Ron is an avid snowboarder and loves everything snow. Fun fact: Ron also loves to act and was cast as Snow Boy in the kids program at Bathurst Summer Mission. This was before he even touched a snowboard - I reckon God knew. Ron is also a regular at Headstart and is often seen rounding up the troops for dinner afterwards.
Night in a tweet:
“You are what you eat - embrace culture, but don’t be absorbed by it. Remember God has RELEASED us from the shackles of impossible cultural and societal expectations through his Son”.
Firstly, to the final term of Headstart of 2018! As we start a new series on Life stories: Uncut, Unedited, let us focus on what it means to be “released”. Released from what? Released for who? Let’s get straight into it!
(IM)Possible odds:
In one way or another, the culture and society we have grown up in has had a profound impact in who we are, what we do, and why we do it. Impossibility becomes a possibility within our society’s framework. Let me ask you, fellow cultured readers, a simple question:
Have you ever heard these statements in your life?
Pick your career from this list: (Doctor/lawyer/accountant). If you want to be something else, too bad!
You must earn lots of money and uphold the family traditions
99% in a maths exam is not good enough! Perfection is non-negotiable
Then you’ve probably been subjected (probably against your will!) to a cultural or societal expectation without a rational thought as to why these things are important. How does impossibility become a possibility? Let’s find out from Grace Huang who has graciously shared about her “cultured” life (pun intended).
Gracious Culture:
Culture is something that has come to define who we are and what we have become. This has also had a profound impact on our parents which is then passed down to us. Our parents want the best for us, and because we are their children, we obey without question (Or at least most do!).
As alluded to above, the idea of perfectionism, materialism, traditionalism manifest predominantly within our cultures and passed down from our parents. These “isms” aren’t inherently bad in itself, however it is when they are the main drivers in our decisions that they lose their innocence.
Take perfectionism for example. It drives us to do good work (Colossians 3). On the contrary, if we then see all things in life as something to be conquered, and we fail to do so, we’re left wondering, scratching our heads as to why we’ve “failed”. What’s more dangerous is that we fail to see the bigger picture that maybe we’re developing bad habits just to conform to societal and cultural expectations!
So then, how do we balance God’s values vs our cultural and societal values? How can we be released from the chains of cultural and societal expectations? Let’s find out!
How to make your parents unhappy:
To tell the truth, I never liked studying and my results reflected that. The only thing I have to show are a couple of certificates and a chess champion trophy. I would be considered a failure to an impossible Asian standard! How do we explain to our parents why we’ve failed? What does God have to say about this?
God’s good news lies in Romans 6:16-18: Along with Paul, a follower of Jesus can say two things. “I have been freed from… I have been freed for…”
From
Approval Seeking
- Being watched by others
- Compared to others
- Questioning: have I made it?
For ... Replaced
Approval Satisfied
- Watching Jesus
- Loving others
- Secured/validated: I am OK just as I am.
For ... Fulfils
Approval Givers
- Being watched by my heavenly Father
- Inspiring others
- Picking up others who are down
At the end of the day, our faith and hope in Jesus provides the soothing antidote for slavery to a sinful, fallen world. We are free to embrace our culture, but not be absorbed by it.
The theoretical meets the practical:
When I resigned from my previous job, in my departing speech, I gave the following advice:
"Never lose sight of where you are headed. Whether it is tomorrow, 6 months, 5 years, 10 years. Understand what you need to succeed. Gun for it. Aim high. Be audacious.”
If we fix our eyes on Jesus and know what our goals are and where we’re headed, we then have the power to be freed from the sinful influence of our culture and society. Let us find solace that Jesus has done the hard work for us and he is the ultimate saviour and advocate!
