The sultry seductress has done it again. She’s been at it for hundreds of years, thousands actually. She has brought down the mightiest of men and caused the downfall of the most powerful of empires. For some reason she is irresistible to most. Ensuing generations read about her wiles and should be duly warned, but for some reason they cannot escape her enticements.
Who is this vixen who has victimized God’s people down through the ages? Her name is Contemporary Culture. In the wilderness, God’s people fell to her appeal through the cultures of the Moabites and Edomites. In Canaan, it was the Gibeonites through whom she beguiled God’s people. During the years of settled national strength, both Israel and Judah could not resist the attraction of Baal and constantly visited her “high places,” choosing an empty non-existent god over the one true God, Jehovah. Because they could not resist her temptation, they suffered greatly.
Today, Jesus followers, forsake our commitment to our bridegroom Jesus and attempt look for satisfaction while flirting with her – Contemporary Culture. The Bible warns us about her.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. – 1 John 2:15-17
She promises fulfillment but delivers emptiness. She offers to make our life better. Even our own preachers do her bidding all in the name of God wanting us to be rich, happy, successful, or any other promise in her bag of tricks. What she offers is temporary and fleeting at best. Her greatest pleasures are but for a season, but what God wants to give you is forever.
Beware, Christian. We need to love and reach out to the culture in which we live, but we cannot become one with her for we are betrothed to another – Jesus. He bids us to bring her to Himself but instead we look for ways to have her and still have Him.
Have you fallen victim to her alluring spell? Do you find yourself more interested in conforming to her image rather than being transformed into the image of Jesus? Happens to all of us at times. I challenge you to love your culture but do not seek to please or become one with your culture. Do the most loving thing for culture that you can – live a life of distinction and show her Jesus.