Cultural Conflict

John 15:4
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me.

II Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline (or of sound judgement).

Galatians 6:14
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

When we come to Christ (being saved) it is the beginning of a change in our culture and custom. In other words there is a shift in the way we interact with the world. On one hand, it is possible to go off in one direction and completely cut ourselves off from the culture of the day. We see this when people seek to pull away and create a self-contained community to live in. The reject the society at large in an effort to live under a new way of life.

As people of recovery, we too must make changes in the way we interact with the world and the people around us. We no longer have the luxury or freedom to tie ourselves again to the drug culture. We find ourselves, upon starting this new life, to want to try and marry the two together (our new life and what we perceive to be the "best" of our old life").   It does not work. Realizing that we can no longer have a place in a lifestyle of darkness, such as addiction, we seek to allow God to change our hearts and desires. This is what is meant in the New Testament by "working out your salvation with fear and trembling...........we are learning a new culture and new customs.

As a new believer, when culture and custom run contrary to God's word, God's word must come first. Even the greatest men and women of God are often caught up in this struggle. The word of God must have rule and reign in our lives as we walk out this new relationship day by day.

We see the destruction that can come when we seek to mix our culture with our beliefs in the story of King Saul. Saul was appointed King over Israel by God because the people rejected God's rule and demanded that they be given a king like all the countries around them. (Here in is a good story of "be careful what you ask for...you just might get it).  Saul started out well, but over time, he rejected God's direction and sought out counsel from the culture (or to put it bluntly.....he consulted a medium/ witch)
In I Chronicles we read:  Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the LORD's command, and he even consulted a medium instead of asking the Lord for guidance.

We have been called to live a life of holiness.
Holiness not found in the keeping of rules and regulations, but found in loving a God who is beyond our comprehension. I have found in my own life that if I concentrate of loving this God daily.....then the keeping of rules and regulations come about like second nature. I don't have to work at it because I want to be pleasing to Him.
Think on these things today....
God on you.....

mb