I love music. Classical, pop, R&B, country, hymns, jazz, gospel, hip-hop, indie folk, you name it. So of course I tuned in to watch the Grammy’s to see all the talented (some more than others) music artists. After watching, I was left with two thoughts. First, how merciful and patient God is in that He continues to grant us life even as we live morally ruined lives and become a God-mocking generation. Secondly, with this cultural shift, what are Christians doing to help change the world for Christ? In my opinion, what takes place in our world as forms of entertainment or any other showcase of art will prove to have the greatest impact on our culture than any form of legislation, because art is an effective persuader. Our world is shifting away from God (surprise, surprise), and as followers of Jesus, we want to spark a lasting change in our culture and see souls saved and lives transformed by the power of the Gospel. But, things seem to either progressively worsen or stay the same—which can be discouraging. As Christians, how do we live for Jesus and reach those in a world that is hostile and constantly changing? Let’s chop it up! (Slang 101—chop up: converse and break it down.)
- Stop imitating the world!
God does not save souls the world’s way. God uses the foolish things to dumbfound the wise and strong. God, in the world’s eyes, is the worst talent scout because the world looks to power, prestige, and material glitz and glam, while God uses the weak, powerless, and feeble to shame them and display His power and glory! Often times the people of God can easily get caught up in being “culturally aware” and reaching the lost in the name of Jesus while compromising the very words of Christ! The church goes as the world goes and adjusts to better appease people rather than remaining faithful to Christ. No change will take place unless we have God’s Word as our foundation. We must stand firm in the faith and let the world be the world and the church be the church. - Imitate Christ!
If you have been saved by grace through faith, brought out of darkness into His marvelous light, you now have a high calling, a calling to Christ-likeness. This does not mean perfect obedience or a life of ease, but with the Spirit’s help, it is a daily battle to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses, and follow after Jesus. If you want to see change, you must first ask if you have been changed by the power of the Gospel. It’s impossible to imitate someone you know nothing about, so are you growing in the knowledge of Christ, increasing in humility and love for others, striving for holiness, and suffering for the sake of the Gospel? If you want to impact our generation, emulate Jesus. - Bank on Real Change!
There will be a day with no more pain, suffering, Sallie Mae (can I get a witness?!), death, broken families, bills, disappointments, midterms, 15-page research papers, and any other effects of the fall you could think of. Jesus will return as the conquering King and reign victoriously forevermore! He will restore all things and we will enjoy God perfectly. As believers, we have a hope that even in the midst of this fallen world, we can await the blessed return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the new heaven and new earth will be our reality. The real change that will come is when all things will be made new and His perfect love will cast out every fear and wipe all the tears from our eyes. So in the words of Sam Cooke, “It has been a long time coming, but I know that a change gon’ come”; so come quickly, Lord Jesus, come quickly!
