I continue to be amazed at the divisive and controversial times we live in. I keep thinking to myself, when is this going to get any better? One of my daughters just asked me, “Why does God allow bad things to happen?” Isn’t that the question of all of humanity since the beginning of time? LORD, why all of the chaos? Why all of the insanity?
I truly think we are under God’s judgment. As the Church of God, we have allowed many things to happen without saying much, if anything, at all. I heard a podcast recently that talked about how we have been so concerned about what other’s have thought about us, and that we want to be liked so much, that we have remained quiet when the LORD has clearly called us to be salt and light in our culture. Confusion about sexuality and sexual sin abounds. Fatherlessness is rampant. Babies in the womb snuffed out of existence happens on the regular. Heartbreaking.
No one wants to be disliked. It feels good to be accepted and it’s stressful to have to approach a problem or the elephant in the room with the very high probability that you will be stepping on a whole lot of toes. It is so much easier to stay quiet.
I have struggled with this often. To be clear, there is wisdom in not always speaking your mind (Prov. 17:27). LORD, do I know that. I’ve inappropriately spoken out as well. There are definitely times when silence is not only appropriate but wise.
However, at other times it is important to speak in wisdom and in love. There are many times when the Spirit is prompting us to speak and we hesitate. Why in the world do we hesitate? Because it will cost us. It may cost us respect. It may cost us friendships. It may cost us a job opportunity. But make no mistake – speaking up about the Truth of God’s Word will cost us, one way or another. Jesus is the perfect example of this. He spoke Truth and they killed Him for it. The wrathful response of a prideful person who has just been corrected will minimally sting and more often than not, truly be painful.
So how do we know when to open our mouths? Praying before you’re in the moment, during the moment, and even afterward is obviously key. Of course, you can’t always prepare yourself for some onslaughts of attack, though. But if we are diligently repenting of sin, seeking God’s face, and praying for wisdom (James 1:5) there isn’t a moment when the LORD will desert us; He will always provide what we need. Praise God, right?
Being a counter-cultural Christian is not for the faint of heart. Obedience to God’s commandments and the convictions He places on our hearts will almost assuredly include sacrifice. If they persecuted Christ, obviously we, as His followers, will also be persecuted (John 15:20). The culture around us right now is like a house on fire that no one seems to either see or acknowledge that it’s in trouble. Those around us feel the heat and smell the smoke, but they’d rather pick daisies. Or maybe some recognize there’s a problem, but they’re trying to drown out the flames by throwing gasoline into the fire. As Believers, we may be the only ones who realize there’s a problem and that we have access to Living Water which will stop the flames. But we need to be willing to call sin what it is according to the Word of God (not the word of man or the word of contemporary culture) and sound the alarm before it’s too late. Yes, we may be interrupting fun times of gardening and enjoying the sights and there will be many who are angry and resentful since we’re not doing things their way. But ultimately, who are we trying to honor and please?
This all sounds like a lot of work for not a lot of immediate benefit. But it’s not all doom and gloom. You know why? Christ gives us the victory (1 Cor 15:57). We know Who wins in the end. It’s not about being on the “right side” of history. I want to be on the right side of HIS story, don’t you? I want to be suited up with one of those white robes that John talked about it in Revelation (Rev. 7:9-10). I love how John can tell that people of ALL nations are there, no matter how much or how little melanin you have; no matter where you come from; no matter what language you speak. When we die, we don’t morph into a homogeneous praise and worship group. Our individuality will remain, and YET we will be one in Christ as we each will be given our white uniform robe. I want that uniform. That uniform is what binds us together. That uniform is the most important thing in our lives since without it, we aren’t Christ’s. That uniform is beyond precious and has been provided to His people, by God’s grace and Christ’s blood. Those robes aren’t different hughes depending on where you’re from or what you’ve done or not done. They’re all the same and they unify us into the body of Christ. But again, our individuality and who we are will be left intact. Brown skin, white skin, black skin, and everything in between. How amazingly beautiful is that?
Do you find yourself struggling against this cancel culture? Well, I have news for you – you’re not alone. But even when it looks bleak and difficult, we need to remind ourselves that Christ has already won. More persecution is likely to come, but I pray we are strengthened by God’s Truth, honored to share in Christ’s sufferings, and look forward to the power of the Resurrection (Phil 3:10-11). Stronger backs is what we need to be crying out for, Saints, not a change of circumstance! We can not rely on our government or anyone else for that matter to put out these flames we are surrounded by. We are in a hot mess in America right now and the only thing that can save us is getting washed in the blood of Christ as we repent of our sins and tell others the saving gospel of Jesus. Let us pray for one another as we move forward, boldly speak Truth in love, and stand united in Christ.
