The title says it all. I sometimes suspect and definitely think that American/Western values are upheld and deified by the use of God or the bible.
I have heard pastors talk a lot about boldness. I even heard the term "Godly boldness", "You just need to be more bold with your faith." Or how about talking down about ideas such weakness? The bible clearly claims that weakness is strength.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong
In American/Western culture... and probably other cultures as-well, strength is not itself always good.
Our culture says, "never give up"... God says there's "a time to give up" or in other translations, there's "a time to lose."
Ecclesiastes 3:6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
^ It's not hard to understand this if you think about HOW people "never give up." If you are never giving up... it's because you have confidence in yourself to be able to do anything. That's you relying on yourself. Something as simple as asking you, "Can you be a good person by yourself if you keep trying and never give up?"
There's also fear. Culture screams... "fear is bad" or even evil. Yet, the bible claims that the beginning of wisdom is fear in the Lord. Yes, love casts out all fear. But, that does not take away that there is a good kind of fear, the fear of the Lord.
Thoughts? Do you know anymore places where culture is being deified?
I have heard pastors talk a lot about boldness. I even heard the term "Godly boldness", "You just need to be more bold with your faith." Or how about talking down about ideas such weakness? The bible clearly claims that weakness is strength.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong
In American/Western culture... and probably other cultures as-well, strength is not itself always good.
Our culture says, "never give up"... God says there's "a time to give up" or in other translations, there's "a time to lose."
Ecclesiastes 3:6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
^ It's not hard to understand this if you think about HOW people "never give up." If you are never giving up... it's because you have confidence in yourself to be able to do anything. That's you relying on yourself. Something as simple as asking you, "Can you be a good person by yourself if you keep trying and never give up?"
There's also fear. Culture screams... "fear is bad" or even evil. Yet, the bible claims that the beginning of wisdom is fear in the Lord. Yes, love casts out all fear. But, that does not take away that there is a good kind of fear, the fear of the Lord.
Thoughts? Do you know anymore places where culture is being deified?