There has been a question that has been bugging me lately. After hanging out with a bunch of people at a Christian school and with Christians all my life, there is a trend going on and it's a dangerous trend. It's a simple question: When did it become cool?
Lately it seems like if you can watch dirty movies, be crude all the time, go drinking on the weekends, and still go to church then you're cool. If you're the guy that is synical about the church then you're cool. If you're the one who makes fun of other people worshiping then you're cool. If you see someone trying to act as a Christian in their everyday life, you make fun of them and say they are trying to act "holier than thou" when they are doing exacty what you need to be doing, but somehow that makes you cool too. So when did this all become cool?
I know that the majority of people who are going to read this are leaders in the church whether it's as an elder, preacher, pastor, youth group leader, or you just have friends in the church. The thing is we, as leaders, have set this tone. When we're synical about the church or when we make fun of someone trying to live or worship in whole-hearted devotion to God, that becomes acceptable, and often the coolest thing, in our sphere of influence. Many times the Godly man and the Godly woman are no longer veiwed with respect or as models to strive for, rather the hypocrite (or "cool guy") ends up being who those kids we care about look up to. Those people end up being a cancer in our churches and their synacism and lack of authenticity spready like wildfire.
This post has been sitting halfway done for a long time. I believe this is because the Spirit was convicting me of some areas where I have become that "cool guy." I think we all have to a degree at some point or another. So I'd like to ask for your prayers for me in this area and leave you with a charge to watch your own lives as leaders in the church so that we can cultivate a community that truly glorifies Christ!
