God offered some sage advice when He told
us we should respond to the pressure to conform by saying “No, we’re going to study the Scriptures.”
Therein (scripture) is the assurance that God will prevail. He says “the people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those
who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.
* * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
Somebody once said “it’s
hard to remember you came to drain the swamp when you’re up to your hips in
alligators”. So true.
If we believe our “drain
the swamp” task is maintaining an uncompromised devotion to Godly values we
cannot allow ourselves to be distracted by the “alligators”. Socially, these
alligators look a lot like “peer pressure”,
or “social acceptance”. After all,
nobody wants to be called a “homophobe”
or a “racist” or “xenophobe” or a “misogynist”. We will go to great lengths to modify our behavior so
we don’t look like that!
We struggle to be faithful while avoiding anything that
might draw attention to us. We try to look enough like the world so nobody will
attack us. Very strange. That’s not a battle, that’s an armistice...with predictable
results. Somebody once asked “if you were
accused of being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?”
Probably not… and…when we begin fighting the alligators the
swamp never gets drained. We get sucked into a destructive vortex of confusion
and fear. It threatens all of us. The apostle Paul cries, in the 7th
chapter of Romans, O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body
of death? Is there a way out of this?
Of course…
What follows, in Isaiah Chapter 9, is possibly the most
blessed promise in scripture. It is the promise that we have already won the
war…even if we lose a few battles. “For a child will be born to us, a son
will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the
increase of His government or
of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it
and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore”.
The pesky alligators nip away at our self-confidence and
self-esteem to the point that we eventually take our eyes off the “author and
finisher of our faith” in order to avoid capitulation. Bad decision
since…we’re told “the Lord of hosts” will “drain the swamp AND fight off the alligators!”
Live
boldly out there today…
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