How do you balance leading a Holy and pure Christian life and getting involved in the things of this world?
Well … my dad always says (Good Ol’ Dad):
“You can’t cross a river without getting your feet wet”
But I would like to add (hopefully this is part of my legacy):
“You can’t cross a river without getting your feet wet, but you don’t have to get swept downstream.”
It isn’t easy though, this ‘getting the balance right’ thing … sometimes you’re doing ok, getting involved where necessary, getting your feet just wet enough. Other times you fall over and your getting swept downstream and trying to find your feet. The trick, I suppose, is …
No.1: Know Yourself.
Yes ok so maybe the psychic lady in the Matrix gives this advice to Neo but it helped him right? It’s good to know what is helpful for you personally and not to be afraid of letting others know. I had to make a decision once to stop buying one particular DJ magazine as it just had too much ‘unwholesome’ stuff in it.
No. 2: Don’t kid yourself!
Plenty of people pretend things aren’t an issue; when really they know something is wrong. I have heard sooooo many people talk about how its fine that they ignore video/audio piracy, or enjoy having one too many beers down the pub. They tell themselves its alright, its only now and then, it doesn’t matter their mates know they follow Jesus and there are obviously some things even they wouldn’t do.
Don’t misunderstand me please, I have already said that we’ve got to act normal and we can’t help but get our feet wet. But if we as Christians just act normal, what is the point in knowing Jesus? How does it make my life any different to the ‘norm’ and am I any different to anyone else?
Jesus unpacks this here: “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 15:19
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