I often talk about how Christians should engage culture…how they should be involved in the world, just not in its sinful practices. This of course is how we are in the world not of it…we are not defined by the things that go against the will of God, but we are to remain active in what goes on in our culture.
Today I would just like to briefly share about how someone can know when it is time to stop engaging.
I always encourage believers to ask three questions with regards to how we engage:
- How will engaging in this activity effect me?
- How will my participation in this effect others?
- How will it effect the cause of Christ?
If you can answer these questions positively, and the Holy Spirit is not convicting you to avoid the thing you are wanting to do, then it is an acceptable thing to engage in.
When I look at when to stop engaging I also ask myself several questions:
- Is this thing promoting something that is sinful and passing it off a virtuous?
- Is this thing calling me to embrace a message that is at odds with the will of God for my life?
- Does this thing portray sin or draw me into sin as a participant?
When something promotes sinful practices as virtuous and draws me in to sin as a participant, it is time to cease engaging with that thing.
Because of this there are certain books I will not read, certain shows I will not watch, and certain things I will not do. But this does not mean I write off an entire kind of thing as a whole, for example, I will not stop engaging with movies altogether, even if I choose not to watch certain ones.
It would be easy to get legalistic with all of this, but I would advise that each situation must be dealt with in its own unique way.
What comments or questions do you have for me about when to stop engaging in something that is part of our culture?
