Pleasing Others

Returning to the country of my birth has been very discouraging. Many years of living differently allowed me to adopt preferred ways of living, and more importantly, a manner of life rooted in disciplined obedience to the Lord.

No longer do I fit in to the traditional cultural manner of life. It is hard. Much of how life is lived here, the way things are done exasperates me. In day-to-day interactions – the casual exchanges between people – much patience is needed. The frustrations are compounded because most of the reasons behind the manner of life is considered Christian. It is not!

Many in this society would consider this a very prideful statement. No, it is not. It is a sad observation. Sad, because a society is so rested in their manner of life that they are not open to examining their thought process and their reasons for what they do through the grid of Scripture. They should, and you and I should too. After all, when we profess Christ we are to live in submission to His will, and not to our cultures, nor to tradition.

I am not saying all tradition is in opposition to Christianity. We need to be careful we are not legalistic in our observations and statements on what honoring of the Lord is, and what is not.

When we return to our cultural roots, we need to consider our conceptions of life. What does the practical living out of our beliefs look +like to the community we are moving in to? We are not to attack culture or tradition without examining it in light of Scripture. Anything that opposes the Word of God – we are not to support or participate in. And, we are to do this graciously.

Trials and struggles will become ours when we live this way, and our lives may become difficult when communities do not understand the Lord called us to Biblical living. However, when tradition is not opposed to Scripture it becomes a preference. Preferences are a choice.

What choices do you make to honor the Lord, to live a life set apart for His glory?

• We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me." For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:1-4).

• Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers (1 Timothy 4:14-16).

• Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised (Hebrews 10:35-36).

#culture #choices