How does culture affect me?

Daniel 1:3-5, 7-8Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. . . . “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.” . . . They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service. . . . The chief of staff renamed them with . . . Babylonian names. But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.

King Nebuchadnezzar wanted Daniel and his friends to adapt to Babylonian culture. They were to be taught the language, literature, and customs of the land. They were instructed to eat what the Babylonians ate and be trained to act as Babylonians. They were even given Babylonian names in order to literally change their identities. Although you are not a captive in a foreign land, the influence of culture has not really changed much: what you learn in school or on the job, what you read, the movies you see, what you eat, how you dress, how you act, what you value and desire, and even your name, are mostly by-products of the culture in which you live. You may not even think about how thoroughly culture has affected your life, but it does. Its influence is subtle, yet powerful. Daniel and his friends carefully chose where they could conform and where they would not, what was worth fighting for and what was not. We must do the same. When culture asks you to compromise your faith or the way God commands Christians to live, then you must draw the line.

Romans 12:2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Culture affects your worldview, perhaps so much so that you don’t even think about it. As a result, you may be copying unbiblical lifestyle choices without even realizing it. To follow God’s will, you have to know it by becoming familiar with God’s Word. A Christian becomes a transformed person by allowing God to challenge their worldview and change the way they think about their culture.

Numbers 36:7-8“None of the territorial land may pass from tribe to tribe, for all the land given to each tribe must remain within the tribe to which it was first allotted. The daughters throughout the tribes of Israel who are in line to inherit property must marry within their tribe, so that all the Israelites will keep their ancestral property.”

1 Chronicles 28:8“So now, with God as our witness, and in the sight of all Israel—the Lord’s assembly—I give you this charge. Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance.”

Psalm 78:7So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

Culture affects your identity on a group level and gives you a sense of belonging. The Israelites were instructed to be immersed in their culture so they could pass on their rich cultural heritage to their children. Cultural heritage helps you understand where you’ve come from and where you should go in the future. So don’t just conform to the culture around you, because you belong to it and you have a say in its future. Get involved and contribute so that the next generation can set its hope on God and remember his miracles from your generation.