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Defiantly Unashamed Podcast:
Unwilling to Bow: Smashing the Golden Calves of Our Culture
Golden Calf #1: Happiness as the Highest GoodHere’s the cultural catechism: “If it makes you happy, it can’t be wrong.” Cue Sheryl Crow in the background. Except, spoiler, it can be wrong. Happiness, untethered from holiness, is just hedonism in skinny jeans.
Culture’s golden calf is simple: your feelings are king, your desires are gospel, and anyone who tells you “no” is oppressive. That’s why divorce is applauded as “self-care,” abortion is sold as “empowerment,” and pornography is dressed up as “freedom of expression.”
The Bible doesn’t demonize happiness. But it doesn’t enthrone it either. Holiness trumps happiness every single time. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
The culture says: seek happiness and forget righteousness. That’s idolatry. That’s a golden calf mooing straight out of hell.
When Christians bow here, we trade the cross for a smiley face sticker. We turn discipleship into therapy, sanctification into “positive vibes only.” And we forget the Savior who sweat blood in Gethsemane because obedience is often agony before it’s glory.
Golden Calf #2: Feelings as the Final AuthorityOur ancestors had prophets and apostles. We have Instagram influencers. And the theology is thin: “Follow your heart.”
Jeremiah 17:9 laughs in the face of that nonsense: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Imagine if Adam had said, “You know, Eve, my heart just feels really good about this fruit.” Boom — sin, death, curses, shame, fig leaves, exile. Congratulations, you followed your heart straight to hell.
Modern culture baptizes feelings as infallible. If you feel like a man, you are a man. If you feel like God is cool with your adultery, well then, who are we to judge? This is the theology of Disney: “Wish upon a star, follow your dreams, and all your feelings will come true.”
Except Jesus didn’t say, “Deny yourself unless your feelings are strong.” He said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Christianity isn’t about how you feel. It’s about who is Lord.
When the church bows here, it becomes a therapy group for fragile egos instead of a boot camp for disciples. Feelings make terrible masters. But they sure make popular idols.
Golden Calf #3: Judging as the Unpardonable SinCulture’s third calf has the biggest following. The calf’s name? “Don’t Judge Me.”
This calf wears skinny jeans, a rainbow flag cape, and quotes Matthew 7:1 out of context like it’s the only verse in the Bible. The crowd cheers: “Only God can judge me!” And they’re right. But here’s the kicker — He will. And spoiler alert: His standards don’t look like a BuzzFeed article.
Jesus didn’t tell us not to judge. He told us to judge rightly. “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). Paul said, “Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?” (1 Corinthians 5:12).
When Christians bow here, we silence ourselves. We watch sin run rampant and say, “Who am I to speak?” Answer: you’re a blood-bought ambassador of Christ, armed with the Word of God. You’re exactly the one to speak. Silence isn’t compassion. It’s complicity.
Golden Calf #4: God as the Ultimate GuessThe last calf is the sneakiest. It whispers, “We can’t really know what God wants.”
This is agnosticism dressed as humility. It sounds pious: “Who am I to claim I know God’s will?” Except God went through the trouble of writing it down. You’ve got sixty-six books of revelation, prophecy, gospel, and epistle, and you’re going to shrug like a confused philosophy major?
The Bible is clear. It’s not a cosmic Rorschach test. It’s not Plato’s cave shadows. It’s the Word of the Living God, breathed out and preserved for your obedience.
When Christians bow here, they stop proclaiming truth and start asking questions nobody needed answered. “Did God really say?” echoes from Eden to today’s pulpits, and too many pastors sound more like the serpent than the Savior.
Why We Bow to CalvesLet’s get honest. Why do we bow to these idols?
- Because they glitter.
- Because they’re popular.
- Because standing means standing alone, and bowing means fitting in.
- Because the fire looks hot, the lions look hungry, and Nebuchadnezzar looks intimidating in his suit and tie.
We bow because it feels easier. Because courage is costly. Because conviction is uncomfortable. Because we’ve forgotten that our God walks in the furnace and shuts the lions’ mouths.
The Israelites bowed because they got impatient waiting on God. We bow for the same reason. God feels slow. Culture feels immediate. So we grab the golden earrings, melt them down, and worship what we can see.
But idols always demand more. First your worship, then your obedience, then your soul.
The Furnace and the Faithful FewHere’s the gospel truth: we don’t need a majority. We need a remnant. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t call a strategy meeting. They didn’t launch a PR campaign. They just stood. When everyone else bowed, they stood.
And standing cost them. Straight into the furnace. But God met them there. “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire? But I see four men unbound, walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods” (Daniel 3:24–25).
That’s the promise. Stand, and God stands with you. Bow, and you’re on your own.
What Refusing to Bow Looks Like Today- Speak Truth Even When It’s Branded as Hate
- Don’t let culture redefine love. Love tells the truth. Even when it hurts. Even when it costs you followers.
- Anchor Your Life in Scripture, Not Sentiment
- If your theology sounds more like TikTok than Titus, repent. God’s Word is final, not your feelings.
- Judge Righteously
- Stop apologizing for discernment. Call sin what it is. Call righteousness what it is. The world doesn’t need ambiguity. It needs clarity.
- Stop Acting Like God Is Silent
- Read the Bible. Believe it. Proclaim it. Obey it. Quit pretending God is a mystery when He has revealed Himself.
The Cost of StandingLet’s not sugarcoat this. Standing will cost you jobs, friends, maybe even your freedom. The cancel mob doesn’t do mercy. The golden calves of culture demand blood.
But remember this: the cross is heavier than the culture. Jesus carried His cross so you could carry yours. If discipleship doesn’t cost you anything, it’s probably not discipleship.
Hope for the IdolatersHere’s the good news: even calf worshipers can repent. Israel did. Over and over. And God kept forgiving.
Maybe you’ve bowed before these idols. Maybe you’ve chosen popularity over truth, feelings over Scripture, silence over courage. Guess what? There’s grace. Jesus died for idolaters. His blood breaks the chains of compromise. His Spirit gives backbone to the timid. His mercy writes a new story.
But don’t confuse grace with permission. Grace forgives the bowing, but it also empowers the standing.
Final Call: Smash the CalvesWe’re at a crossroads. The golden calves are mooing, the crowds are bowing, and the music is playing. Will you bow? Or will you stand?
Because here’s the deal: Jesus isn’t looking for fans. He’s looking for disciples. Disciples who would rather walk in fire with Him than bow in comfort without Him. Disciples who would rather offend culture than offend Christ.
The calves will keep coming. New idols will be fashioned. But the call will remain the same: “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
So smash the calves. Burn the idols. Stand in the fire. And remember — there’s always a Fourth Man in the flames.
Unashamed
