The world my children know is very different from the world I grew up in. There is no denying that American has become a highly sexualized culture that permeates everything. Greed, selfishness, and self indulgence also run rampant.
It seems that everywhere we look in society morals and values have shifted dramatically away from God’s standards. Almost every day there’s another story in the news that demonstrates an ongoing clash between the world’s values and God’s standard.
Sometimes it is easier for me to live by God’s standards if I remove myself from the influence of the world. But I know there is one big problem with that. In doing so, I also remove the influence of Christ from the world. Jesus calls believers to go out into the world and take the gospel with them, and not hunker down in a holy bunker. Jesus said,
“I have given them Your Word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world. I do not pray that You take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth. Your Word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” -John 17:14-18
The hardest road to walk is living by God’s standard out in the world. But God promised that through His divine powers. He has given us everything we need for life and godliness.
“Seeing that His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and virtue” -1 Peter 1:3
With discipline intentionally and constantly depending on the Holy Spirit we can live lives that please God, and honor Jesus.
There are always those believers that simply throw up their hands without even trying to live by God’s standards, and straddle the fence.
At times we all compromise and think God’s ways are “too hard” or “too boring” or just “too weird” compared to the world.
Why do followers of Jesus sometimes follow the world, the simplest answer is because we are human. But I believe there are a few reasons,
1. It’s easy to indulge our own desires. We have sinful desires and sometimes we give in to them.
2. We have ignorance of God’s Word. Sometimes believers live like the world in one or more areas simply because they don’t know God’s standard. God calls believers to,
“Not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance, but be holy in all we do“ -1Peter 1:13-15
Thankfully we can learn since we have full access to His Word. God’s truth always trumps culture every time.
3. Fear of being labeled is another reason we compromise. Sometimes believers worry more about what the world will think of them, than what God thinks of them. They don’t want to be considered a “bigot” or “self-righteous. They don’t want to stand out in a crowd. So they compromise to fit in.
From Pity to Praise 