…continued from the last post…
After singing praise songs, the congregation settled in for a sermon titled “Blindsided by Cultural Consumption.”
Oh yeah.
It was good.
My pastor listed several ways Christians respond to cultural influences, and he warned us not to be changed by the culture.
And then, my pastor put two pictures on the big screen…
A thermometer reflects the temperature of the air that surrounds it; whereas, a thermostat controls the temperature.
The pastor challenged us to be thermostats…ever steady and not affected by outside influences.
Folks, can I just tell you just how relevant this message is?
We live in a time when we are bombarded by influences that seek to draw our attention to what will please ourselves. In the process, we are changed…molded into beings that are quite different in nature than what God intended.
Some might think we need to go with the flow. I can’t tell you the flak I’ve caught when voicing my displeasure at the movie Transformers 2 (do you remember my heated post?).
Oh, I don’t seek to elevate myself to a higher station just because I took the high ground on that one.
I merely wanted to give you an example of how we, as a culture, allow ourselves to be fueled by other things in this world. It is so easy to make allowances – to let little things slide – to the point where suddenly our values do not resemble what they originally started out as.
I truly want to be more like a thermostat. I desire the willingness to allow God to program my heart, mind, and soul so that I might walk with a confident step, unwavering in my decision to follow Him and make choices that reflect that I serve a LIVING God.
In such a way, may I be used by Him to change the air around me…electrify it, if you will, so that He will be glorified.
Such a simple question…my title. And yet, it will make me think twice from here on out.
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AuburnChick's Adventures 
Read your linked post about Transformers2.
We own Transformers 1, though there is some of that adult humor in the movie, especially the painful scene of the Mom and Dad in the hall talking with the son about his ‘happy time’.
We’d heard too much about the rampant sexuality in T2, and gave the whole movie a ‘by’. We just couldn’t see taking our kids, even the older ones, to a movie that’s so sensuous and overtly sexed. We wouldn’t Netflix it either.
Didn’t know it was that bad, even. But we got flak from the kids about it, mainly from our 14yo son, but his ire was more directed at the Director than at us. Why did they have to ruin a good action movie with that?
I’m a bit surprised you got flak over that rant. They really ought to be ashamed, but the ability to blush seems to have gotten rare these days.
On your post here, nice subject, challenging for the Christian. In this world we live in we’re immersed in images of ‘that’ nature, everywhere we look. Billboards, magazines, internet sites, TV, Video Games, newspaper ads, etc.
We have to filter what we see and hear, and choose the high road. In some ways it’s not been easy, but every time we’ve made that choice, it’s ALWAYS been the right choice. Thanks for the post.
Great analogy! Yes, we need to remain constant in our beliefs no matter what goes on around us. 🙂