Why Are Christians Trying So Hard To Be Wordly? - Akinpelumi Akinboye

Welcome to another episode of my podcast.

Today, I want us to have a very honest conversation.

And I want you to listen to this episode with an open mind because I'm not here to attack anybody.

I'm not here to say I'm holier than anyone.

I'm simply asking a question that has been on my mind:

Why are Christians trying so hard to be worldly?

Let me explain what I mean.

Recently, I came across a video of what appeared to be a Christian club.

There was a DJ playing very fast-paced Christian songs, and people were dancing, jumping, vibing, and having what looked like the time of their lives.

And honestly, I watched that video, and I had to pause.

I asked myself:

"What exactly are we trying to achieve here?"

Because on one hand, I understand that Christians can have fun.

Christians can dance.

Christians can enjoy music.

Christians can celebrate.

I'm not saying Christianity is supposed to be boring.

Far from it.

Jesus didn't come to make our lives miserable.

But my question is:

At what point does our desire to make Christianity attractive begin to make Christianity look exactly like the world?

And that's where I think we need to have an honest conversation.

If you took a worldly environment...

Changed the music...

Put Christian lyrics in the songs...

And called the environment a "Christian club"...

Does changing the lyrics automatically make the environment Christ-like?

Think about that.

Because sometimes, we seem to believe that if we put the name of Jesus on something, it automatically becomes Christian.

But Christianity is not simply about attaching the name of Jesus to whatever we want to do.

There is a standard.

There is a way of life.

There is a distinction.

Paul says in Romans 12:2:

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

That is a very powerful instruction.

Do not conform.

In other words, don't allow the world to become the template for how you live.

And I think this is where Christians need to be careful.

Because sometimes, instead of asking:

"What does God want?"

we ask:

"How can we make Christianity look more like what everybody can accept?"

One thing I've noticed is that we sometimes seem desperate to prove that Christianity can be just as exciting as the world.

The world has clubs.

So we create Christian clubs.

The world has certain entertainment cultures.

And then we try to reproduce them with Christian lyrics, Christian branding and Christian language.

But here's my question:

Do we actually need to compete with the world?

Because Christianity was never designed to be a Christianised version of the world.

Jesus said in John 17:16:

"They are not of the world, even as I am not of it."

Notice that Jesus didn't say His followers should become as much like the world as possible so that the world would accept them.

There is supposed to be a distinction.

And that distinction should affect our values, our desires, our entertainment, our relationships and even the environments we deliberately choose to place ourselves in.

Now, somebody listening to me might say:

"Akin, are Christians not allowed to have fun?"

Of course we are!

Please, let's not misunderstand this.

I'm Nigerian. I like enjoyment too!

Christianity does not mean you wake up every morning looking miserable.

The Bible itself talks about joy.

Psalm 16:11 says:

"In your presence there is fullness of joy."

The issue isn't whether Christians can have fun.

The question is:

What kind of fun are we pursuing, and what is shaping our definition of fun?

Because something can be enjoyable without being beneficial.

Something can be popular without being godly.

Something can look cool without being right.

And this is where 1 Corinthians 10:23 comes in. Listen to what the NLT version says: "You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial".

I think before we do anything, we should ask ourselves:

"Would Jesus be glorified through it?"

"Will this act glorify God, or will it create confusion and raise questions among Christians and unbelievers?"

This is probably my biggest concern.

We are living in a time when the word "Christian" can be placed in front of almost anything, like: Christian club.

And because the word "Christian" is attached to it, some people automatically assume it must be okay.

But the Bible tells us to test everything. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says: 

"Test everything; hold fast what is good."

So we shouldn't be afraid to examine things.

We shouldn't be afraid to ask difficult questions.

We shouldn't accept something simply because somebody says:

"But it's Christian!"

The question should be:

What makes it Christian?

Is it Christian because Jesus is mentioned?

Or is it Christian because the activity itself reflects the character, values, and teachings of Christ?

Those are two very different things.

The danger of wanting to look cool to the world is real.

I think one of the reasons this is happening is because Christians don't want to look different anymore.

We want to fit in.

We want to be accepted.

We want Christianity to look cool.

