Just a second.

In the past, I thought it was okay to walk alongside the world. I thought that if I looked like the world it was fine as long as I didn't actually engage in what they were doing.
This is the best example I can think of:

I would go to a bar and think, well if I just had a glass of water it's okay to go there. Maybe I can talk to someone about God here. That sounds awfully good, doesn't it? But let's face it and be real. That just doesn't happen. We go, think, well I'll just have one drink and just that one drink is okay, I won't get drunk, I can still claim my faith in God and maybe someone will want to know more about Him. Well if you're anything like me, that doesn't happen either. Yes, maybe you have just one drink but what is your conversation really like? I know for me, it had nothing to do with God. The conversations were, instead, about any number of useless things. None of which had a thing to do with how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.
In the process, the people around me saw nothing different about me. Nothing that would draw them to God. They saw just another barfly. I don't blame them for thinking that, that's what I was acting like. Whether I had too much to drink or not. I looked like everyone else at the bar. So then, why would anyone be drawn to Jesus when there was no difference between the lifestyle of a believer and the lifestyle of an unbeliever? Not only that, I rarely, if ever, made any claim to know Christ while mingling at the bar. If you are able to share Christ with others while out at a bar then that's all well and good, but it is still a very dangerous situation.

Don't take my word for it, God's Word warns against it!

Psalms 1:1-6 -

¹ Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

⁴ Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶ For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.(Emphasis added)



I burned my hand yesterday on our wood stove. I was about to stumble over something and realized I had 2 options, fall flat on my face or attempt to catch myself by as quickly as possible putting my hand on the edge of the stove. I did the latter. The process in my brain went something like this : "I know the stove is really hot but maybe if I touch it for just a split second I won't get burned and I won't fall." Well, I didn't fall but I did get a nice burn on my hand. My theory of a "split second" touching something dangerous that could hurt me did not work. After reflecting on that event and talking to God, He reminded me of the dangers of "playing with fire." The dangers of walking in a well..."not-so-godly" way for just a moment, or for just one drink, or just one overnight with my boyfriend, or just one little lie. "It won't hurt anyone and I won't do it again." Or any other number of excuses we use to justify our behavior. We try to convince those around us and even ourselves that our actions are okay and won't hurt others or most importantly, God. We think He will understand, or that walking on the edge of sin isn't really sinning so it must be okay.

No matter how you look at it, the Bible is clear. Yes, we are in this world but if we are in Christ, we are called to make sure we don't look like this world.

John 15:19 -
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

John 17:15-17 -
 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

Romans 12:2 -

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

We are not to look like this world. Don't believe the lie that we shouldn't care what people think. In many ways, if we are in Christ, we should care what people think. Because Christ is in us, we should offer a joy and a hope that the world cannot offer. If we look like everyone else, there is no reason for anyone to desire a change in their own life. There would be no reason to desire Christ if He doesn't offer anything more than what the bartender offers.

I invite you to reflect on your behavior. Think about your habits when you aren't in church. Are you showing the TRUE Christ to those around you or are you conforming to the world?

"You gave your life for mine to have me by your side, I won't look back anymore now that I, I am Yours."




-Brit