But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods of your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.  Joshua 24:15

As Christians, we should reflect God’s image in all we do. But we live in societies, or cultures, that we would have to call “ungodly.”  How should we then live?  Should Christians be against media, for example, that does not reflect God? There is certainly evil reflected in the actions of humans, including Christians, but God’s image may be found even in those who don’t know Him.

Jesus stands for life, hope, grace, and salvation. We stood against Jesus in our sins, but He did not stand against us. Instead of us standing against others who don’t know Jesus, what if we focused on living for Jesus? When we are powerfully for something, it becomes self-evident what we are against. [1]

There are times when opposing what is wrong is the right thing to do. Yet, simply banning or staying away from what is objectionable is not the most effective method of change. If we remove ourselves completely from culture, how can those who are lost hear of the Savior?

We were once trapped in that same darkness, but now, as Children of Light, we should reflect “all goodness, righteousness and truth and find out what pleases the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8-10).  As we seek to live for Jesus, let’s make sure we mirror His life, remembering He stands for life, hope, grace and salvation.

Resource reading: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

 

[1] Hidalgo, Michael. “Are Christians Called to Be Countercultural.” Relevant. February 18, 2013. Accessed March 14, 2017. http://archives.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/are-christians-called-be-counter-cultural.