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Should Christians Try to Change the Culture?

When the SCOTUS decision on gay marriage came out awhile ago, both online & offline conversations were flooded with comments and opinions. I wrote this article hereย in response to a lot of those comments, trying to help us Christians thinking Biblically about this whole issue.

But there was a basic question that arose from a lot of those conversations that I think we really need to discuss โ€“ because it affects the core of what we do as teachers.

The question is โ€“ Should Christians try to influence the culture?

should christians try to change the culture 2

Hereโ€™s a few actual comments that were made by people arguing that we shouldnโ€™t.

โ€œI donโ€™t think we should force people who arenโ€™t Christians to follow our beliefs.โ€

โ€œWhy would we expect non-Christians to behave like Christians?โ€

โ€œThe church has always been counter-cultural.โ€

Now I would agree 100% with all 3 of these statements. We should not force other people to believe like we do. We shouldnโ€™t expect that non-Christians would behave like Christians. And, yes, the church has been โ€“ and is โ€“ counter-cultural.

But there is a big logic gap in these arguments. One that is very dangerous.

And thatโ€™s this: It is NOT an either-or.ย 

We can โ€“ and should โ€“ influence the culture without forcing anything on anyone.

We can โ€“ and should โ€“ influence the culture without forcing anything on anyone. We can โ€“ and should โ€“ influence the culture without expecting non-Christians to behave like Christians. And we can โ€“ and should โ€“ influence the culture while being counter-cultural.

We are called to be salt and light.

Another illogical argument floating around out there is that โ€œWe are called to be light, and light shines brightest in darkness, so we shouldnโ€™t worry about the darkness.โ€

Now, I agree with the fact that we shouldnโ€™t worry. Our God is on the throne. He will always be in control. And if we lose all our religious freedom and are forced underground, the church will still be the church and Godโ€™s work will go on.

The reality is that God uses people. Yes, on occasion there is clear, miraculous Divine intervention. But throughout Scripture & history, God normally uses people to accomplish His work on this earth.

God wants to use us, and weโ€™re pawning off this awesome opportunity with great-sounding but dangerous excuses.

What good is light if it doesn’tย push back the darkness?

What good is light if it doesn’tย push back the darkness? What good is salt if it doesn’t affect what it’s placed into?

Matthew 5:13-16: You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.ย Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to allย who areย in the house.ย Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

The primary purpose of salt in that day was to preserve. So Jesus is saying that we should do all we can to prevent & slow down spiritual decay.

We are also called to be light โ€“ not just so thereโ€™s something shining in the darkness but so that we can give light to all the house.

When we say that we have the truth but we shouldnโ€™t really try to influence anyone with it, arenโ€™t we doing exactly what this verse says NOT to do and hiding it under a basket?

God says to put out the light and to let it clearly shine. We must shine the light through our love, through our good works, and through the truth.

Because we canโ€™t really love someone if weโ€™re not going to tell them the truth.

What is Biblical is good for everyone.

ย The other key point I think we are missing is that Godโ€™s truths are good for everyone.

God designed this world, and when He gave us commands in Scripture, He didnโ€™t do it so that He would have something to punish us for or so that He could get some sadistic pleasure out of watching us try to conform.

No, He gave us His commands because He knew that they were the best way to live. He knew that if we follow them, we will live meaningful, fulfilled lives. We will have happy, productive societies, and we will live together in peace.

He gave us His commands because He knew that they were the best way to live.

Think about it for a minute.

Letโ€™s take a basic truth from Luke 6:31: Do to others as you would have them do to you โ€“ the Golden Rule.

The more we as people live by this rule, the happier we are, and the happier others are. It makes us a decent society; it makes our country a happy place to live. If everyone lived by this rule we would be much safer, much happier, and much more productive. We would pretty much eliminate 99% of the problems in this world.

What God has told us to do is good for everyone.

Letโ€™s take something a little more controversial. What about Godโ€™s design for the familyโ€ฆ.That we keep ourselves pure until the day we are married. That a man and woman come together and pledge to love each other until death do them part. That they keep that promise & stick through the tough times, raising great kids and teaching them to do the same thing.

The research is clear that the best situation for kids is to grow up in a committed, two-parent home. And can you imagine how much more stable our society would be? How much less hurt and pain?

What God has designed is good for everyone.

We are doing no one a favor when we hide our truth under a basket and argue that people can do what they want.

