What are you copying?

A “pleasant” conversation at the Prince house:

Ben: I am the greatest baseball player in the world.
Alex: I am the greatest baseball player in the world.
Ben: Are you copying me?
Alex: Are you copying me?
Ben: Stop it.
Alex: Stop it.
Ben: Stop copying me.
Alex: Stop copying me.
Ben: I am a big, fat dummy!
Alex: Ben is a big fat dummy!
Ben: Daaaaaaaaad!

UGH! The joys of parenthood! I am sure that your cherubs would never taunt and tease one another. It’s only a pastor’s kid thing, no doubt. And pigs fly and the Royals will win the pennant and….

Even more annoying than the copying game between brothers is the copying of our dominant culture that takes place all too often.

This week I am preaching from Paul’s words, “Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (Romans 12:2) Is there a more relevant, needed, and timely passage in the entire Bible for believers than that one? It’s not the people who completely ignore Paul’s words that worry me, but rather it is we followers of Jesus who read Paul, like Paul, and after perusing such a passage promptly offer a hardy “Preach it, Paul!” Then nearly as prompt do our very best to copy the world.

I know, I am sounding old fashion. Trust me I am not sitting on my davenport, working on my Commodore 64, waiting for a telegram from my grandmother as I write this article. And I am not suggesting that we dress and act like the Amish to prove a point. (I’ve grown rather fond of electricity.). But I am suggesting that maybe, just maybe, we need to rethink how we approach our sex-crazed, materialistic, “anything is OK just as long as you are happy” culture and say, “Hmmm, maybe God has something better.” Maybe, just maybe, we need to have a God powered, transformation—in our brains and in our culture. Maybe, just maybe, we need to reexamine our priorities and attitudes and ask, “Am I a cultural copy cat?” Do my attitudes and behaviors reflect Christ or reflect what some Madison Avenue marketing guru says is important and necessary for my life? Do I mirror Jesus or Abercrombie and Fitch?

I read a quote from Billy Graham this week, he said: “Give me five minutes with a person's checkbook, and I will tell you where their heart is.” It probably wouldn’t take the good reverend that long. In the next few weeks, we tax paying Americans will be getting our economic stimulus checks; how you spend it will tell a lot about what priorities you have. I am not a tele-evangelist or the son of a tele-evangelist and I am not suggesting you send all your money to Central, but I am suggesting that you think (and pray!) before you spend. Are you going to simply copy culture or will you allow Christ to transform you and your spending?

The same can be said about what we watch on TV, what websites we visit, and how we spend our entertainment hours. Are we allowing God to transform our minds into his “good and pleasing and perfect will” or are we going along with what our culture says is good and pleasing? Because as far as I can tell, what God says is pleasing and what our world says is pleasing at times are very far apart.

When my boys play the copying game it’s irritating and childish. When we copy the world and its false dreams and hopes, it’s even worse.