Fight, Surrender, or Invest
Even though the concerns in our society may not be as new or
extreme as we have assumed, they are present. So, how should we approach a
broken society?
One option would be to fight back. The Bible is filled with
examples of God sending His people to not only speak firmly but also stand in
opposition to the injustice in the world. Yet while many Christians have taken
brave stands against the marginalization of people, there are also examples of
Christians who, in their efforts to stand up for truth, have actually hurt
society.
Anytime we find ourselves putting down a community, it really
means that we have a problem with people, because communities are made up of
people. Any hateful feelings you may have toward these people are opposite of
the feelings God has for them. Combativeness without compassion is always going
to be counterproductive.
Another response would be to surrender to society. But because
society is always in flux, it’s impossible to have a consistent worldview when
we’re eager to go along with society. We should never change our orthodox
beliefs to line up with a culture that is constantly changing.
A third option is to invest in society with empathy and
conviction. As opposed to words such as fight and surrender, the word invest
paints a picture of people giving of themselves to improve the world around
them. It means that you and I don’t just write blogs or talk boldly about
cultural problems; we sacrifice and invest in the lives of others in society.
Invest is another way of saying the word engage. Engagement
encompasses learning about a certain context or group of people to better
understand them. Developing relationships with people not like us or people who
might intimidate us is so necessary. Our differences with people should drive
us to them, not from them.
When we’re afraid of what tomorrow holds for society and respond
by fighting against people, surrendering to misguided ideas, or simply showing
indifference to growing causes around the world, we’re choosing to mistreat and
devalue others. Not only is dismissing people never a valid option, but it
isn’t pleasing to God.
Considering the above three options, which way do you tend to
interact with society? Why?
Be Blessed!
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