Leaders: “Lets just stop it right now!”
As is my customary habit on Sunday after the worship service, I was standing around talking and fellowshipping with my brothers and sisters a couple of weeks ago. The sermon was deeply convicting and uplifting per usual, which added to the depth and joy of after-worship conversation. As I always do, I moved from one group to another talking and catching up on people’s happenings from the past week, random conversations [Baseball. Because spring is just around the corner], and hearing the hearts of fellows brothers and sisters as they speak of what God is doing in their lives. I am always the last to leave the church building, which is probably a carryover from my PK days. There was one last group of my friends – post college age – that was standing around. As I made my way over to them, I could tell the conversation was more than superficial. I was obviously coming in at the middle, so I just listened.
The Conversation:
The conversation was centered on how to know the will of God for your life. It’s a popular discussion for this age group and rightfully so. Young adults – Lord willing – have their whole lives ahead of them. More specifically, serious minded Christ -centered young adults desire to know God’s will for their life. Each person in the group had a valuable two cents to throw in. I even threw mine in. Then the conversation took a turn: why is it that present day Christian young people are taking so long to make good biblical decisions? Scared? Afraid they will make the wrong decision? Over analyzing? These were some of the things thrown out as reasons. Then the C word was suggested: have we let CULTURE affect us, and we don’t even realize it? Is culture affecting our ability to think biblically about life? It was an overwhelming consensus that this was the case. Then, one of the girls in the group made a statement that I will never forget:
“Lets just stop it right now!”
How profound is that? But it’s true. Sure that statement needs to be expounded upon, but in its simplest form, “lets just stop it right now!” is spot on. We don’t have to let it affect us. In fact, the time has come to be leaders. Lets take responsibility for what we allow to affect us, and those around us. Paul tells Timothy:
‘You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” – 2 Timothy 2:1-2
Leaders are not controlled by the culture; they shape culture. More importantly, they make a decision to be shaped by the truth of God’s word. Leaders teach others. They make disciples who are not dependent on the teacher but dependent upon the God they teach. So lets take a step back. Evaluate how culture is shaping your life. As leaders, let’s simply make a decision by the grace of God that we will not allow culture to affect us. “Lets just stop it right now!”
Daniel Cavanaugh