We are doing no one a favor when we hide our truth under a basket.

Hereโ€™s the thing: they CAN do what they want. And no one is saying that we should force people to do what is right (at least Iโ€™m certainly not).

But we absolutely, 100% SHOULD be telling people what the right thing is. We absolutely shouldย be warning people (especially young people) of the consequences of choosing a destructive path.

What can we do?

ย Hereโ€™s the thingโ€ฆ..When we talk about whether or not we should try to speak up about the truth, there really are two different scenarios, and we have got to understand the difference.

First (and I canโ€™t imagine this hardly ever happens but people act like it does all the time or something)โ€ฆ.Imagine that your non-Christian Facebook friend that you havenโ€™t actually seen since high school is living with her boyfriend. You send her a message saying โ€œYou know thatโ€™s wrong, right?โ€ Of course this is NOT helpful. We should not just go up to people and tell them theyโ€™re wrong โ€“ at least not unless that person is very close to us & we have the rapport necessary to have a meaningful, difficult conversation with them.

Butโ€ฆ..hereโ€™s the thing. While we shouldnโ€™t just go up to people and tell them theyโ€™re wrong, we absolutely SHOULD be spreading the message about what is right and what is best โ€“ especially for the next generation.

When we fail to speak up about what is right and what is wrong, we are doing the next generation a horrible disservice. Whether a young person is saved or not, they deserve to have a clear picture of how great it can be to do things the right way and how destructive it can be to do things the wrong way.

When we fail to speak up about what is right and what is wrong, we are doing the next generation a horrible disservice.

Our society gets this concept about random issues that itโ€™s passionate about โ€“ drinking while pregnant, smoking, and making sure kids are correctly buckled in their car seats (Am I the only one who’s had randomย moms lecture me out of the blue about myย car seat straps not being tight enough?) They boldly hammer these messages home because they believe itโ€™s important for people to understand the risks associated with these behaviors.

But, unfortunately, our society is also flooding our young people with packs of lies, too.Take this whole Caitlyn/Bruce Jenner situation for example. The media is trying to portrayย this as such as great thing, but this is a very dangerous message for today’s young people.

If we as a society celebrate this and tell young people it’s a great idea to get a sex change surgery, we’re lying to them. Every single chromosome of their body screams their gender, and mutilate their bodyย isn’t going to change that. On the contrary – it’s going to create a whole host of challenges for them and lead them down a destructiveย path.

This message and ones like it are oh-so-dangerousย for young kids who are still trying to make up their mind about who they are and what they want to be. And itโ€™s especially devastating for those who are not believers and have no spiritual influence for good in their lives.

Why should the media be the ones who get to form public opinion? We as Christians can and should be a voice for truth in the culture for the sake of those coming behind us.

So how exactly can we do that? Here’s where the rubber meets the road.

We must impact the culture byโ€ฆ.

  1. Teaching the truth. Let me talk to Christian school teachers for a second. By definition, your job is to teach your students Scriptural truth. So donโ€™t be shy about it. Integrate His truths into everything you do. Be bold about teaching the next generation what He has to say about life.ย 

    Public school teachers, I know you have a lot of issues to deal with. But how about instead of focusing on what you canโ€™t do, focus on what you can do. And take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.
  1. Talking about the truth. In your daily conversations with friends and family, kindly speak the truth about any and every issue that comes up. Too often we just donโ€™t say anything for fear of making waves, but Iโ€™m pretty sure thatโ€™s exactly what God has called us to do.ย 
    ย 
    ย And please donโ€™t misunderstand. Iโ€™m not telling you to pick the mote out of othersโ€™ eyes. Iโ€™m saying that when your friends start having a generic conversation about, say, whetherย sex change surgeries are a good idea, then you should absolutely advocate for Godโ€™s truth.
  2. Making a difference in your sphere of influence.ย  Wherever Christ has placed you, advocate for truth there. For example, if a committee youโ€™re on is tasked with determining whether or not kindergarteners should be taught about same-sex families, you absolutely need to kindly but boldly advocate for what is right. (Not sure about this one? Read the article I wrote here about dealing with controversial issues. And remember that Godโ€™s way IS whatโ€™s best for those kids, so teaching them that itโ€™s great to marry someone of the same sex is lying to them and setting them up for lots of trouble.)
  1. Praying and asking God to give you opportunities. Pray, pray, and pray some more. But donโ€™t just pray that God would work through others. Ask God to give YOU opportunities to make a difference. Ask Him that He would guide your words and give you a spirit of both humility and boldness.
  1. Taking advantage of the opportunities that come. Look for opportunities to make a difference and then take advantage of them. Speak the truth in love. Be bold in humility.

