I believe it first requires coming face to face with how deep God is hurt and grieved at our sin. For instead of desiring Him, Christians have allowed self-centered philosophies and the vices of the affluent American culture to be their main goals and pursuits.

For instance, a Christian may start a business (a good endeavor), but his motivation may be to achieve the American Dream. The problem? As David Platt said, “The problem with the American dream is that it makes much of man rather than God. It is based on a sinful philosophy that by his own ability, man can make much of himself.” But a Christian’s goal should be to make much of God, not through a dependence on his own abilities, but through a prayerful desperation for the power of God. The American Dream, while wonderful, does not seek God’s desire and will for mankind, and, at its core, is self-centered. Similarly to the perils of the self-centered American Dream, consider God’s warning to Israel, given through Moses:

“”Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery,… Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭8:11-14, 17-18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Christians have sinned by having prostituted affairs with the idols and vices of this world. Not that these things are necessarily evil in and of themselves, but what one seeks to gain from those idols is. Christians have integrated the lies and deceit of the world’s self-centered, significant seeking vices into their biblical worldview. Consequently, the church atrophies and stagnates, losing its saltiness and ability to influence culture, for there is no power of God at work in the lives of many American Christians to distinguish them from the culture. This sin should not be. It should grieve Christians.

Consider how God was hurt and devastated that Israel would turn from him, sinning against him, by seeking the comforts and idols of other nations instead of seeking a desperation for the power of God at work in their hearts:

“”Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord, “I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.

Thus says the Lord: “What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless? They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?’ And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination….for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭2:2, 5-7, 13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

 Do you hear God’s broken and hurt voice expressed through these words of Jeremiah?

 “My joy is gone; grief is upon me; my heart is sick within me.

For the wound of the daughter of my people is my heart wounded; I mourn, and dismay has taken hold on me.”

“Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! Oh that I had in the desert a travelers’ lodging place, that I might leave my people and go away from them! For they are all adulterers, a company of treacherous men. They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah‬ ‭8:18, 21, & 9:1-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

 Can you see that your sin hurts God? God is deeply concerned about your sin and his hurt. It grieves my heart that I desert the path of God to fulfill my own desires by my own hand instead of finding it in the love and delight of knowing God and Jesus Christ.

I started this article asking, what are Christians to do in response to Dr. Del’s article. I argued that Christians must begin to grieve their sin for how much it hurts God.

So, how are Christians to grieve?

“…if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Christians are to become humbled at the devastation their sin produces in relationship with God and others. Christians, with a broken heart towards their sin, are to pray in desperation for the power of the Holy Spirit and to seek God’s face. When a Christian’s heart is humbled and moves from self dependence to dependence on the power and work of the Holy Spirit, then can God begin to manifest Himself through that individual.

How can Christians challenge this American culture?

After grieving your sin, turning and seeking God, let the love of Christ become your primary aim – to know it and give it. For Jesus said, “This is my command, that you love one another.” When you love people and are genuinely concerned for their welfare, to bless them, to help them flourish, and find their shalom, you will wantto serve and challenge cutlure out of the Spirit’s work in your heart. You will want to make much of God, not yourself. Jesus said, “The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve.” Out of love Christians are to serve, not to lord over people, but because of a deep conviction for God’s renown to be made manifest to the world that some would be saved and others give glory to God. This is how Christians become the light of the world.

So practically speaking, for me, as a Christian, working in the commercial heating and air conditioning industry of D.C. and the surrounding areas, how do I serve and challenge culture? While depending on scripture, the power of the Spirit at work in me, disciplining myself in prayer, bible intake, scripture meditation, and scripture memorization, I serve those I work with through grace, but expose the fruitless pursuits of man’s self-centeredness.

I worked with an apprentice recently at my company. He is 23 years old and one of the tail end of the “millennial” generation (I’m 29 yrs old, so I identify with many of his plights). His work ethic is swayed by the ambivalence of his emotions. Therefore, as we work together, one day he is able to produce very well. Other days, he accomplishes very little. He has been berated and reprimanded multiple times for his tardiness, lack of production, and indifferent attitude by our supervisor.

At first, I berated this apprentice, just as my supervisor had, because I felt hurt when I experienced his actions and attitudes. However, instead of taking my hurt to God, or communicating to this apprentice how his actions and attitudes impacted me, I reacted from my selfish ambition, not genuine love and desire for Christ. God showed me that my reactions and words to him damaged the relationship, hurt him, and prevented the gospel from being spoken. As I saw my sin, I became grieved at my wicked, selfish desire to inflict pain and hurt. In my grief, I was humbled and allowed the Spirit to begin working to change my heart. Through the power of the Spirit’s work in my heart, I started to serve him through empathy and grace, but also confronting the truth of his behavior and attitudes with love. I opened up a dialogue between us so that he could communicate his life problems, frustrations, and concerns without a fear of judgement, condemnation, rejection, or contempt. As I loved him genuinely, affirmed his strengths, acknowledged the times he worked with consistent effort, helped him with his daily tasks, and served him, he began to change – very slowly, but he changed. And, it opened the door for me to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. For what I did for him, Jesus had done for me and was manifesting Himself through me because Jesus loved the young apprentice I worked with.

Though the American culture and political parties seek power, money, control, manipulation, and significance, do not let it be so among you. I pray that this article encourages you in your faith to persevere, grieve your sin, challenge culture, and serve the world.