In many ways, our principles are what define us. They are the content of our beliefs, morals and commitments. They are the basis for our actions. Someone’s principles can tell you a lot about who they are and how they act. And, conversely, someone’s actions can tell you a lot about their principles. More specifically, the choices individuals make reveal the real principles they have, even if they are different from the ones they claim to have. The truth is that we fail to live up to our principles pretty often. So, when we encounter men and women who have taken courageous stands on important principles, and followed that commitment up with real sacrifice, we should recognize and celebrate them. One of the greatest examples of this incredible feat are the countless servicemen and servicewomen who have given their lives in the line of duty for the principles that make us who we are. As we highlight and celebrate their sacrifice this week, we are going to look at a few of the principles these men and women died for, and see if we can’t appreciate them, and those who died for them, in a fuller and more biblically faithful way.

Freedom. Freedom isn’t first and foremost an American ideal. It wasn’t invented by the founders of the United States or first imagined in the Declaration of Independence or U.S. Constitution. Instead, the U.S. was the first nation to implement freedom as the basis of their governance. But freedom is first and foremost a biblical idea. God made Adam and Eve in His own image and gave them freedom and dominion over creation. He brought His people out of slavery in Egypt and gave them their own land and their own nation. And in the New Testament, we learn that through Jesus’ work on the cross, we, who were once slaves to sin, are now free in Christ. The principle of freedom that is codified in our founding documents is really a biblical principle given to us by God. So, when brave men and women in our military give their lives for our freedom and for the freedom of others, we should recognize the weight of their sacrifice and the nobility of their actions. Freedom is a biblical idea, and it’s worth fighting for. And that’s exactly what countless soldiers have done – they have fought, and died, for this freedom to be extended to all.

 Defense of Innocent Life. Another principle, or goal, of our military that is borrowed from the foundations of Scripture is the defense of innocent life. Protecting life, especially innocent life, is an ideal that is central to the biblical ethic. This commitment to life is one that was unique among religions of the day, but is foundational to the biblical story. From the very beginning, we learn that everyone was made in God’s image. This endowed every man and woman with dignity and infinite value. It also meant that transgressing, demeaning or sinning against another human in any way was also a transgression against God. This passage in Genesis, and many others that followed, laid the foundation for the preservation of life, especially innocent life. This is one of the many Judeo-Christian values that was codified in our nation’s founding and what the U.S. military exists to accomplish: the defense of innocent people and the preservation of life. And it’s one of the principles that compels us, not just as Americans, but also as Christians, to consider the magnitude of what many have fought and died for. This realization should place us all in a somber posture of gratitude toward the individuals who fought and died for this noble objective.

Sacrifice. Sacrifice is perhaps the most Christian of all principles. It is the most “Christ-ian” thing one can do. Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” If we are going to live our lives in a way that imitates, reflects and models Christ to the world, then there is no better way to do that than through sacrifice. Now, admittedly, every individual’s calling does not look the same, and not everyone is destined to give his life on the battlefield, or even the mission field. For many of us, it will look like making smaller sacrifices day-in and day-out. But for the millions of servicemen that we remember, celebrate and honor this Memorial Day, they have made the ultimate sacrifice. They died for their country, their countrymen, and the ideals they believed in. They demonstrated their commitment to freedom, the defense of innocent life, and many other noble values by giving up their very lives for them.

It’s one thing to say you believe in certain principles, values or morals. It’s another thing to sacrifice everything in defense of them. That’s why we have a Memorial Day. That’s why we remember. When men and women are willing to fight and die for what they believe in… when they leave the comfort of their homes and the safety of domestic life… and when they give up their lives and their freedom so that others can have them, it is something worth remembering. It’s something worth honoring. John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” This great love is what we are indebted to, and it is why we take the time to stop and remember every individual who died in service of a greater cause. This week, we remember these men and women, we champion this greater cause, and we express our deep gratitude for their ultimate sacrifice.

One of the most integral parts of our mission at Faith Driven Consumer™ is informing and equipping Faith Driven Consumers like you to better engage with the marketplace. The principal resource that allows us to accomplish this goal is our Faith Equality Index (FEI). The FEI is a dataset built by FDC to establish the faith compatibility of the brands that you shop with every day. The FEI’s main purpose is informing and equipping our members with the information needed to Purchase with Purpose™ and leverage the marketplace toward true diversity and equality.

You might be asking yourself where you are going to purchase your new TV (Best Buy? Amazon? Target?). Or maybe it’s a more important decision like which life insurance company to use. It may even be as simple as thinking about switching to a new shampoo or toothpaste. But as a Faith Driven Consumer, you understand that being a good steward of what God has given you not only means being conscious of how much you spend, but also where you spend it.

