Broken Reflection
For the purpose of this post, I want you to think of a mirror. The mirror represents the culture into which you have embedded yourself. You can see your self in the mirror, or, the culture that it represents. What do you see? Well, that depends on the condition of the mirror/culture. If the culture into which you have embedded yourself is smooth and clear, then you will see a pristine reflection of yourself. On the other hand, if the culture you are in is cracked, broken, and missing pieces that provide a clear image, then you will see yourself the way you are being reflected to the world. Again, what do you see?
The culture of our day is broken. I know, because I too have looked in the cultural mirror of my life, and discovered cracks, breaks, and missing pieces. I allowed myself to fit into the cultural flow of the day, because it was a wide open, and easy path to fall into. The Bible warns us about the wide and easy paths of life in Matthew 7:13-14,
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it."
There was a time in my ministry that I found myself traveling the wide and open way, but I thank God that He did not cast me away. After much repentance, prayer, and fasting, the Holy Spirit led me back onto the narrow road, the one most people refuse to travel. I will not say what it was that knocked me off the path, but I stand with the Apostle Paul who also discovered that God's grace is sufficient!
Why am I sharing this? Well, because I want you to avoid the mistake I made in veering off the narrow path. The culture is seductive, smooth, slick, and very sly. It will draw you in with rationales and intellectualizations that seem sensible on the surface, but beneath the murky depths of it reality lies only that which will destroy the soul. Beware of the culture, and do not allow it to trick you into believing that God is in it - He is not!
When you look into the mirror of the culture of the day, it will show you exactly who you have become. It is my prayer, that the culture into which you are embedded, is the culture of the truth of the Word of God, the culture of faith in Jesus Christ, and the culture of being led by the Holy Spirit. One last time, when you look into what you consider your culture, what do you see?
