Gender is Fluid. Racial issues aren’t my problem. The poor can help themselves. Pornography is normal. Marriage is simply a tax break. Political Party over faith. Truth is relative. Abortion is a right. Sex is a way to start a relationship.
Today all over our country there are people that emphatically hold to these views. They aren’t the views of some Far Right or Far Left individuals that we can’t stand. They are the views of people we come in contact with every day. They are the views that are sweeping through our High Schools and Colleges and have become commonplace at our jobs. They are held by the funny guy at work, the compassionate girl in your class and the family members you love and respect. And truth be known – they are held by many people that walk into a church every Sunday.
Our children aren’t phased by these statements and think that it is kind of weird that they phase you.
Some are tied to one political party and some are tied to another – but they are all tied to a culture that views faith as secondary at best. More commonly it views Jesus as irrelevant and Christian principles as judgmental.
This is the reality that a Christian must face and it’s not going to be changing any time soon.
So to the follower of Jesus a very important question surfaces…
Is it possible to live a life of faith in a culture that is growing increasingly hostile or frustrated towards the worldview we hold?
Or is it just a matter of time before we fall in line with the same wave of thinking everyone else holds?
I mean sure the thought of standing strong in the face non-stop temptation sounds good but is it actually possible? Is it possible to change the habits we’ve had for decades, lifestyles we’ve seen exemplified by pop culture, friends and family? Is it possible to live like a new creation in a setting that is constantly pointing me to not care?
It is possible! However, it will require something of us. It will require CONVICTION.
Conviction is a fixed or firm belief. A belief that will hold strong no matter the circumstances around it.
To the Christian it’s a picture of standing strong on our foundational beliefs and principles in the midst of a work place full of people that don’t care, a school where people drop 100x more curse words than they do uplifting words, or a home where turmoil has caused your family to turn their backs on God and ignore their faith all together?
Conviction is going to be key to you and me thriving in the chaos of life.
In scripture you see many examples of this. But one that jumps off the pages to me is the account of the life of Elijah.
Here’s a man who lives in a deeply evil time. Idol worship is commonplace, sin isn’t a big deal anymore and key aspects of the government couldn’t care less about the ways of God.
Sound familiar?
But through it all you see where Elijah is used by God in amazing ways. Why? Because through the ups and downs of life – Elijah held tight to his conviction.
Life threw him some tough days – yet time and time again his firm belief in God sustained him and delivered him.
I don’t know if there is an aspect to your faith that is beginning to wane and I don’t know if there is a sinfulness that is starting to be accepted.
But I do know that throughout history – the world has been changed by followers of God who didn’t waiver in the face of a changing culture. The gospel has spread because of men and women just like you and me have held tight to their faith even in trying times. They had CONVICTIONS far greater than some societal pressure they felt to change their views.
Elijah was a man who held to his convictions. Even in the midst of chaos.
If you haven’t read the story of Elijah or maybe it’s been a while – spend a few minutes today seeing a picture of what it looks like to have conviction in the chaos.
After reading it ask yourself these 3 things…
1)What affect is the culture having on my life and family?
2) What would it look like to live a life of conviction at work?
3) What would it look like to live a life of conviction at home?
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