Brands and businesses constantly show their support for many identity groups (LGBTQ+, etc.) And there are countless advocacy organizations and non-profits that exist to represent a variety of interests for a variety of communities (the Human Rights Campaign, for example). At FDC, we are also committed to representing the interests of our community, those driven by their Christian faith. We believe that the best way to make this kind of impact is not through bullying or pressuring businesses to meet our demands, but through unifying and activating the influence that this massive community already possesses.

In a world where businesses and brands compete for communities that don’t resemble people of faith, and where the advocacy industry represents everyone except Christians, where can FDCs go to find out the truth about businesses and their actions and attitudes toward Christians? We have developed the Faith Equality Index precisely for people asking this important question.

What exactly is the FEI? The FEI is the standard by which our community measures corporate America’s commitment to full inclusion of the Faith Driven Consumer as an equally valued, welcomed, and respected community. It is a simple and easy-to-use index consisting of countless brands and their ratings. As a quick and accessible tool, the FEI enables you to search by a particular brand and find out immediately how compatible it is with people of faith like you and the values of your community. On a scale of INCOMPATIBLE to COMPATIBLE, brands are rated so you are equipped to make more informed decisions.

We at FDC are exceedingly happy to provide our members with this resource and sincerely believe it can become an invaluable tool for Christians who are interested in leveraging their dollars for a marketplace, workplace and culture that will truly welcome and celebrate the faith community. The Faith Equality Index platform will continue to evolve to enable the positive changes that we can influence and drive together.  We encourage you to learn more and check out the FEI today, then seize the growing opportunity to Purchase with Purpose™.

Want to read more about the FEI and how to engage? Check out these additional resources:

• The Spirit of the FEI
• Leveraging the Marketplace
• Engaging Brands Who Aren’t Faith Compatible
• Making Everyday Decisions as a Faith Driven Consumer, part 1 of 2
• Making Everyday Decisions as a Faith Driven Consumer, part 2 of 2

At the inception of Faith Driven Consumer™ (FDC), there were many possibilities for what we would name our organization. We wanted to represent Christians, quite obviously, and we knew we wanted to do it in the world of commerce. There are numerous organizations and ministries that do incredible work in every kind of area, but we knew from the beginning that we wanted to apply gospel principles specifically to the marketplace, so that Christians could produce change in the culture through influencing this particular area. So, naturally, the “consumer” part of “Faith Driven Consumer” was chosen. But what about the “Faith Driven” part? Why that specific term? Why not just “Christian Consumer?” Why not something more specific? Or, why not something more broad?

While there are conceivably many different names that we could have chosen that would have been acceptable or appropriate, we at FDC are partial to the idea of what we do and who we represent as being distinctly “faith driven.” Of course, we are Christians and are representing Christians in the marketplace. However, our intention is to represent, not so much those who loosely associate with Christianity or who default to a handful of beliefs traditionally connected to Christianity, but instead to be a voice for those individuals and families across America who identify with a biblically-based, traditional and orthodox Christianity, which permeates every aspect of their lives. This is why the forty-one million Americans that we acknowledge as Faith Driven Consumers, based on our research, are significantly fewer in number than Americans who identify simply as “Christian.”

Being a part of the Faith Driven Consumer community means that you are more than just someone who identifies with the religion of your parents. Instead, you are someone who has the work of Jesus Christ and the truth revealed in God’s word as defining features of your life. Those characteristics define who you are, what you believe, and how you live your life. And it not only extends to life decisions like how you will raise and educate your children, who you will vote for, or what church you will attend; it also extends to how you shop, save and conduct yourself in the marketplace. It means that when you set a budget, give your monthly tithe, and decide where to spend your money, your ultimate goal is to glorify God with your actions and have a gospel impact on the world around you.

This kind of Christian with this kind of mindset is who Faith Driven Consumer exists to represent, unite and amplify. And the importance of this commitment – one that goes beyond association or family tradition – is why we go deeper than the label of “Christian,” but less specific than any one denomination. Because the uniting feature of Faith Driven Consumers is that they are faith driven in their lifestyle and their choices. Anything less will fail to make a difference and impact our culture. We need gospel-centered community members willing to take their faith to its logical extent: to the ends of the earth, but also to every aspect of their lives.

If the Christian life is not just about affirming certain truths and being on the right side of moral or religious arguments, then we as Christians have a lot of work to do. In the book of James, chapter 2, the Scriptures make clear that our faith implies action and true change:

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.  (James 2:14-18, ESV)

This passage describes perfectly why we chose the term “faith driven.” Faith is not just about believing; it’s a call to action, a cause to champion and the source of transformation. Faith without works is dead. And the FDC Community without the power of the gospel and transformed lives of believers is destined to fail: dead on arrival.