And there's nothing wrong with wanting Christianity to be attractive.

But there is a danger when being accepted by the culture becomes more important than being faithful to Christ.

The Bible says in James 4:4:

"Friendship with the world means enmity against God."

That's strong language.

And I'm not saying every Christian who attends an event or listens to a particular song is deliberately choosing the world over God.

That's not my place to judge people's hearts.

But we should examine the direction of our culture.

Because sometimes, the problem isn't one particular event.

The problem is the gradual shift in what Christians consider normal.

Let me ask you something.

When you became a Christian, did you become a Christian so that you could look exactly like everyone else?

Or did you become a Christian because you wanted your life to look different?

2 Corinthians 5:17 says:

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation."

New creation.

That means something changed.

Our desires should change.

Our priorities should change.

Our understanding of entertainment should change.

Our definition of success should change.

Even our understanding of what is worth celebrating should change.

And that's why I struggle when I see Christians trying so hard to recreate worldly experiences inside Christianity.

Because sometimes I wonder:

Are we trying to bring people to Christ, or are we trying to make Christ look like the world?

Maybe the bigger issue isn't the music.

Maybe it's not even the dancing.

Maybe the bigger issue is why we need these things in the first place.

Why do we feel Christianity has to look like the world before young people will enjoy it?

Why do we think church has to become entertainment before people will attend?

Why do we think Christian events have to imitate popular culture before they become successful?

And perhaps most importantly:

Have we become so uncomfortable with being different that we're now trying to Christianise everything around us?

Because Jesus never promised that following Him would make us blend into the crowd.

In fact, He said in Matthew 7:13–14 that the way that leads to life is narrow.

Narrow.

Not necessarily popular.

Not necessarily fashionable.

Not necessarily what everybody is doing.

I'm not suggesting that we stop having fun.

I'm not suggesting that Christian music must always be slow.

I'm not saying Christians cannot dance.

I'm not saying every modern expression of Christianity is automatically wrong.

That's not the point.

The point is discernment.

We need to ask better questions.

Before I participate in something, I should be able to ask:

Does this honour God?

What is this activity encouraging in me?

What kind of desires does it feed?

Does this bring me closer to Christ or simply make me feel like I'm still part of the culture I was called out of?

And here's another important question:

If I removed the Christian label from this activity, would I still recognise something distinctly Christ-like about it?

That's a serious question.

Because sometimes, we are relying heavily on the label.

I think this is where we need to return.

We shouldn't be ashamed of being different.

We shouldn't be ashamed that our values are different.

We shouldn't be ashamed that we don't participate in everything everybody else participates in.

We shouldn't constantly be looking over our shoulders asking:

"Is this cool enough for the world?"

Our primary question should be:

"Is this pleasing to God?"

1 John 2:15 says:

"Do not love the world or anything in the world."

And again, this doesn't mean Christians should hate people or withdraw completely from society.

Jesus Himself interacted with people.

He ate with people.

He went to people's homes.

He attended a wedding party.

He turned water to wine for people to enjoy.

He engaged with society.

But He never allowed the culture around Him to redefine who He was.

And that's the balance we need.

Be in the world, but don't let the world become your identity.

Maybe Christianity doesn't need to become more worldly to attract people.

Maybe Christians simply need to become more genuinely Christian.

Maybe what the world needs isn't another version of the world with Christian lyrics.

Maybe what people need to see is something different.

Something authentic.

Something unique.

Something joyful.

Something full of love.

Something that has conviction.

Something that points people back to Jesus.

So, the next time you see something being described as a "Christian version" of something popular, don't immediately accept it.

Ask questions.

Think.

Search the Scriptures.

Pray about it.

And ask:

"Does this actually reflect Christ, or have we simply put Christian language on a worldly idea?"

And that's the question I want to leave with you today:

Maybe the better question is:

What would happen if Christians became completely comfortable with being different?

Because we were never called to look like the world.

We were called to look like Christ.

Thank you for listening to my Podcast. My name is Akinpelumi Akinboye.

If this episode made you think, don't just keep it to yourself.

Share it with someone.

And more importantly, let's have the conversation.

Until next time, stay blessed.