Day 2486 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

Psalm 120:6 NIV

Still thinking about this whole reading the Bible thing and I think it's just another prime example of how we've picked up habits during our time in this place. I've always said that what we're surrounded with has an impact on us. And let's just face the facts, our world isn't too big on doing what's right, what's holy, or what's good. Evil and sin have captured the hearts and minds of every single human that has walked this earth. But sadly, most have just accepted defeat.

I reckon that it’s bound to happen. We learn by watching and emulating those around us. We pick up the habits and traits that we see so many others taking part in. So the bad habits of this world have slowly become our bad habits as well. That's the nature of sin. It spreads. It infects. It eats away until it has gained the control that it wants over our every thought and action. As much as it hurts to admit it, we've all fallen for it. That's the human story!

We've been taught that the truth hurts, so we avoid it. We've been told that we don't have to worry about trying to do good, so we don't. We see so many living it up in these sinful lives, so we do as they do. We see the world pushing everything good and righteous out of the way so that it doesn't hinder their fun, and we do the same. Monkey see, monkey do.

So the Bible doesn't get read. Prayers get neglected. Poor choices seem like the right ones. God's calling get pushed aside in favor of our selfish preferences. Spreading the Gospel isn't deemed popular, and nobody has any interest in anything that isn't popular because it doesn't bring the satisfaction that we've been taught to seek in this sense of belonging to the “cool” group. To sum it up, God doesn't fit what this world wants, and since we've learned to follow along with what this world wants, well, we haven't found much room for Him either.

We've spent our entire lives living in this land of the lost and we've picked up more bad habits than we ever care to admit, or possibly even realize. But as with every other problem or flaw, there's a silver-lining. That silver-lining is that we can change. We can ask for forgiveness for being more like the world than we ever should have been. We can learn from our mistakes and fight to keep from making them again. We can stop allowing this twisted place to bring us down to its level and strive for better.

Friends, we've been a product of our surroundings for long enough. This place will never like God or His ways. Things like faith, peace, righteousness, morality, and decency will never be popular down here. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be important to us. We can't afford to only do as the world does because what this world does will always be done because of wicked motives and selfish desires. And simply put, God created us for more than that!

So yeah, we've been like the world because it's been our home for as long as we've been breathing. But we're not going to be here forever. The filth, depravity, and nonsense of this world will meet its end. We should jump ship before it sinks. Thankfully, through Christ we have that chance at redemption and restoration. We have the opportunity to leave the past behind and set our sights on living for more than what our world has chosen to be.

It's time to stop doing as everyone else does and start doing what God is calling us to do. Read the Bible. Pray often. Share the Gospel. Share your testimony of God's goodness in your life. Love others. Do what's right, whether it's popular or not. Just remember: This world is not our home so there's no point in letting it decide our thoughts or actions anymore. Time to strive to do far better than live a life that's nothing but a copy of the ways of a broken world.

#LeaveNoSoulUntold