This is not a buttery or fluffy post containing feel good words. In fact, this is quite different than I normally write, and I acknowledge that. However, as an ambassador for Christ, I cannot be silent over things that sadden me and produce righteous anger. A lesser me, a more tired me, a more self-conscious me, a more world-pleasing me, a less courageous me would not write this. However, I am to please God alone for he is my audience of one. This post is not for nonbelievers who are not servants of Christ. This post isn’t even necessarily for those who are new to the Lord who have yet to find their footing in the faith. This post is for those who claim to walk and claim to love Jesus but with their lives and therefore also their witness. If living for Christ is not your goal, then this post is not for you. With that being said, here is the post.
I am absolutely shocked and disgusted at the values I see displayed so proudly on social media. Parents holding babies singing and dancing to songs that are filled with filth. A song that I don’t even understand how it was written, produced, and accepted by the public. I looked up the lyrics, and even after being a married woman for 9 years could not bring myself to finish reading them. People who claim Christ but dance literally as close to the edge as possible are not to be followed or actions praised. One of the comments on one of the more disturbing reels I’ve seen—pictured on the very top of my Instagram feed—was “I love Jesus and Cardi B.” Let’s sort out the theology behind this statement. Cardi B. is a person, and our fight is not against flesh and blood. This post is not to slander or bring down this person, because Cardi B. is just as valuable and pursued by God as anyone else; but the song that was playing was pure trash and every other word was filth. While I don’t mean the person Cardi B., from what I heard of the song, it has no place in your life if you are a Christian.
I'm sorry to say that had the lyrics not been so depraved, it may not have caught my attention at all. But what really got me was the mom who posted it was juxtaposing two moms. The “normal moms” who would seek to cover their infants ears or protect them from such and then the super fun, relaxed mom who apparently thought this was great and appropriate for any audience—even children. And the video has currently over 3,000 likes and over 300 comments, most of which were laughing and praising the content. It was the complete acknowledgement that while it was explicit adult content, it was celebrated anyway that disgusted me and outrages me mixed with the comments that we can still love Jesus even if that’s our life choices.
I don’t believe in people needing to have life together to enter the church or follow Jesus, but I fully believe in the bible changing lives, and people, this is not the fruit of a changed life. I am not coming down on the lost here. That is not the work of iron sharpening iron. But I do feel so compelled to speak on the issue of thinking that both Jesus and the teensy celebration of sin is acceptable together. It is not. Again, this post is not for those who do not claim Jesus— although I wish they too would protect their children from an oversexualized culture, they are free to live as they’d like and they do. But to claim to love Christ and then to literally undermine the witness that you have both online and to your actual children is not loving. It is not kind. It is not gentle. It is not goodness. It is not displaying self-control. These are just a few of the fruit of the Spirit. And while yes, we as humans are unable to always fully display these as we wish we could, that is not an excuse to embrace nor seek out the presence of sin.
Ephesians 5 says, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loves us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshipping the things of this world. Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what please the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful to even talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”
I want to pause here to say I don’t have it all together. I never will. You can come into my home or maybe even scroll through my pages on social media and find evidence of sin. I’m not proud of this, but it is certainly possible, because it’s there. I will never be perfect. We will never be without sin even though our transgressions have been covered by the blood of Christ. So, I want to reiterate, this post is not saying live without sin, because I am a firm believer in grace and trusting the Holy Spirit to work at the pace that he has been set to work in the lives of others as we all walk through sanctification as best we can. This post is here to say if you think you can celebrate sin and live as the world lives and claim to love Jesus, THAT IS NOT OKAY.
When are we to imitate God? In everything we do. How much impurity are we allowed to have among us as believers? None. Yea, but how much is allotted to me where it’s still okay? Again, none. We are asking the wrong questions. Stop asking how far you can take sin and still be a Christian. You are missing the entire point. Our purpose—the very reason we live and breathe and stand here is to be imitations of God for those around us who do not know him. There is NEVER a time to let your witness fall. There is NEVER a free pass to live as the world does. And there is NO excuse to not aim to live as people of the light. If the light within us only produces what is good and right and true, then I am not allowing the light to shine when I’m giving room for something in my life that is anything but good and right and true.
I am tired of seeing our generation as parents and as Christians feel like we have the excuse to be whoever and whatever we want on social media, because “everyone else is doing it.” Stop accepting what the world wants you to do, and follow the Scripture. Heed the Spirit. Lead a life worthy of your calling. Are we leading lives that are worthy of the calling of Jesus Christ? Because what you say and do on tiktok, Instagram stories, Facebook-- that is all making cases either for Christ or against him.
Paul even takes it a step further to wash away any confusion in his words since he knows we’ll need all the clarification we can get. he says, “be careful how you live.” I love that, because it is so unpopular and even more uncommon these days. Even among Christians! Nobody wants to be perceived as careful or safe or wise anymore! It’s not cool to be considered careful is it? Why are we way too courageous over the gray areas and not careful enough in the black and white? Let's be courageous for the things that are truly wrong and careful about the lives we lead. Because every choice we make as Christians should have this in mind.
