Great devotional by Dr. Michael Youssef

Reflecting vs. Correcting the Culture By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

When we look at the life of Samson, we find him to be the reflection of his culture and society of the day. If there’s one verse that summarizes the entire book of Judges, it is Judges 21:25 “. . . everyone did as he saw fit.” Samson represented that attitude. When I think of Samson and how he became a reflection rather than a correction of his culture, I think of how many Christian leaders today are reflecting the culture instead of correcting it. We have become a reflection of the culture instead of standing up against the culture. Israel continued in a downward direction, so much so that even God’s men became part of the sin. Let me summarize Judges 13: Israel’s heart had become so hardened, to the point where they were occupied by and harassed by the Philistines, but they did not cry to God for deliverance. Beloved, that is what you call the bottom of the barrel—when you are seeing all of the pain and suffering of sin and oppression, but you cease to cry to God. Prayer: God, I pray that I would not be a reflection of the culture, but rather, would correct the culture by standing up for Your Truth. Help me to always be humble before You and to be aware of my desperate need for You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them” (Matthew 13:15).