And be not conformed to this world—–Romans 12:2 Someone said that the literal meaning of this phrase is,”Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold”. We need to think about that. As you know, we are under constant pressure to conform to the culture around us. Sadly, many are caving in. Studies show that there is almost no difference in the behavior of non-Christians and professing Christians today. That’s sad indeed. Instead of being agents of change in the world many are being changed by the world. We need to guard against that! This story from Elie Wiesel, a Jewish novelist and Holocaust survivor, makes a great point:
“A just man comes to Sodom hoping to save the city. He pickets. What else can he do? He goes from street to street, from marketplace to marketplace, shouting, ‘Men and women, repent. What you are doing is wrong. It will kill you; it will destroy you!’
“They laugh, but he goes on shouting, until one day, a child stops him. ‘Poor stranger, don’t you see it’s useless?’
“‘Yes,’ the just man replies.
“‘Then why do you go on?’ the child asks.
“‘I was convinced that I would change them. Now I go on shouting because I don’t want them to change me.’
It’s like this folks—if you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything. Instead of being silenced by the critics who tell us we must be politically correct and the compromisers who warn us about “hate crimes” we need to speak out against the corruption that is in the world today. We are to be “salt” and “light” so we are duty bound to affect the world for good. Have you taken your stand? Are you willing to buck the tide of public opinion and speak out for Christ. If you don’t you just might become a victim. Even if it seems useless we have an obligation to stand-up and speak-out.We are to please Christ, not the world. Remember—-The world’s smile is more dangerous than its frown!
