Day 2583 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

2 Chronicles 20:15b NIV

For the most part, our instinctual reaction to the friction we'll face in this world is to fight back. We're going to come across many people who don't agree with our faith, who don't like how we choose to live differently than the world, and who are willing to do whatever necessary to beat us back into the place they want us to stay. The world is all about conformity to norms, but our faith simply can't abide with what the world wants us to be.

That's kind of what we've been talking about for a couple of days. What the world wants us to be and who God calls us to be are two very different things. And when we choose to follow Christ, well, this evil world just ain't gonna like it. They're not going to like us. They're going to hate, to persecute, to belittle, to ridicule everyone who doesn't fall in line and "do as the romans do."

That means we're going to end up walking on the outside of society and the friction that comes along with it may be quite uncomfortable at times. But that's where we need to remember the message of this verse and the others like it. This fight isn't ours. It's not our war to win. It's not our job to get sucked in to all these arguments that so many are trying to invite us to take part in. It's not our place to overcome the evil in this world.

Our place is to trust in the victory that Christ has already won. Our job is to follow Him and not allow the world to keep picking at us until we become so aggravated that we lower ourselves to the pitiful standards of this place. But unfortunately, that's exactly what we tend to do way too often. We take on this mindset that we have to win every battle to which we're invited. We think that we have to defend our faith. We think we have to defend our Savior. We think that we have to prove to the world that we're right and they're wrong and beat them at their own game.

Friends, that's not the case. The Gospel doesn't need defending. The truth doesn't need us to prove its worth. And we definitely don't need to allow ourselves to become a little more like the world just so we can feel like we've somehow done our part in making someone else look bad. That petty nonsense not only doesn't help the message we're here to share, but it could very well undermine that message. And that's just not worth it.

We need to remember that this battle is ultimately the Lord's. It's not ours. It may seem like it is when the world is attacking us. It may feel personal when those around us are poking at us, making fun of our beliefs, and trying to lure us into the stone-throwing matches that they're looking for. But it's not about us, and in fact, it's far bigger than us. Our mission here is to love people. To be kind in the face of hatred. To do the good things that God planned for us to do. How do we accomplish that by letting the world pull us back down to the despicable level that it has settled for?

Friends, don't play this world's foolish games. Don't think that you're somehow helping the mission of the Gospel by trying to defend it or prove its worth to those who have hardened their hearts against it. Don't accept the invitations to the distractive and dangerously unhelpful fights that the world wants. Keep your eyes on God and your hearts on the mission at hand.

Yeah, the world isn't going to like us or the truth found in the message we share. And they're going to try to pull us back down and shut us up. But it only accomplishes those things if we accept it. So keep your head above it. Just know that the people who are blinded by sin and wickedness won't like how we live as we grow closer to Christ and closer to the day of His return. It's okay. Love them anyway. Be kind anyway. Overcome evil with good and we'll end up on the right side of the ultimate victory that Christ has already sealed.

#LeaveNoSoulUntold