This morning, I was talking with a friend who works at a coffee shop. He said he can taste the difference between coffee beans that have been roasted within ten days and those that are older. The coffee I buy at the grocery store sits in my cupboard for a lot longer than ten days, so I can only imagine how long it’s been since it was actually roasted and ground. So it got me thinking–I probably don’t even know what real, fresh coffee tastes like.

And I’m also wondering if I even know what being a follower of Christ is supposed to look like. Just as I’ve apparently settled for what I thought was good coffee, have I been so influenced by my culture that I’m settling for something that only resembles being a true follower of Jesus?

I’m not exactly sure how to break out of my current way of thinking about God and life within my culture. It’s a little like telling a man who wants to better understand his wife to just start thinking like a woman. As much as he might want to and as hard as he might try–he just can’t.

And really, culture isn’t the problem. In fact, I believe God has always wanted a variety of cultures in the world. Follow me for a moment…

After God created Adam and Eve, the Bible says: God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28)

After God sends a flood that wipes out all of mankind except Noah and his family, the Bible says: Then God said to Noah, “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it.” (Genesis 8:15-17)

Many years after the flood, the world still had just one language and people decided they didn’t want to be scattered across the earth, so they started building a city along with a very high tower. The Bible says: Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth. (Genesis 11:7-9)

Do you get the idea God was serious about human beings multiplying and filling the earth? The command was given before the fall of Adam and Eve and then again after the flood when the human race had to start all over. And when the people decided to all settle down together, God went so far as to confuse their language so there would no longer be a reason to stay together.

Obviously, God knew as people spread out and filled the earth, different cultures would result. The weather would be different so clothes would be different. Certain resources would be abundant in some areas and more scarce in other areas. Homes would be made of different materials and look very different. Food would be different. Music would be different. Recreation would be different.

It seems that God desired, encouraged and commanded there be a variety of cultures across the world.

And then in Genesis 12:2-3, God comes to Abram (who later becomes Abraham) and says: “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Through Abraham and his descendents, God’s plan was to bless all those people who were spreading out across the world, including you and me. And then the last thing Jesus said to His disciples before ascending to heaven was this: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

From the beginning, God’s plan was for mankind to spread out across the earth. And He knew various nations and cultures would result. Jesus then tells His disciples to go and make disciples of all those nations. So different cultures aren’t a problem, but we need to be careful that we don’t confuse culture with being a follower of Jesus.

In other words, how much of what I think is being a follower of Jesus is actually just being an American citizen? And how much of what you believe is being a follower of Jesus is actually just being a citizen of the United Kingdom? Or Canada? Or the Philippines? Or Kenya? Or India? Or whatever country you’re from?

The danger is that we become so much like the culture that no one actually sees Christ in us.

The question is: how will I live as fully devoted follower of Jesus in my culture? And how will you do it in yours?