When Do We Say Enough is Enough?
By Chris Watkins - Student Minister
As a member of one of the younger generations (Millennial) I see a world that is vastly different from even my own childhood. I can look and see similar cultural issues, similar wrong things on TV and in music, and similar political battles; but when I look at the world today I also see something I did not see 20 something years ago. I see a world that has thrown tolerance to the side and made everything matter of fact with very little gray area when it comes to views different than your own. This is very frustrating when your views seem different from the mainstream culture. However, I would like to argue that this is also a good thing for us as Christians. There is no more room for us to be one foot in the Bible and one foot in culture. We must decide to finally abide in the Truth of Jesus and the Word of God. Let’s take a look at Romans 12:
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
I believe this passage speaks to us today on the need to be truly transformed by the Gospel and not be conformed to what the world around us wants to indoctrinate us with. I feel as though I am young enough to get away with this quote from Kanye West in a song from his Jesus is King album sang a song called “Closed on Sunday." The lyrics say “No more living for the culture, We nobody’s slave, Stand up for my home, Even if I take this walk alone, I bow down to the King upon the throne, My life is His, I’m no longer my own”. Yes, I am using lyrics from a Kanye West song, but this is to show that even in the life of people driven by culture their entire career, in this season of culture making people take a stand for what they believe, Jesus has the power to change lives. I find Kanye’s lyrics to be ones that for us as Christians we should ponder by asking, are we standing up for ourselves, our home, our church, our community in the way that we are living? In reading Romans 12, I believe we need to once and for all make a stand for the King of Kings and live a life in submission to what He has for us. (Author’s note: I do not endorse Kanye West’s entire music library)
As we approach the Lord’s Supper as a church family in a few weeks, this passage drives me to evaluate who I am living for and how I am pursuing Christ each and every day. I desire to be found as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Each day I pray I am living in a heart and season of worship since God is worthy of my praise. I pray that we as a church continue to pursue Christ over culture and that we would spend time in the coming weeks preparing our hearts and minds for the special time we will have partaking in the Lord’s Supper.
Chris