Your part as a Christian in the Culture war.

If you’re a believer- you’ve likely heard this phrase “Culture War” pretty often in the last few years. If you don’t exactly know what it means- it’s referring to the fight to try to keep our society, well… moral.

It’s basically the idea that our community and nation can reflect the ideals that we try to live by as believers. We believe in marriage between a man a woman- we believe in abstinence from sex outside of marriage. We believe in honesty and in faithfulness and integrity- and basically, ideally, we believe that people should live, work, raise their families, and be citizens that reflect the glory of God- honoring him by giving, loving, helping, sharing, being peacemakers.

But you know all that. The reason why it’s called a “culture” war is because much of our culture doesn’t anymore reflect that desire. I’m not exactly sure that it ever really did. There has always been sexual immorality, selfishness, lust, violence, hedonism, rebellion, idolatry, and witchcraft in our society. But recently, in America anyway, it’s become way more socially acceptable to embrace those things, and in turn- to disdain and throw out the things from the Christian heritage that have formed our opinion of right in the past- such as the ten commandments, definitions of “truth” and “marriage” and “sin.”

And as usual, while our courts and justice system are re-shaping our laws to reflect this, the big place these changes are seen and heard are in our entertainment. Music, television, film, and art- it all reflects and heavily promotes the way people’s hearts are.

Anyway. As I’ve been reading and listening and thinking about this for the last few years, I’ve gotten pretty discouraged. It feels overwhelming. The small little impact that Christians in media have seems like a drop in the bucket. And the amount of corruption in our government seems like a body taken over by leprosy.

But three things have encouraged me recently- and maybe they’ll encourage you.

• The first is this: I was listening to a podcast with John Stonestreet and Warren Cole Smith where they discussed their new book called “Restoring All Things: God’s Audacious Plan to Change the World Through Everyday People.” In it, they described how the culture war is not neccessarily fought with a top-down battle plan. As in: Let’s fight for better legislation and better movies and better art. Let’s instead start living out our faith right here, in our lives… because we are each meant to fight the battle in our own personal sphere.

Isn’t that fascinating? So that means- if you are actively letting Christ take control of your life- every inch and corner and weed… you are on the front lines of the battlefield!

Wow! It was so encouraging. Click here to listen to the whole thing!

• The second was this: Shelia at tolovehonorandvaccum.com wrote this very insightful post today called “Why Christians are Losing the Culture War” which includes this quote:

“…Our main goal on this earth is not to make America into a Christian nation; it is to reach individuals for Christ.”

It’s a great read!

• And the third thing is this: Os Guiness was a guest on Focus on the Family recently. What he said ministered to me SO MUCH. He spoke about the rise and fall of nations, and how the Lord and the Church will endure to the end- and how true revival- rennaisance- is acheived. If you want to be bolstered in the spirit, click on this and let it play while you drive or wash dishes or fold laundry today!

So! May the Lord truly bless you as you live in the battlefield YOU’RE in today!

With love,

Brianna