WHAT DEFINES YOU?

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking for your own interests but each of you to interest of others. In your relationship with one another have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.

                                                                          Philippians 2: 3-5

In Japan they have a saying “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.” Students are taught this in school. No student is allowed to be different. Students are discouraged from asking questions. Critical thinking skills are not taught. If one student fails an exam the whole class must repeat the exercise until everyone passes. In business the one in charge of a meeting must get consent of everyone before a decision is executed. It is not a matter of consensus but of unanimous consent. This conditions conformity. It is a culture where fitting in is expected and those who do not are ostracized or punished.

In the Muslim world the male husband/father is in total control. Women are taught from an early age to respect the authority of males, even their sons. It is a culture with male dominance and if women do not comply they can receive abuse or even brutal treatment.

In biblical times it was tribal. While each person had their Jewish identity, they knew which tribe they belonged to. They were expected to be loyal to their tribe. In the book of numbers the census was taken by tribe. At one point in history the nation split into two. The southern kingdom consisted of two tribes and the northern kingdom had the other ten. It was a culture where each person is identified by their tribe.

In the United States we have a culture of individualism. It is built into our Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. Individualism is built into our laws. Our schools are built around the individual. Each student is expected to perform based on their individual abilities. Each person is judged on his individual achievements. In sports the high scorer is given all the recognition even though his teammates and coach have contributed to his success. In business it is your title that counts. When you meet a person for the first time you frequently ask “what do you do for a living?” The answer tells how successful you are. It is a culture that identifies you as an individual and rewards you accordingly.

What identifies you as an individual? Is it your name, date of birth, and Social Security number, or is there more to it than that? Is it where you live, where you work and your position, being the husband/father or wife/mother of your family, where you go to school, or where you go to church? In the United States we have the freedom to be any kind of person we want to be or the kind of person God wants us to be. This is unique compared with the cultures of other countries where it’s legal and social restraints that limit personal choice. The Scriptures teach that you can have a relationship with God and be a representative of Christ regardless of your circumstances. The challenge for us is how do we use our freedom to carry out God’s will for our lives.

How do we use our individual basic freedoms for our life? Do we accept Jesus Christ as our personal savior and endeavor to experience God’s will for our life? Do we want a life of meaning and significance?  Do we want a life of caring for others needs? Or do we want to dither our life away with trivia? Do we choose a life where fame, money and self-indulgence are our objectives? The choice is ours.