Do All the places that we shop have to be Christian or Godly?
This is one of those practical everyday Godly living type questions that I truly Love, because it is PRCTICAL. It deals with trying to be Godly in day-to-day living. Everybody shops. Therefore, this issue touches everyone.
Yes, God Cares… But We MUST NOT Become Legalistic about it.
When I talk about not being legalistic, let me be clear. I am referring to not being legalistic, as the Bible defines that term. There is a huge difference between the way that the Bible describes Legalism and the way that traditional Christianity defines the term legalism.
When traditional Christianity refers to something being legalistic, it assumes that you’re talking about the idea that one should supposedly not try to obey the Commandments that are found in written Scripture. However, that is not what the Bible teaches as legalism.
When the Bible talks about being legalistic, it’s referring to something vastly different. It is NOT saying that one should not try to obey the Commandments found in written Scripture. On the contrary. First, it refers to someone who is trying to get saved by keeping a particular Commandment in a certain way, and secondly, it is referring to the idea that religious leaders can add to or subtract from Scriptures, and that the traditions of these religious leaders, should be treated with equal authority to the Commandments of God in written Scripture.
Let us suppose that I was to come to you. Let’s say that I made the claim that in order to be Christian, you had to believe YHWH Almighty God. That Part is True. You had to believe Jesus Christ. That part is true too. You had to obey the Scriptures, (that part is also true; But you also have to believe, interpret, obey, and apply the Scriptures in such a way that completely agrees with Joel Osteen; or with Charles Stanley; or with John MacArthur; and if you disagree or disobey these men, then this means that you are heretic; I should supposedly consider you to be a false Christian, and even unsaved.
Mixing the Commandments that are truly given by God together with commandments and traditions that are imposed on us by human beings; and thinking that we MUST follow those traditions of men in order to be godly; THAT is, the type of scenario that the Bible is referring to when it talks about legalism.
God Cares about everything. He has all the hairs on our head numbered, (Luke 12:7). He notices when a sparrow falls from the tree, (Matthew 10:29). So we cannot say that “He doesn’t care.” At the same time, It is also true that there is no specific Commandment in Scripture that requires that we only shop at Christian or Godly businesses. So, you can’t make that a commandment. That would be adding to Scripture, and that would be a sin, (Deuteronomy 4:2). From a strictly biblical point of view, the places that you shop don’t all have to be Christian.
As It Is Written: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV)
By the same token, if they are actively anti-Christian and hostile to Christians, then I will go someplace else. For example, the coffee chain Starbucks openly says that if you are a conservative or a Christian, then don’t drink our coffee, we don’t want your business. They overtly BRAG about the anti-Christian stance. I’m happy to oblige them. I will gladly go elsewhere for my coffee.
A more recent example is that I try no longer to use Coke products. WHY? Because they are being patently racist and bigoted in their practices. They tried to force critical race theory on their employees who are Caucasian. They openly tell their white employees to try to be less white. That is racism by definition. If I told the black person to try to be less black than they were, that would be racism. If I told an Asian person be more American and be less Asian, then then how God made them, that too would be considered racist. It is no less racist to tell a white person that they should be less white. I do not make anyone ashamed to be the race that God made them. I refuse to let anyone make me ashamed of the race that God made me. To do otherwise would be racist.
It is Kingdom Law. That a person will harvest what they plant (Galatians 6:7-9). You will not harvest true social justice, by planting social injustice. You will not harvest an end to racism by planting and committing blatant racism upon a different race. Since they obviously hate white people, then they should obviously hate our money as well. Isn’t that so?
I don’t go digging into everything that every business supports, ( because we must also be good stewards of the TIME that God gives us too); but if they BRAG about supporting ungodly abominations, like Planned Parenthood, for example, then I will go elsewhere.
The thing is that I am a steward and caretaker of the resources that God allows me to have. I don’t want to spend what God provides for me to have, in businesses that openly hates God and His principles, or businesses that will spend God’s provision to help others shed innocent blood. I don’t want to support an abomination; especially I don’t want to support it knowingly. I don’t need convenience and comfort products so badly, that I am willing to let little children be murdered. So if I know that a business supports that kind of thing, I will try harder to go elsewhere.
The Best Solution: Ask God to guide you as you shop and follow His Leading as best that you can.
I hope that helps.
Brother Michel Lankford