and/or we fight back.
Today I’d like to propose a third option.
Rise above it. By being undeniable.
How Jesus Responded to His Culture
Quit whining. And quit being drawn into someone else’s fight.
When we do either of those things, we’re operating in reactive mode. We’re on defense. We’re letting others set the agenda for us.
Jesus never allowed others to pull him into their debate.
Jesus never did that. Jesus never allowed others to pull him into their debate.
His enemies tried to bait him with an impossible question about taxation, but instead of descending to their level he raised the conversation to his level. (Luke 20:20-26)
Debate over.
When his disciples saw a man born blind, they wanted Jesus to pick sides in a theological debate. Instead, he healed the blind man. (John 9)
Debate over.
In his actions and words.
He has called us to be undeniable as well. In our actions and words.
Stick With Jesus’ Agenda
Every minute I spend being drawn into the agenda of others is a minute I’m not spending on Christ’s agenda.
Is the culture heading in a direction you think is bad? (No doubt it is, in many ways).
Don’t become just another whining or angry voice in the mess. And don’t ignore it, either. Rise above it. Stick to the agenda Jesus gave us instead of being drawn into endless arguments, debates and unwinnable wars of words.
Be undeniable.
How?
By doing what Jesus told us to do. His instructions haven’t changed.
It’s still supposed to be about the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
Love God, love others and make disciples.
And remember, no matter how bad things seem to get and how much you’re tempted to divert from that mandate, Jesus gave those commands to people living in the moral cesspool of Roman corruption and persecution.
If it worked then, it can work today.
The Undeniability of Following Jesus
The world isn’t looking for someone to win the latest debate in the culture war. They’re looking for an alternative to the whole mess.
They’re looking for Jesus. Even if they don’t know it yet.
Don’t follow the crowd, follow Jesus.
Be proactive.
Be Christ-like.
Be undeniable.
Copyright © 2016 by the author or Christianity Today/Leadership Journal.
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