Culture vs. Cost

When I look at the market, I see that there are plenty of companies out there that can put a pithy tagline on a t-shirt, or some tangible scripture in their blog to sell their apparel or win people over with their content. My desire in building Humbled Daily, along with the rest of the crew, was to fill a void that we felt needed to be filled. A void that was present due to the ever-increasing popularity of arrogance and pride as a metric of success and wellness. Out of this void, Humbled Daily was born. There is a premise that I like to steep in when considering how I desire Humbled Daily to be run as a business. And that premise is this… Are we competing on cost or are we competing on culture?

My hope for Humbled Daily is that we will always be competing on culture, better yet let’s not even say competing, but rather CREATING. I have a deep-rooted desire that Humbled Daily will create a culture that you yearn to be a part of. That by taking part in an action as small as purchasing and wearing a t-shirt, or reposting a post, you will feel a part of something much bigger that goes far beyond the message any apparel could ever convey. That with your purchase whether that be with your hard earned money, precious time, or extra energy you know that you are buying into a culture that welcomes you to the front lines with open arms in hope that you will link arms with us and join the battle for the broken.  

As I was recently explaining this matter to a friend of mine this idea of competing on culture and not cost truly came to life for me. I saw that it had implication that spread much further than some silly business notion. It holds merit in numerous aspect of life especially that of relationship. I believe Jesus has called us to create a culture in our own environments that attracts others to pull up a chair, sit at our table, and begin doing life as Christ intended.

Let’s look at John Chapter 13 to see this in action. It is a passage of scripture so many of us have seen before, but I want you to refrain from glazing over it out of familiarity. Jesus has just finished washing the feet of his disciples and he then looks at them and proclaims that he has a new commandment:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Now it is widely accepted that Jesus made this statement to his disciples to go out and love people unconditionally. That is undoubtedly true. But he was also making the point, by deliberately telling the disciples in the room, if you LOVE ONE ANOTHER all people will attribute you to my cause. Jesus is calling them to create a CULTURE of love within their group that is both polarizing and enticing to the outside world and serves as a reflection of His glory.

He is saying create a culture of love, of friendship, of accountability with each other that when people see it, they can’t help but be captivated. We have all seen in our lives those friends that are so unbelievably close that we want whatever they are having. Those people who truly are living out the marks of a true Christian as outlined in Romans 12.

The culture that we create with those individuals that God has placed around us is one of the strongest testimonies we have to the outside world. Weeping when they weep, rejoicing when they rejoice, and coming alongside them in the community that God has called us into and designed us for. One of the greatest testimonies we can possess is the way that we love our people.

Unfortunately, I see many people choosing to compete on cost and not culture when it comes to relationship. Cheapening community by ignoring the culture that Christ created, resulting in small talk and gossip as the foundation and infrastructure. Building community by metaphorically “lowering the price” of themselves so that people will “buy in”. It’s cheap, it will not last, and it’s not a testament of His glory or a reflection of His love.

God has called us to so much more in our interaction and love with those around us. He has brought you into the lives of others and has brought people into yours so that you may love one another as he has loved us. Sacrificially, unconditionally, and without bounds. You will do it imperfectly, but in your pursuit down the road of obedience, grace will meet you where you are. We carry the burden of relationship with the people God has placed in our lives by doing things like weeping, praying, grieving, celebrating, and serving. These are a direct testament to the work that is going on in our heart and a megaphone to the outside world that THIS IS WHAT LOVE LOOKS LIKE. Real love.

You see in more ways than one Christ has called us to “buy in” to the culture that he has created. He doesn’t expect us to buy in because he lowered the cost and cheapened Himself so that we could afford Him in our lives, but instead he has called us into a culture that he created of sacrificial love and service to those he has placed around us. He desires much more than just our hard earned money, precious time, or extra energy… that is cheap. He wants EVERYTHING. Mind, body, and soul devoted to the glory of his name to make Him known. The cost is high, but the payout eternal.  

I hope that you will take a step towards living in the culture that God has called you to this week. Be honest with yourself, you can’t get to where you are going if you aren’t honest about where you are. Have you been competing on cost and not holding your love and relationships up to the standard that God has called? Have you lowered the cost of the relationships in your life for the sake of quantity and not quality? God undoubtedly has called you to love the masses, but he has also gathered you in a culture of relationship as he designed it to be, so that the bright light of sacrificial love for ‘one another’ may be a testament to the Most High.

Let us begin competing on culture and not just cost in our lives my friends. Because God has called us to create a culture that testifies of his love and mercy. The love we share for one another is a mark of a disciple. Who has Jesus gathered around in your life to tell you his new commandment? How will you respond?