Fun, fun, fun....the american culture is shaping you
Autor: Anderson Rodrigues | Publicado: 2017-02-22T18:01:00-08:00











I cannot stop perceiving how American
“culture” is dedicated to shaping people’s mind through a single thought, “having
fun above all things”.



I am talking about people in
general, which includes Christians. “Above all things”, I believe, should be something
completely different from this mere feeling.




By living based on feelings,
people are no more prepared to face the challenges of a human life. I can
illustrate with a single example. I was astonished by hearing a colleague
complaining about his experiences in parenting his little child. After complaining
about different aspects of this noble task, the conclusion was, “You cannot have any fun by doing that!”



Now, tell me, what is the problem
with not having fun for some time? What is the problem in feeling bad just for a
while, if this is necessary to help someone else? Love, a comprehensive misunderstood
word, also means to give oneself's life for the good of the other. Love is an attitude
that normally requires sacrifice! Is
there any fun? Not momentarily, but will produce fruits that remain forever.



Things have drastically changed
to make the scenario even worse. Industrial revolution; consumer markets –
capitalism, propaganda. The reality is that people have been swallowed up by
the concept of modernity, which include the millions of dollars they need to invest
to have as much fun as possible. People are even considering living as close as
possible to the “fun stages”. &nbsp;Stadiums,
shopping malls, restaurants. Fun places around home makes any property cost
twice the price. Why? FUN. Fun
always justifies it. In fact, buying and “zombiely” watching things have become
the great god of happiness for Americans. Some hundred years ago, almost 50% of
the people used to live on farms. Now, we are talking about some 1%. Together with
the increase of immigration comes the increase of depression, stress,
unhappiness, suicide and other heart and psychological diseases. Little wonder some
people are looking the countryside as the main goal after retirement, given a
reversal picture often criticized.






My experiences with non-Christian
or so-called Christians have been basically hearing their boast of how often they
are eating in certain restaurants and how they have spent the money they
received in exchange of their own lives and the life of their loved ones. There
is superficial and momentary joy and the name of God, believe me, is never ever
mentioned. Fun, fun, fun, but no God at
all! At least the God of the Bible. It is clear how God is far away from their
minds and hearts. Both the minds and the hearts of most of our fellow Westerns
are in things, earthly things.



I cannot stop remembering the
words of the Apostle Paul on this matter. He gave a holy orientation not only concerning
the mind of Christians, but also concerning the heart. Do not have them here
(this world) by any means. It is not an option, it is a natural response since,
as he himself affirms, we have been crucified to the world, and the world has
been crucified to us (see Galatians 6:14).





Paul’s orientation starts with
the word “since”, which means, “in view of that”. In this case, he is saying, “since
you have been raised up with Christ”, or, in other words, based on this view, that you
are true Christians, you shall change your mindset. For me it is just inconceivable
to see a Christian focusing his life’s goals on the same things a non-Christian
is focusing on. 



One has eternity and Christ as the
framework, the other has just a short meaningless life that needs to be enjoyed
at any cost.



How can be possible for a true
Christian to live based on the same desires, models, parameters, and whatever
else guides this world? Now I am addressing directly to Christians.&nbsp;



“Since, then, you have been
raised with Christ, set your hearts on
things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Colossians
3:1)”



Paul mentions where our desires
must be (heart).&nbsp; 



“Set
your mind on the things above, not
on the things that are on earth (Colossians 3:2, emphasis added).”



Paul mentions where our thoughts
must be (mind).&nbsp; 



There is no way to change our
mind and our desires without God, who wants us to find how perfect, good and
pleasant his will is. For this to happen, only by rejecting the world’s
standard. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s
will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2-3)



I have repeated this particular passage
so many times, and I do not think I will be tired to keep doing it. Do not try
to get the most of this brief life. There is nothing here that provides you
with peace, joy, hope and love. Without these four, life is absolutely meaningless. Love is the biggest of them all, the direct or indirect pursuit of every human being. Therefore, everything is meaningless without taking into consideration a
vertical life-style. God has to be in the center of it. God has to be the Lord
over your life.





To put it straight, most of people
have despised the Lord. They do not have pleasures in God nor in anything
related to him. They are living independently. Everybody who has really met God
has more pleasure in him than in anything else. I have just to mention this before
a final statement. Please, consider the following:





God expects you to love him by who he
is. He has already proven his love for us, in giving his own life (see John
15:13). We know the value we give to something by the time we exclusively
dedicate to it.





If I love my wife, I will
consequently dedicate my time to be with her. In the view of that, make this self-analysis.
If:





You
don’t like to read him (through Bible)
You
don’t like to talk to him (through Prayer)
You
don’t like to hear his voice&nbsp;(through Prayer)
You
don’t like to obey him&nbsp;(through Bible)
You
don’t like to talk about him to others (Evangelism/Discipleship/Christian
meetings)

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Then, I would say, there are some
good evidences you are not willing to expend eternity with God. I would say,
you have not known him or, which is worse, you may have known him and rejected
him because of the pleasures of this world. As Jesus said, “Be careful, or your
hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of
life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap” (Luke 21:34). Some
will certainly hear his words, but the cares of this life will suffocate them
at the point to abandon the faith in exchange of worldly pleasures with its promised
satisfaction (see Matthew 13:22).





Therefore, if you can identify yourself
with the above description, you are not
a Christian at all. Please, know that we are free to do whatever we want. However,
do never expect God to accept someone who does not like him to be living with
him forever. This is evident and logical. Even you would do the same. If
someone does not love God here, he will not love him at any other point of
time. This is why the greatest commandment is, “Love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your
strength (Mark 12:30).” &nbsp;




Do you really know God? Do you love him?