3 Ways to Shine for Christ in Every Cultural Season

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." - Galatians 2:20

Many Christians wrestle with how to participate in cultural events—especially in the fall—without compromising their beliefs. Deep down, we’re afraid that if we engage in the fun, we might seem no different from people who don’t profess to be disciples of Christ. This is not a culture problem; it’s a personal call to exemplify the Holy Spirit in all we do. We can’t exude something that isn’t there. If his life is not inside of us, then his light cannot come out of us.  Rather than restrict yourself from the fun of fall, commit yourself to falling more in love with Jesus (through his word), spending time with those who love him, and discovering and honing your spiritual gifts to serve others. Do this in the fall as you would at every other time of the year.

One thing I love about fall is that all students go back to school (Actually, if you’re down South like me, you go back in August while it’s still summer and scorching hot, but I digress). The campus is a panacea of culture. College campuses are smaller, less populous representations of the world. They are bursting with the culture of people from all over the world and from all walks of life. If you’re a student on campus this fall, let your cross-bearing culture shine. How do you do that? I’m glad you asked.

Get involved. You can start by finding a club on campus. Christian clubs are a great place to start, especially if you’re not already part of one, but it doesn’t have to stop there. Do what comes naturally to you, and Christ will meet you where you are. In college, I was on the volleyball team (at a small, private school) and I wrote for the school’s newspaper. I was also in the Spanish club. I was genuinely interested, not excited, to do all those things. So, how do you show your love for Jesus while getting involved? Pray about it, and God will give you answers. If your genuine desire is to be a witness for him, the Holy Spirit will work with your heart’s desire. You’ll do the same things you were always shaped to do, but you’ll do them with purpose and for an audience of one instead of an audience of 8 billion (the approximate number of people in the world).

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When Jesus gave the sermon on the mount in Matthew chapter 5, he told his followers:

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it in a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify your father in heaven." (14-16).  

It’s hard to be a light to the world if you’re not standing among them. Whether you’re in college or not, there are plenty of fall activities to go around. So don’t stay in. Go out and demonstrate the joy of the Lord at fall festivals, pumpkin patches, and apple picking events, and don’t go it alone; take a group.  While you’re there, sing songs, play games, and show how much you actually love each other. Now that’s attractive!

“The world will know you are my disciples by the love you have for one another” John 13:35.

Suppose you’re looking for direct advice about how to approach events like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and homecoming. In that case, these are things you’ll have to work out on your own and through conversation and consultation with others, but my general advice follows.

Some Christians celebrate Halloween, and some Christians protest it. Others have alternative fall festivals that offer candy and promote dressing up in costumes. In my adult years, I've taken each of these stances at one point: being single, then married, then married and a mom. This is a nonessential issue that we should not fight about. In any of the three approaches, ask the Holy Spirit to lead you. In college, I set up a table and joined fellow believers to highlight the pagan origins of the occasion. Then, as a new mom, I couldn’t resist dressing my little one up and marching him around the neighborhood (he was so cute). Today, I often participate in a huge fall festival, complete with trunk-or-treating, to give my youngest child and the neighborhood kids a Halloween alternative. Whatever you decide to do, do it wholeheartedly. If you do choose to participate on October 31^st with candy at your door, in the words of one of the culture: “Go Hard!” I’ve always dreamed of seeing Christians go all out, with décor that points to the Holy Ghost (the Spirit of the Lord) and with tombstones that show the date they died to themselves and rose to new life in Christ. How cool would it be to have a whole yard full of bones (either plastic or people dressed in skeleton suits), representing the valley of dry bones found in the book of Ezekiel? Then, at the call of a person or figure acting as Ezekiel, we’d hear, “Dry bones hear the word of the Lord! I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord (Ezekiel 37:4-6). I say, if you’re going to join in on the decorating, do it right!

Thanksgiving is a time when families celebrate together, but it is also a stressful time, when some around us battle depression. These challenges are very real. As believers, we want to be sensitive to these challenges and partner with the Holy Spirit if we are experiencing them. If you’re new to Christian life, sometimes the challenge is to be yourself while being around your family, who may be expecting to encounter the old you. For that situation, try this tip: take a strong believing friend home with you who can give you an excuse to pull away when you need to. If you can’t take a friend home, then check in with a strong believing friend while you are with your family. That way, you can pray with and draw strength from your friend. Lastly, you can set boundaries with your family that will help you balance holiday stress.

Homecoming is a specific school-based event that invites students, alumni, and families to participate, but the challenges that surround it represent general challenges we all face, whether we’re connected to a school or not. How do we maintain our holiness while dancing the Cha-Cha slide? How do we dress to impress while maintaining modesty? And, to drink or not to drink. That is the question. Here’s the truth: that’s for you to know and for me to find out. I can’t tell you how to dance, what to dance to, who to dance with, how late to stay out, who to talk to while you’re out, what to drink, what not to drink, and how. Those decisions will be different for each of us. Each of those decisions should be approached with prayer and in faith because whatever is not done from faith is sin.

“So whatever you believe about these things, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever doubts is condemned if they eat [food that is offered to idols-you have to read the whole chapter to get the context] because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.” - Romans 14 22-23

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Contrary to what some believe, Jesus was not uptight. Jesus went to parties, weddings, and funerals. He joked. He sang. He probably danced. He drank (the alcoholic content of the wine is debatable, but he drank wine). He often went to the public square. He knew how to be with people and see them in sin without addressing every sin all the time. Can you imagine what it would have been like for Jesus to point out every unholy thing he saw? Think about it. Jesus is perfection. Everything else is imperfection. Even though Jesus was perfect, he didn’t wear his perfection on his sleeve. Philippians says,

"Let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the likeness of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient even to the point of death, death on a cross." -  Philippians 2:5-8

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “To the weak, I became weak to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means, I might win some.”

Let's do the same this fall and every season. So get out there and do what Jesus did. He engaged with culture, and everywhere he went, his light led people to himself, the truth. Have fun outdoors this fall. Carry your light, be yourself, and follow Jesus. I’m fully confident that when you ask him, he’ll lead you.

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