Itโ€™s time for the church to do what it was meant to do โ€“ change the world. And it starts one person at a time.

We learn and help each other by having honest dialogue. So I’d love to hear your thoughts, whether you agree or disagree. Join the conversation with a comment below.

Related posts:

Where should Christian teachers stand on controversial issuesย  ย Do public school teachers need to leave their faith at home?ย  ย How Christian teachers can share their faith in the public school

 

What to Read Next
  • Incredibly well written. We can all make a difference and influence positive change without needing to impede on anyone else

  • This message could not have been timelier for me–the very day a controversial issue arose for me to decide what to do about, you posted this article. Thank you for this well-balanced “word in season” (Isaiah 50:4).

  • As a teacher, I am working to change the culture everyday for a number of my students. Teaching in a poor socio-economic environment, I am working to model basic ethics both in integrity and work. The home environments for many of these students teaches the opposite. I have the privilege to be showing these students another way. They are the future of this country. I may only be a part, but I pray for them, model for them, guide them and instruct them not only academically but as a whole. Being in a public school, I have to carefully watch what I say, but there are many ways to reach these students.

  • I thoroughly enjoyed your post and completely agree with your statements regarding standing up for what is right. For some reason the expectation of practicing tolerance in society has given way to putting Christian values on the back burner, so to speak. While there are those who exercise their right to make choices contrary to God’s plan it does not mean I have to agree or change my way of life to support their destructive behavior. I’m expected to be tolerant of their lifestyle yet are they tolerant of mine? Why am I expected to accept their alternative lifestyles but not celebrate my own for fear of offending them? No amount of legislation is going to make choosing wrong right. Lawmakers cannot and will not change God’s commandments. They can try but in the end they will only fuel the fire that is causing society to disintegrate.

  • I’m sure telling children that there is only one way to be happy and make a family is a great self-esteem booster for any children coming to terms with being gay, bi or lesbian.

    • Gwendolen, I’m not sure if you’re a Christian or not, but almost everything about your statement is unbiblical. If you’re not a Christian, then I can understand this. But if you are, please consider what God says about these things…..

      1. People are not born gay, bi, or lesbian. They may be born with a bent in this direction, but it is a choice. (I know many people disagree but the Bible is pretty clear here and there are other very good arguments, too) Therefore, a young person is not “coming to terms” with what he/she is. No, he/she is making a critical life decision and this is the time that he/she absolutely needs to hear the truth. This is the time they need to hear about the benefits of the traditional family and the very real dangers (physically & emotionally & otherwise) about the homosexual/lesbian lifestyle. [I realize this statement is not popular, but, nonetheless, it is the truth, and that’s the whole point. Young people need to hear the truth.]

      2. Self-esteem is incredibly overrated. The problem is that we care too much about ourselves. Even people with “low self esteem” often actually just care about themselves and don’t consider themselves good enough. According to Scripture, none of us are good, but God loves us anyhow. That is where we find our worth. And the best “self-esteem” is found in denying what we want, in caring less about ourselves and more about serving others.

      3. If anyone says a traditional family is the only way to be happy that is clearly an illogical statement. But, once again, you’re missing the whole point that life isn’t about our own happiness. It’s about serving God & others.

  • You are a great source of encouragement when living in this time of darkness seems to be weakening the church’s faith. I delight in seeing how you speak the truth spoken in love. It is hard to speak about topics such as gay, lesbian and Transgenders etc., because the media has illy portrayed this sin as a good thing And we as Christians seem to be attacked for holding to our beliefs that oppose these lifestyles. I am overjoyed that God led me to your websit. Thank you sister.

  • Incredibly well written. We can all make a difference and influence positive change without needing to impede on anyone else

  • This is so well written and so full of Biblical truths. Too many of us Christians are so afraid of offending and not being seeker sensitive that we’ve comprised the truths of God. Thank you so much for this article.

  • This site has been a resource for me, I have had this nudging to apply as a counselor in a public school in my community, my application was thankful accepted.

    I had be looking for way to do this in a biblical way and I found this site, it has been resourceful and gives me a better understanding of the counseling work I have to do

    Thank you so much

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