23 February | EVERYONE
“When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations." Deuteronomy 18:9
Culture is a potter who shapes the fresh clay in its hands. You are the clay. Culture fascinates you, convinces you, and shapes your way of thinking and doing. Without perceiving it, it traps you in its seductive webs. You believe that your convictions are your own when they are simply a reflection of the culture in which you live.
God knew that Israel, surrounded by the Canaanite culture to which it was addressed, was in danger of being swallowed up by the way these people thought and acted, so He warned them against imitating their people. What "abominations" is he talking about? Verses 10 and 11 of Deuteronomy 18 say, "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead." We see a huge list of customs practiced by the culture of that country.
God's warning was clear: "You shall not learn." Learning is not an act but a process. The new concepts of culture enter your mind subtly, like a cunning snake that crawls, hidden, anonymous, camouflaged with the environment. They are attractive, stimulating, and seductive ways of life. Apparently, there is nothing wrong with them. They are "politically correct." Most people accept those concepts and follow them. And if most of them walk that path, there must be nothing wrong with it, you conclude.
To what extent should the culture you inhabit shape your worldview and way of life? Paul answers, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). Reflect on this.
Take Action
Be healthily critical, for better or worse, of all the influences you receive from within and outside your environment. Ask the Lord for wisdom so that you can keep only the good things.