We’ve lost our calling. We’ve lost our vision. We’ve lost our sense of purpose. We’ve moved the goal posts.
Those are the first few thoughts that went through my head as I read the weekend’s entertainment headlines. Among all of the godlessness in Hollywood and the entire entertainment industry, anything Christians can latch onto usually makes its way onto social media. Christians have mainly zeroed in on two particular news items. First, much has been said about the release of the “Son of God” movie. This film extension of last year’s History Channel program “The Bible” did very well at the box office and has a number of Christians excited about the return of Bible-based films to the big screen. Though the inaccuracies and doctrinal missteps are frustrating, there is no denying the fact that movies that use the Bible as a launching point are making their way back into the mainstream. Within a month, “Son of God,” “Noah,” and “God’s Not Dead” will all be released in theaters, and all are projected to do quite well.
Second, a number of tweets and Facebook posts have been sent to remark on the importance of Matthew McConaughey thanking God in His acceptance speech for winning the Best Actor Oscar award. In a room full of people who regularly mock God and on national television, McConaughey started his speech by showing gratitude for “God, because that’s who I look up to.” Aside from the fact that he won the award for an R-rated movie filled with drugs, sex, and profanity, many saw his acknowledgement of the creator as a breath of fresh air in a place where God is usually not mentioned. A number of Bible-based organizations picked up the news story and discussed the importance of God’s name being mentioned.
While “Son of God” isn’t entirely accurate, I get why many believe it’s good to have Jesus in the theaters. And though the Oscars are filled with the glorification of immorality, it’s good to know that God was brought into the ceremony at least once. Why do these stories stand as an example as to why we have lost our vision, then? Consider what we count as victories these days. Rather than aiming to turn the tide of the culture back to Jesus Christ, we are content to merely have a place at the table. Instead of accepting the fact that pop culture is running away from God at 500 miles per hour, the church has been called to preach God’s message to that culture and bring God’s influence into the world. Should we be so easily satisfied?
We are the sports team that loses every game but congratulates ourselves on the “moral victories” gained amidst the losses. We are the political candidate who loses the election but feels good because he “energized the base.” Our rush to point out the smallest of victories while we continue to lose the culture war and get pushed back further and further from the line drawn in the sand by God’s Word shows that we’ve lost sight of what our goal should be.
We weren’t called to celebrate small, meaningless victories. We were called to overcome the world.
Yes, the way is narrow (Matthew 7:14), but God didn’t set apart a people for His own possession to be a small, quiet group who make a splash every now and then. He called us to be the light of the world (5:14). Consider that analogy – anyone who has his or her eyes open will be able to see that city set on a hill. The light will be undeniable, regardless of how they feel on it. The church Jesus died for can’t be an unseen sect that is only heard from on occasion. We are to turn their world upside down (Acts 17:6).
How? Through the power of the Spirit that Jesus has given us. We are not good enough, smart enough, or eloquent enough to change the world. No one ever changed the world for God without His power working through them. It’s time we tap into that power by turning our hearts over to His command. What He says goes. What He expects from us is what we strive for in all things. Rather than settling for little victories along the way, we need to remember Whose we are and the victory over the world that He has already promised us (1 John 4:4; 5:4-5).