Be Better than Our Culture

Can we be better than our culture?

Should we be better than our culture?

Is it arrogant to think about being better than our culture?

When I was thinking about this today it occurred to me that perhaps I grew up in a more traditional, settled society.  But wait!!

I grew up in the 60's when everything was challenged,
Everything was changing.  It was tumultuous.
Nothing was right about our society, according to some
Everything was rejected.  Rearranged
Don't trust anyone over 30, Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll, the Vietnam War, Civil Rights, freedom
It was chaotic.

Be better than our culture.  I think we should.  I think we can.

It's the gospel

Jesus gave us the means...himself.

Be light and salt, we're told in scriptures.  Two completely different things.  Different applications and purposes.

In so many areas, the church, and specifically we Christians, have assimilated the values and ideas of our current culture.   Values and ideas that are the opposite of what Jesus taught us and modeled.

We live, everyday, dominated by self-esteem, self sufficiency, self-advancement, self awareness, materialism, devaluing of life (old and young), individual rights,

Self, self, self, self.......... could we really just get over "self"?

Philippians 2:3  "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves."

I love Rick Warren's first sentence in Purpose Driven Life.  "It's not about you"

It applies to so many areas of our culture today.  Let's just try it??