I find this passage to be one of the most inspiring passages in Scripture:

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:14-21, ESV)

Two definitions: 

1) Reconcile: Restore friendly relations between people, to bring about harmony

2) Ambassador: A diplomatic official of the highest rank, an authorized messenger or representative

3 questions:

1) Have you been reconciled to God? If so, are you living as a new creation? Why or why not?

2) Where has God placed you as an ambassador? What would God tell the people around you, and what is stopping you from telling them yourself?

3) As an ambassador, are you seeking to reconcile people to God? Or are your actions distancing people from God? How can you join in the ministry of reconciliation today?

I implore you to think about these verses and questions today. God has chosen you specifically and put you in a place of honor. Whether you like it or not, if you call yourself a Christian, you represent Christ.

That means you can make a dramatic difference in this world. Why not start living as one reconciled today?

We often bring up cultural topics here on #LiveFully. We’ve discussed all sorts of music, from Katy Perry to the Avett Brothers. We’ve brought up movies, from the Hunger Games to the Hobbit. We’ve focussed on athletes, from Gabby Douglas to Tiger Woods. We’ve explored television shows, from the New Normal to, most recently, the Bachelor.

Why do we discuss these things so often? Good question, and there are a few important answers:

1) Culture is interesting

Culture constantly changes. Time and location have massive effects, and because of the internet, culture can change at faster rates than ever before. Frankly, we find the evolution of culture fascinating, and so we write about it.

2) Life with God fills all

This is a central theme of #LiveFully – “the redemption of Jesus transforms every area of personal life and positively impacts every channel of cultural life.” We are not called to merely dedicate our time at church to God, but then give our time on the sports field or with friends or at work to ourselves. Every single aspect of our lives should glorify Him.

For this reason, it is important that we recognize the work of God in culture. We also want to show people that, as corrupt as our culture can be sometimes, it is still possible to glorify Him in mainstream pop culture. The more of you who are artists or musicians or actors that believe you can honor Jesus through your gifts, the better.

3) Truth Filter

Calvin once said, “All truth is God’s truth.” In other words, everything that is true in this life originated with God. Practically speaking, that means we can learn truths about God from very unlikely sources. Marilyn Manson, for instance, is not a typical role model. But when asked what he would say to the kids behind the Columbine High School shootings, this was how he responded: “I wouldn’t say a single word to them. I would listen to what they have to say, and that’s what no one did.”

Those words contain a valuable truth and lesson for us. But at the same time, we don’t want to become Manson disciples. He also says a lot of things that are untrue, as does the rest of the world. Culture can throw unlimited lies at us, but we must listen if we hope to reach them. At the same time, we cannot forget our foundation of truth that comes from the Word of God.

The Bible should work as a filter for everything we hear – be it from friends, television, or music. We discuss culture and Scripture to help people learn and practice this ability, so that they can recognize God’s active voice in the world, but consistently reject lies that pull us away from Him.

4) It creates Gospel sharing opportunities

Effective evangelism often begins when you find common ground with the person you are sharing with. Have you ever started a conversation with, “here’s why everything you believe is wrong” that went well?

Of course not. But perhaps you and a friend love the Bachelor. After last week’s episode, you could easily begin a conversation with this friend about prayer. Or maybe you are on a baseball team. What if you brought up Josh Hamilton’s life transformation with your teammates?

There are countless opportunities to do this in the world. Paul even used the Greek gods to find common ground in Acts 17. Starting with common ground makes sharing about Jesus less scary for us, and helps lower the defensive walls other people build in their own hearts.

At the end of the day, if we look at culture and think nothing more than, “that’s cool,” then we are missing opportunities to be salt and light to a generation that desperately needs God. We hope when you read these posts that they inspire you to bring Christ’s light to the world around you.

#LiveFully.

I watch The Bachelor.  Unashamedly.  And I get judged because of it for 2 reasons.

1. I am a guy

2. I’m a Christian

The first reason is fair – it is definitely a show that caters more to the ladies, and the audience in the studio is 100% women.  I might lose some man points here, but I know there’s thousands of others that stay in the dark with their Bachelor addiction.

The second reason is actually the one that I feel more often.  When talking with fellow believers about the show, the typical response is one of complete disapproval – and usually they haven’t even watched it.

Don’t get me wrong, as a follower of Jesus, I understand why Christians could be prone to write it off.  The process seems a bit ridiculous, and by the numbers it’s not an effective way for marriages to be made.  Plus, there is all the making out and what about those “overnight” dates.

Before we get into the debate, I want to reflect on what occurred on tonight’s finale before MILLIONS of viewers around the world.

-When Lindsay (the woman that got her heart broken) and Sean reunited for the first time, they both mentioned that their last week on the show was defined by lots of PRAYER to God

-When Lindsay was asked how she handled the heart break, her response was that she prayed a lot, leaned on her family, and ultimately it was her faith that pulled her through

-When Sean was asked by Lindsay what happened, he confessed that he was praying like crazy, and finally God spoke to him and gave him the peace and direction he needed to move forward

-As Sean and Catherine spoke about the future, Sean replied that he’s learned that one can make plans, but sometimes God throws you a curveball and changes your plans.

Now I’m not sure how many of you have a platform of MILLIONS, but through the Bachelor, Sean, Catherine, and Lindsay were all given the opportunity to share their faith in God.

Not only that, but the night ended with an announcement that the next Bachelorette is Desiree, who also happens to be a follower of Jesus. She continually shares Bible verses to her 34k Twitter followers like this one on March 10th…

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding.. #GodisGood #PureWisdom #Amen

So here’s my questions to Christians – are you going to accept that perhaps God is big enough to use a show like the Bachelor for his plan of redemption?  Would it be better if no Christians were on the show?

These are serious questions to wrestle with because they are bigger than one show.  They point toward our own view of how God wants to reveal Himself in the world.

I believe that God wants His glory to fill the earth, and this happens by His followers filling the earth, shining the light of Jesus before all people. I’m not sure about you, but I think that filling the earth includes mainstream channels of culture, even reality T.V.

What do you think? Are Christians too harsh on shows like this? Could God use these for His plan? Should we write them off as stupid and “secular”?  Would love to hear your thoughts below…