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When Culture Cancels

What do you do when you lose the support of those around you because of their intolerance of what you believe, speak or act? What do you do when your beliefs and outward expression of them expose you to public shaming? In other words, how do we live in a cancelation culture? Cancelation itself is not new, I suppose. We could think back on the McCarthy trials of the 1950s and see individuals effectively “canceled,” most notably from the film industry, because of their leftist political views. Yet even while looking back on this chapter with regret, we perpetuate the practice for those espousing views more to the right. (It is a bit ironic.) Though social media has broadened its reach, social silencing is not new.

What have changed to some degree in contemporary culture are the mores we venerate and those we persecute. Ethical standards will always exist, and people will remain judgmental toward those who offend them. Yet in some ways to some people, God’s Word has become less foundational to the understanding and acceptance of what is right and true. The exclusivity of the gospel—“No one comes to the Father but through me”1, 2—and Biblical authority on human sexuality, for instance, have become passe in the minds of many and offensive to others. Isaiah’s prophetic warnings resound still today to all who will hear them: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”3


How then do we live before the prospects of personal humiliation and cancelation? Our natural tendencies might lead us to one or both of two ill-advised extremes: cowing into submission for conditional acceptance, or standing up for righteousness in an unrighteous way. God would have us do neither. Rather, we remain focused on His Word, speaking it and relying on its power and truth, for “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.”4 We stand firm in the perpetual promise of Jesus, “Blessed are those who are persecuted,”5 and go forth in this companion command from Paul, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”6 And in all circumstances, we remain “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”7

Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep speaking. Keep loving.

“Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”8 —Jesus, to the disciples

Father, send your Spirit of truth today, that we would remember Your Word; strengthen us also through Him, that we would be bold and remain faithful to You. In Christ we pray. Amen.

1 John 14:6
2 See also Acts 4:12
3 Isaiah 5:20 NASB
4 Psalm 19:7
5 Matthew 5:10
6 Romans 12:14
7 2 Timothy 2:1
8 John 15:20 ESV

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The Power Grid

It was an opportunistic play, for sure. With Central Ohio temperatures maintaining in the upper 90s a couple of weeks ago, there began to emerge some electrical brownouts—pockets of limited power—some of them intentional in order to prevent a broader outage. This left thousands suffering without electrical services one day, so at our Bible study the next morning, the leader posited this timely question for us first to ponder and then to discuss: “How do you respond when you are powerless?” We approached “powerlessness” in the broader sense, of course, as in losing control of certain aspects of our life, such as our physical health, employment and income, acceptance or affection from others, or being subject to those who gain authority over us in some way.

Our natural reactions to losing control came to mind first: anger, fear, self-doubt, sadness, frustration, helplessness, weariness and humiliation. Perhaps you can add a few from your own personal experiences, for we’ve all suffered personal “power outages” in some ways and to some degree. Yet God is a transformer, and over time, He grows us up, not as stronger versions of our natural selves, but as new creations made into His own likeness and nature, and unto His higher purposes. Continuing in conversation, we shared times when “losing control”—or the illusion thereof—had worked to our own good, bringing us face to face with our own limitations and recognizing the boundless power of God. Then to our responses to powerlessness, we gratefully listed a few more: relief, rest, and confident reliance on God.

God is always in control, but He does not leave us powerless. Quite the opposite, He has lavishly and lovingly poured His power into us through the indwelling of His Spirit, not for the pursuit of our selfish desires, but that we may live effectively in and for His eternal purposes. He strengthens us with power through his Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith.1 He gives us power “to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that [we] may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”2 And “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”3 When we lose power, take heart! For God restores us in His.

Christ lives in us.4 He is in control.5 We live in His power.6 So let’s go.7

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.8

1 Ephesians 3:16-17
2 Ephesians 3:18-19
3 2 Peter 1:3
4 2 Corinthians 13:5
5 Philippians 3:20-21
6 Ephesians 3:21
7 Matthew 28:19
8 Ephesians 3:20-21

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Grace over Greed

Another true confession. For many years I was not particularly inclined toward helpfulness, but my wife, Peggy, was. “Let’s stay behind and help clean up,” she would say. “I don’t want to stay behind and help clean up,” I would reply, strongly preferring to protect my time. Then we’d stay behind and clean up (or whatever else “helpfulness” entailed in the moment). People don’t change people, per se, but our lives do influence others over time, and somewhere along life’s path, I’ve actually come to enjoy helping out (most of the time). If it is possible for one to receive the gift of helps through marriage, it’s happened to me.

To a crowd of thousands, Jesus warned, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed . . . ”1 Greed is an insatiable, selfish desire for something—having and hoarding, yet always wanting more. We think of in monetary terms, and indeed it often presents that way, but Jesus’ caution against “all kinds of greed” calls us to broaden our category for it. For me, it means being on guard against hoarding my personal time to the point of not being obedient to God or helpful to people. And I think greed can just as easily surface in other forms—leisure, power, or attention, for instance, or even spiritual gifts. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these, but Jesus says “Watch out!” lest we amass in perpetual discontentment and consume to excess, alone.

Then how does generosity spring from us who are naturally disposed to selfishness? In a word, freedom. “Freely you have received; freely give,”2 said Jesus to His disciples. We live in an inexhaustible supply God’s liberating grace. Of our monetary means, then, we give “not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”3 And we share from our spiritual gifts no less lavishly; the apostle Paul exhorts us, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”4

Peter wrote, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms . . . so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”5 Our gifts serve ultimately for His glory, and as He transforms us over time, our greed gladly gives way to His good.

Father, lead us today, that we would be good stewards of the gifts we might otherwise stockpile. Be glorified in our giving. In Christ we pray. Amen.

1 Luke 12:15
2 Matthew 10:8
3 2 Corinthians 9:7
4 Romans 12:6-8 ESV
5 1 Peter 4:10-11