In the world NOT of the world.
Good day beautiful people
I hope that today’s post meets you and your family members well? I also pray that God’s peace continues to guard all of your hearts. Today’s topic has been on my mind a lot lately and I thought it’d be a good idea to share some of the verses I’ve been meditating on, so that we can all continue to grow in faith through being encouraged by God’s word.
John 17:14-17 ~ “I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.”
Romans 12:2 ~ Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
First and foremost I want to highlight that a way in which we can live a God honouring life is through hanging onto God’s word! It’s one of the greatest defence mechanisms we have against the enemies traps. We should aspire to learn more about The Lord through searching His word and asking the Holy Spirit to give us understanding (meditate on the word). The most important thing to remember is that one absolutely CANNOT live a godly life without the help of the Holy Spirit! You cannot do it on your own, or in your own strength. You need the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One who transforms our minds and gives us the power to say no to sin. It’s the Holy Spirit who convicts us of our sins and gives us the ability to discern what is right from what is ‘almost’ right.
So, you may be asking why I decided to write on this topic? The short answer to the question is that I desire for us believers to not conform to worldly standards or ideologies, but to shine brightly for Christ. It’s my prayer that we do not lose our flavour as the salt of the world which God calls us to be. We shouldn’t desire to even resemble evil in the slightest, and I’ve noticed that many individuals are starting to embrace evil. It maybe a habit which you view as harmless such as reading star signs and using that as a tool to govern and guide your day (Deuteronomy 4:19 & Deuteronomy 18:9-14), but we shouldn’t give room to the devil, not even if it’s 1mm. In the way we treat others, speak, behave and dress we should seek to honour God. We should forsake partaking in things which displease God such as gossiping, being selfish, slandering others, promoting sexual immorality, acting provocatively, manipulating others, engaging in lewd jokes, dressing inappropriately or committing fraud etc. Yes it may be very difficult to break free from such habits humanly speaking, but with the Holy Spirits help we can achieve all things in line with God’s will for our life. And it’s God’s will for us to love Him and obey His life saving instructions. With God all things are possible.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 ~ “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Matthew 5:13-16 ~ “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. “You are the light of the world like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
It must be very distressing for people who are trying to flee/escape the snares of the world to come to the house of God and find the same things happening inside the walls of the church. Please let us not try to compromise our values to people please. The church should be a place where people feel love, hear God’s word (truth), and become more Christlike over time (our relationship with God is a lifelong process we don’t know it all, it’s a journey which involves continual learning). So, in essence we come as we are but we do not stay as we are.
3 John 1:11 ~ Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.
Also the content which Christian influencers post can either encourage and point people to Christ or do the opposite (please keep Christian influencers in your prayers, pray that they’ll continue to stand for Christ and do so with great boldness and courage).
My personal experience: Something I’d find myself doing often was admiring beautiful proposal shots or baby photoshoots that I’d seen on social media platforms, but one day it dawned on me that there are people who desire family photoshoots with their parents or siblings but don’t have that because of family breakdown etc. In that moment I had to pray to God for forgiveness for lusting after marriage (idolising it), and not being so grateful for what I do have (an amazing and supportive family. Shoutout to my dad, mum and two younger sisters). I was also convicted about the fact that I need to be very mindful about what I post, and the reasoning behind why I post what I post! Most times I like to ask myself 2 questions before I post specific content…
1. Will this post honour God?
2. Am I posting for attention or to encourage others?
I’d just like to clarify that I don’t believe that there is anything wrong with sharing special moments with the world via social media platforms. It’s perfectly ok if that’s what you want to do. I just believe that as Christian’s we should always strive to honour God in all the decisions we make. Also certain posts can give off the wrong message or be very confusing for people who are new to the faith or desire to know more about Christ. For example posting images which showcase revealing clothing. I’m not condemning anyone here at all because there have been times where I’ve worn outfits and thought to myself I don’t think that dress was the right choice to wear, i.e. it rode up so much that it came up short when I sat down. But with each passing day my aim is to become more Christ like and I’ll admit that I miss the mark at times but, with the Holy Spirit’s help I know that I can live a God honouring life. [I am also aware that we may have differing convictions on clothing which is why it’s so important for us all to have a personal relationship with God. Another wise thing to do would be to pray to God to give you a teachable heart whilst reading His word]. The beautiful thing about God is that He is faithful and just to forgive sin and is willing to teach us how to surrender our all to Him and how to live a life of obedience if we desire to do so. And please, please, please remember God wants us to HAVE FUN and enjoy His beautiful creation, God is not a killjoy.
Ecclesiastes 8:15 ~ So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.
[P.s. I’m also aware that people may still lust after what is not theirs, and there is not much we can do about that because we cannot control how another person feels, as long as you’ve followed the Holy Spirit’s instructions to you (obeyed God’s word), you’ve done your best. It’s between God and the other individual who may be battling with envious thoughts. Let us never forget that God has the power to set people free from the shackles of envy].
At times certain images may paint the narrative that if you don’t have such and such in life you must be doing something wrong and you’re failing as a Christian. The prosperity gospel movement has negatively impacted several peoples view on the truth and has given people a false narrative of what the gospel is truly about. And we mustn’t forget that it’s all about Jesus. God’s word alone is powerful enough to save we don’t have to try to glamorise what we say to persuade or coerce people into believing, it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to save, none of us have the power to save another human’s soul.
Acts 4:11-12 ~ “For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
1 Corinthians 3:6-7 ~ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
I hope you could take something away from today’s post. Always aspire to influence others to do good, rather than allow others to influence you to partake in evil. May God keep you safe.
God bless
Love from
Christian Lady After God’s Own Heart 💜
1 Peter 2:9 ~ But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Republished with permission from Blogs.crossmap.com, featuring inspiring Bible verses about Christians are Called to Be Set Apart from the World.
