[JESUS SAYS, “YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID, ‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AND HATE YOUR ENEMY.’ BUT I TELL YOU: LOVE YOUR ENEMIES AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU, THAT YOU MAY BE SONS OF YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN” (MATTHEW 5:38-45A).
TODAY’S DEVOTION
In addition, culture is the total life of a people passed on to their descendants. Culture is an extremely powerful thing. Its roots grow deep and its influence reaches far. This is why a group of people bound together by culture can live for generations in a country not their own and still maintain their distinct identity. Culture encompasses the totality of life: dress, food, drink, customs, manners, etiquette, protocol, attitudes toward children and the elderly, religious beliefs, ethical and moral values, social norms, and both public and private behavior.
If we are manifesting Kingdom culture in our lives, people who meet us should be able to say, “I think I just entered Heaven. You don’t lie, you don’t cheat, you don’t steal, you don’t sleep around, you’ve been married to the same person for thirty years; what’s up with you? Where are you from? Why are you so different?” When people outside the Kingdom look at Kingdom citizens or a Kingdom community, they should see a culture distinctly different—and much more attractive—than their own.
(God’s Big Idea, Chapter Seven)
CONSIDERATIONS
Culture reveals itself in at least 16 specific ways. Write a short definition for the following eight, applying them to your personal experiences:
Values:
Priorities:
Behaviors:
Standards:
Celebrations:
Morality:
Relationships:
Ethics:
MEDITATION
The character of a nation’s culture is revealed also in the ethical standards it practices. These may be quite different from the “official” standards established by law for ethical behavior. Many corrupt and unethical governments have given lip service to the highest ethical standards even as their leaders victimized the people and plundered the treasury for their own enrichment. Corruption as the moral fabric of a culture guarantees the poverty of a nation, not only economically, but morally and spiritually as well.
(God’s Big Idea, Chapter Seven)
How has defining these eight characteristics of culture expanded your view of Kingdom culture?