Written by Dynamis Ministries | October 27, 2022
In the field of physics, tension refers to the relationship between two forces acting against each other. If you’ve ever played a game of tug-of-war, then you’ve witnessed this dynamic first-hand. Two teams create tension on a rope by pulling it in opposite directions. Unfortunately for some of us, this tension results in rope burned hands! Thankfully though, we don’t all have to experience rope burn to know what tension is. That’s because tension is all around us every day, maybe in more spaces than we may ever realize.
One area of significant tension is living out our faith in a culture with opposing messages. It’s difficult to be a Christian in this kind of environment. It’s even hard to be generous because our hearts are strained by the differences around us. As Christians we’re to love others, and that includes loving those who don’t share our beliefs, or even those who actively oppose our beliefs. In pastor/author Brady Boyd’s book, Remarkable: Living a Faith Worth Talking About¹, he outlines three postures we often take as ways to react to this tension as we interact with culture as Christians.
Some of us become INTEGRATORS by compromising our beliefs in an attempt to be accepted by culture. As a result, we may become passive and have a high tolerance for wrongdoing. We try so hard to “go along to get along” that we become indistinguishable from culture.
Others may swing to one side and become ISOLATORS who are so troubled and afraid of culture that we go into holy hiding. We see the world as a place that has spiraled out-of-control and create a bubble environment as a way to protect ourselves from culture. As a result, we rarely interact with anyone that is different from ourselves.
Still others may swing to the opposite side and become INSTIGATORS where we are fueled by anger against those who have abandoned Christian traditions or are different than us. We become very bitter and express contempt towards people and institutions that go against our beliefs.
None of these postures are promoted by God in the Bible, yet typically we embrace one of these stances. When looking at Jesus we can see a model for a better way to navigate this tension. At Dynamis we call this being ILLUMINATORS. Jesus came to the world as an illuminator. In John 8:12, Jesus tells the crowd, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” When we act like Jesus, we too are being illuminators by shining the love of Jesus on anyone we come into contact with in the world.
One of the most powerful ways we can be illuminators of Jesus is through our generosity. When we act generously towards others who we don’t necessarily feel aligned with, not only does it shine God’s light but also relieves tension. Consider how actions like showing hospitality to a difficult neighbor, inviting a challenging coworker to lunch or helping someone with a bad attitude might illuminate God’s goodness around them. When we act generously as illuminators of Jesus, the world will become a much brighter place!
¹Brady Boyd, Remarkable: Living a Faith Worth Talking About (New York: Howard Books, 2019)
Photo Credit: Nick Fewings
