Please note: This is not a political post. It’s a post about the breakdown of morality in our country, from a Biblical Christian perspective. If that doesn’t mean anything to you, this post is not for you. There’s no need to read this and get yourself all upset. 🙂
The world around us is going crazy. America is going crazy. Have you noticed? Oh, sure, it’s been kind of crazy for a long time, but. . . it just keeps getting worse.
So, as Bible-believing Christians, what do we do about it?
Zeal for good and right (whether moral or otherwise) is more easily outwardly expressed than inwardly applied. Therein lies the answer. I’m not saying we shouldn’t express our zeal for righteousness (although sometimes we can be harsh, too critical, and impatient), but that may not be the item at the top of our to do list.
It is easy to complain about the wrong being done by others out there in the world. What is not easy is facing honestly the little wrongs in one’s own life and actually walking away from them.
It is easier to complain about the wickedness of others than to deal with one’s own faults.
It’s easy to cringe at the filth out there and fail to address the dirt still in our lives.
Yes, there is a lot of wickedness, immorality, trouble, heartbreak, and cruelty in the world that bears lamenting, criticizing, and even fighting against. I’m not downplaying that or telling you to stop being disturbed by it. But decrying the wrong of others is the easy part.
The real measure of our zeal for God, for the truth, and for righteousness is what we do with ourselves.
The strength of Christian character is not measured by the smallness of one’s wrong thoughts, feelings, ideas, and acts, but by one’s willingness to follow the Lamb of God wherever He goes. By one’s willingness to say “yes” to God and “no” to wrong no matter how big or small the issue.
How is it with us?
When we look in the mirror of our Divine Example and our high calling (Phil 4:13) as Christians, what do we see? And more importantly, do we look in that mirror and are we willing to face what is revealed to us?
Are we saints or merely less wicked sinners?
Are we right or merely less wrong?
Are we following Christ in everything or do we merely bear that name?
Are we devoted and obedient, or convinced that no one can obey “perfectly” therefore we’re “good enough” (although those people out there certainly aren’t . . . ! )
Are we ready for change in others—and in America—but unwilling to change ourselves (or rather, let God change us)?
Are we lamenting the deeds and theories of other people when they don’t conform to our standards, or are we scrambling to conform, by His grace, to God’s standards?
Instead of merely doing the easy thing, do the hard thing. Let’s be the clay in the hands of the Potter. Let’s be the gold in the refiner’s fire.
Whether our lamenting is in the pride of self-righteousness indifference or from a well-spring of humble heartbreak (and I do think there is a tremendous difference between the two!), whether we’re merely complaining and criticizing, or truly sighing and crying, let’s not allow the easier thing to somehow take the place of the harder thing: inward reflection, honest recognition of our faults and weaknesses, ever deepening repentance, and humble obedience.
And if we do this, we will be better able to help others, and to speak for God.
Stay the Course
Remember that we are not of this world even as Christ is not of this world. Yes, the world is going crazy (what did you expect?).
Don’t go crazy with it.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)