But we believe that our faith is not one that is powerless, inert or ineffectual. Instead, it is a faith that drives our very lives and extends to every part of our being. It shows us where to go, who to be, and how to live. And a community of millions of like-minded FDCs, united in our beliefs and actions, and engaged to make a difference in our culture, is an undeniable force to be reckoned with. This is why we are Faith Driven Consumer, and we believe that cultural change and transformation are truly possible through living out our faith in the marketplace for the glory of God.

The primary goal of Faith Driven Consumer™ (FDC) is to provide a platform that promotes Christian values in the marketplace, workplace and culture. These values include many different virtues and practices, all of which we find in God’s Word first, but also through observing successful societies in history. One such value that is central to our goal of impacting the culture in a transformative way is reflected in God’s very special and beautiful plan for His creation: the family. It’s no surprise then, considering FDC’s emphasis on the family, and as Mother’s Day quickly approaches, we want to take the time to recognize, thank, celebrate and encourage the mothers in our lives, acknowledging their incredible impact. Beyond that, we want to take a quick look at what it means to be a faith driven mother and make sure we appreciate all that biblical motherhood entails. This way, even if you aren’t a mother, you can celebrate and support mothers in grateful and godly ways. And if you are a mother, hopefully you will find encouragement while feeling cherished and appreciated for who you are in light of the responsibility God has given you.

When you step back and consider all of the profound and weighty responsibilities God has entrusted to mothers, you start to get a picture of just how vital a part of God’s plan for creation mothers truly are. In Genesis 1 and 2, we get a staggeringly beautiful picture of God’s power and His character. We learn about a God who does many wonderful, beautiful and powerful things. But the central theme among the works of God in creation is that He is a God who brings forth life. When God speaks, things come into being. And after demonstrating the process by which He creates life of all kinds and in every way, He culminates this creative process in making humans in His own image. Then He does something incredible. After God made man, He tasked man with doing the same thing to the earth that God had just done with the entire cosmos… go forth and multiply. It now became clear what the central goal of humanity was, to “go and do likewise” and bring light from darkness, order from chaos, and life where there was none.

Now you may be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with Mother’s Day, exactly?” Good question! The point is that God made humans to bring forth life, and to create, multiply and fill the earth. This is the first “Great Commission.” This is God’s plan for us. And if we look in scripture, in biology, in sociology, and many other areas, we find that at the heart of this grand and beautiful plan is God’s special place for women – particularly, the unique and incredible responsibility of motherhood. One of the most powerful ways humans can embody God’s plan is through the amazing privilege that is motherhood.

God has demonstrated His love for mothers in the order of creation, and in their capacity to emulate God in creation, by bringing new life into the created order. Even more than that, however, God has entrusted mothers with a central role in the family and instilled a special relationship between mothers and children. This relationship is profound and formative in the lives of children, young and old. God knows the importance of mothers in the lives of children – He designed it that way! That means that God’s plan for the future – His plan for who the church will be, what they will look like, and what the body of Christ will accomplish – largely depends upon the influence mothers have in raising up the next generation. So we get a picture of both an incredible privilege and also an enormous responsibility.

This enormous responsibility, and the impact of a mother on the life of a child, whether young or all-grown-up, is why we celebrate and recognize the importance of mothers in our society. It’s why we have a day (although, let’s be honest, every day should be Mother’s Day) dedicated to acknowledging and appreciating everything that mothers have done, as well as the immense sacrifices they make to fulfill God’s design for the family.

Although we almost got lost in the theological weeds there for a minute, the point has been to simply say thank you to all of the mothers who tirelessly work to uphold the beauty of God’s creation and His people – to go and multiply and bring forth life, and sustain it in a way that mimics the family of God in the Trinity. God’s Word, as well as all of creation, testifies to the vital role that mothers play in this beautiful story. This truth is evident in everyone’s life, as even those who may not have grown up with a mother in the house can still point to one woman or another who has played an integral part in their formation and success.

To all the mothers reading this today, we want you to be reminded of the special and beautiful plan God has for you, both in your specific circumstances, and also in God’s sovereign plan for the world. You are shaping the next generation of believers and the imprint of your influence is unmistakable on society, families and the body of Christ. It may be difficult at times, but God has made it evident that you too are cherished and a vital part of His plan to never leave you nor forsake you. So, be encouraged and know that God loves you and has prepared you for this blessing and responsibility.

And if you are reading this today and you are not a mother, please consider those who have influenced your life and the ways in which God has sustained you in your formative years or through tough times. Then, when you undoubtedly (and probably immediately) recall your mother, or another women who filled that role in your life, reach out and let her know how much she means to you and how thankful you are for her impact on your life.

The hope and prayer of all of us at FDC is that, if you are a mother, you will be encouraged and re-invigorated as you remember just how special you are to God and His sovereign plan for the world. We love you. We appreciate you. And we couldn’t do it without you. Have a Happy Mother’s Day.