For instance, masks have become very polarizing right now in our country. Why? I cannot for the life of me figure this out. Is it annoying? Yes. Do I want to wear one, wash a family of 5’s masks, keep up with them, and always have them on hand? No. But have we been asked to? Yes. Could there possibly be value in wearing one so that we may protect those who would struggle to fight the virus? Yes. Can I personally prove that with scientific evidence? No. But I can be careful, and so I will wear it, because to a nonbeliever, all I am is uncaring if I don't. There are Christians right now who will purposefully not wear a mask or pull it down on their faces just to make a point that they don’t have to. I'm not talking about forgetting it. I’m not talking about in a party or shower or among friends and family who deem it okay not to wear one—I’m talking about establishments that have asked customers to mask up! Let me ask you something. If that’s you. Who are you representing in that moment? What statement are you making with that choice? That you aren’t afraid of the virus? You don’t have to be afraid. That nobody can make you? No you don’t have to, but God’s asked you to imitate him in everything and not to act thoughtlessly. You don’t have to be concerned for yourself. You don’t even have to like wearing a mask. Just for once, be careful and put your witness first. Look, I’m not passionate about masks; I’m passionate about reaching the heart of others and following the example of Christ. Christ who did not have to be an infant in our dark world or die for the ones who betrayed him. He didn’t have to—it wasn’t necessary for him; he did it for us. That’s the kind of life filled with love we should be seeking. Emptied of self and searching for the righteousness of God.
How is the world ever supposed to long for a life with Christ when those who claim to follow him bare no difference upon the lives they lead? Are others supposed to desire that? Or is that someone else’s job? Will another believer do that work, because my faith is just for me to feel better and learn and be saved, but hers is to actually spread the gospel? No, that’s my job too—all of our jobs, all of the time. Yes, we have salvation and grace covering our lives, but even that is not wholly for us. We are to display that and the difference it makes in our lives so that others want it for them too. Because if it’s not lived, it cannot be displayed. And if it’s not displayed, it cannot be seen. And if it’s not seen, we bare no witness for Christ at all.
The fact that the reel started with the picture of a “normal” mom who would act shocked and careful while she was the “cool” mom who danced and celebrated it and happily exposed her to child to the lyrics illustrates this. It’s not popular to be careful. It’s not cool or encouraged to play it safe. There is no celebration or support or even trying to have self-control and upright values. These are the worlds standards—the worlds rules. We do not live by such, and should not adhere to this, no, not even for social media or fads.
The problem with all of this is one simple statement: It. Is. Not. About. You. Let’s say that louder for the people in the back (myself included). IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU!!!!!! We are asking the wrong questions. Using the mask illustration, the question is not “is it necessary?” or “do I want to?” It is not: “well how much can I get away with?” The correct question is: “what will bare the best witness for Christ?” The correct question is, “what can I do to help the case for Christianity?” The correct question is, “what does God want me to do?” And I can tell you this—it isn’t to be divisive over things that aren’t sin—it’s to stand against the things that are. Everything we do—social media posts, living, speaking, writing, yes even wearing masks on our face for a trip into the grocery store, these are issues where we need to bare good witnesses. Where we need to live as people of light. Where we need to “be careful how we live.” There is grace sufficient for every shortcoming, but there is no excuse for not trying.
Please, do not be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins. Please, lead lives worthy of your calling. Please, take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness. Please, carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Please, make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Please, don’t act thoughtlessly—or with only thought for yourself. Please, understand what Lord wants you to do. Please, in everything you do, aim to imitate God.
I don't know about you, but I'm tired of living for the world. It's time to take less care over what the world thinks and more care about our witnesses. It's time to be courageous for what we believe and careful in the lives we lead to show it. It's time to be less courageous over our opinions that don't pertain to faith and careful with our statements as Christians.
While this post perhaps lacks finesse and the perceived feeling of grace, please know that love and grace is behind it. It is not loving if we do not try to shed light on sin. It is not gracious to allow people to go unchanged by Christ. I am learning as I grow in the faith that while we want everything to end with peace and love and tie up perfectly, sometimes judgement is necessary. Sometimes discipline is necessary. Sometimes hard and uncomfortable and even dramatic lengths are necessary. We think of light as always warm and inviting, depicting everything cozy, but we forget its main function is to shed light on everything—bringing things out of darkness into light and shedding light on the ugly.
As believers, let’s cast all of that off. It has no place in our lives. Let’s stop asking the wrong questions of what is permissible for us and start turning to God and ask what is beneficial for his causes. Let’s lead lives worthy of our calling, and let’s not be afraid to seem careful, pious, or set apart. Let’s live as people of light and allow the light to function the way it was always intended.
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