Into each of our lives comes hard things. The nature of these things is not always the same, and neither is the severity. However, the fact is, none of us can escape difficulty.
One of the things I have been struggling with lately is watching loved ones, whether friends or family, walk away from what they know to be true and embrace the lie of "relevance" when it comes to ministry philosophy.
Of course, I do not mean God's Word, which is and always will be relevant to the needy soul of mankind. I am talking about the user-friendly, hipster style of Christianity that cheapens the precious blood of Christ and deems a separated, Godly life as irrelevant. The philosophy that says God loves us just as we are and we don't need to change anything. The destructive idea that having standards is legalism (totally false interpretation of the concept of legalism, by the way).
Does God love us just as we are - without a doubt! However, our lives are to be a reflection of His holiness. If we are mired in the philosophy of the world, we cannot allow His light to shine through us.
My heart is heavy right now, due to not one, but several situations that have touched me personally in recent weeks. Situations in which people I care about deeply have chosen convenience over conviction, and self rather than Scripture. These people have drawn a line in the sand, refused to follow Scripture past that line, and expect all their fellow believers to stand by and applaud their decisions. What baffles me most is that so many are doing just that - congratulating them and encouraging them in their unscriptural folly. Where are those who will stand up and say, "I love you, but this is wrong! Your choices will not make you happy - they will lead to more misery and heartache than you can even imagine!"
Some of the situations are relational in nature. Families smashed and shattered by hardness of heart and a selfish desire to have their own way without consideration of anyone else. My heart grieves over the pain and suffering of spouses and children abandoned because of the false promise of greener pastures.
This problem affects each one of us. It touches our families, our churches, our friends, and, ultimately, our places of ministry.
Take a moment to pray for those you know in this type of situation. Evaluate your own heart and life and ask God to show you any faulty thinking. It is hard to stand firm and refuse to approve when a friend or loved one makes a wrong decision. No one enjoys being a prophet of doom, but the truth does not change just because someone decides they don't want to obey it. We cannot control what others do, but we can be the voice of truth.
