Canceled
I’ve been taking the time recently to read through various news feeds. It’s been informative, shocking, sad, and a real eye-opener as to what those who feed us consider news. Some seem to track what I read and then feed more of the same. Most days I leave the experience with one thought. “We’ve lost our ever-loving minds.”
By that I mean, we’ve lost control of our minds. We…and I’m speaking to Christ followers now…are allowing our minds to be controlled by the world’s thinking and by indulging in the desires of our own flesh and mind. This should not be because this is how we are described BEFORE we believed the gospel of our salvation.
As I’ve read these feeds, this is the preaching I’ve been doing to myself. As I’ve gasped, been saddened, and even sickened, I’ve asked the Lord over and over “How did we get here?” We truly are a post-Christian society. No longer are we a God-fearing society. As I ponder this reality, I understand that the “world” isn’t the problem. The problem is with Christ-followers. The problem is with me. I’ve/we’ve been asleep in our comforts which has led to complacency which has led to compromise. No? Then how do you explain the fact that we live in a post-Christian society?
I keep reminding myself that as Christ-followers we aren’t supposed to blend in. No, sweet friends, we are supposed to be different. So much so that we will be attractive to some and hated by others. The world hated Jesus. The world canceled Jesus. The world hated the early Christians who were burned alive, sent to the lions, and persecuted in every way. They were mocked, ridiculed, banned, lost their jobs, families, and way of life and on the list could go. Why? Well, just go read the first 2 chapters of Ephesians. Go read Acts. Following Jesus and His teachings is costly. But the alternative is even more costly.
I think to myself, we’ve raised a generation that does not know the Lord or His ways. That’s on us y'all. We’ve put aside His Word as our standard of living or maybe we just don’t put it out there for others as a standard. We’ve chosen comfort over truth thus watering down the Word/gospel so as not to be hated or canceled. We’ve grown fearful. This shocks me and yet I must admit it’s fear. Fearful of being different, mocked, ridiculed, banned… Seen as old school, fuddy-duddy, straight-laced, conservative, behind the times, out of date… No? Then again I ask: Why are we living in a post-Christian society? Why are we living in a time where there are fewer Christians in our country than there were when we were born? Why are there so many people who call themselves Christians but do not believe God’s Word is absolute truth and thus our absolute standard for living? I’m thinking it’s because we don’t really want to be different because we are afraid of being disliked and/or worse…canceled.
Where do we go from here? What can we do to change things if changing things is what we want to do? Straighten up, reason together with God’s Word, adjust attitudes and mindsets so they align with God’s Word, admit we’ve gone way, way astray in our thinking and behaviors, and ask for forgiveness. But then we need to stand up, be counted, speak out, proclaim the gospel, teach and speak the truth in love, rally each other and encourage each other to stand firm against the forces of evil in God’s mighty strength. Buck up, armor up, take the shots, be holy, and set apart in all our behaviors. Run our race and pass the baton. Realize that if we do not answer this call and seize this moment, we’ve lost the generations that follow us. Yep, this is on us y'all. We can't point the finger at anyone else. We are definitely the problem. Am I wrong?
Dear Jesus, help us. Stir up our affections for you. Break our hearts with our own sin and the sins of your bride the church whose love for you has grown cold. Oh Jesus, grant us a love for you that will cause us to be obedient in all things…even to the point of death or being canceled.
