Monday, January 12, 2009
Not Everyone Is Jumping Off The Cliff
The educator and philosopher, Will Durant, said, “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.” With that in mind, many Americans cringe at what they see around them, fearing the demise of a great nation. Advertisements, movies and public conversations have sunk to new moral lows; our society as a whole seems to have forfeited the sacred, the pure and the modest values that made our country great. Greed and corruption now dominate much of the corporate and political world. Intact families and decent relationships are hard to come by. Hard work, honesty and decency are rare gems in a culture that has removed God from school and the public square and replaced Him with the gods of humanism, science and selfishness. It seems like “everybody’s doing it.”
Many of you may remember your parents trying to save you from making the same poor choices your peers were making by arguing, “Just because your friends jump off a cliff, doesn’t mean you have to jump off too!” Maybe you are numbered among those who stand dumbfounded at the sea of humanity that is unthinkingly marching toward moral and social suicide. You might be troubled by the overabundance of bad news, bad attitudes and bad relationships. But not everyone is jumping off the cliff. There are bright lights shining in a dark world. Look for them. Celebrate them. Be one of them.
Allow me to share just one example of a bright light in our dark world. There are a group of teenagers and young adults, who attend the church I pastor, who have chosen to live on a higher plain than their culture. Not only do they attend church, but they are all involved in some kind of ministry. Several years ago several of them came to me and requested that I allow them to meet for prayer. I gladly agreed and the prayer meetings have been life-changing for them and a great blessing to our assembly. Then, more recently, a few of these youth began writing a weekly blog. They are sharing their values and proclaiming their faith – on their own steam. Their comments can be viewed at www.newfreethinkers.com.
If you take time to read their blog, you will quickly notice that the young people mentioned above are choosing to live lives of purity and integrity. They don’t smoke, drink, cuss, sleep around, take off their clothes in public, or watch dirty movies. They are choosing to live addiction-free, chaste and unashamed of their faith. Refreshing, isn’t it?
The fact is that, just as civilizations are conquered from within, individuals can only be conquered when they allow themselves to be changed from within. No matter how godless, violent, or immoral the world around us becomes, you and I have control over who we are as individuals. There are still people who are choosing well. There are still families and groups of people who are holding themselves to high standards and enjoying the benefits of hard work, faithfulness and biblical lifestyles. There are still people who attend church regularly, meet in one another’s homes for prayer, and show Christian love to those around them. Some people are standing firm; they’re not jumping.
Keep your dignity. Insure integrity within your own mind and heart. Take advantage of God’s promise to fill you with His Spirit and give you inner strength. Choose life. Find others who are doing the same. Be a bright spot in a dark world. Not everyone is jumping off the cliff.
Many of you may remember your parents trying to save you from making the same poor choices your peers were making by arguing, “Just because your friends jump off a cliff, doesn’t mean you have to jump off too!” Maybe you are numbered among those who stand dumbfounded at the sea of humanity that is unthinkingly marching toward moral and social suicide. You might be troubled by the overabundance of bad news, bad attitudes and bad relationships. But not everyone is jumping off the cliff. There are bright lights shining in a dark world. Look for them. Celebrate them. Be one of them.
Allow me to share just one example of a bright light in our dark world. There are a group of teenagers and young adults, who attend the church I pastor, who have chosen to live on a higher plain than their culture. Not only do they attend church, but they are all involved in some kind of ministry. Several years ago several of them came to me and requested that I allow them to meet for prayer. I gladly agreed and the prayer meetings have been life-changing for them and a great blessing to our assembly. Then, more recently, a few of these youth began writing a weekly blog. They are sharing their values and proclaiming their faith – on their own steam. Their comments can be viewed at www.newfreethinkers.com.
If you take time to read their blog, you will quickly notice that the young people mentioned above are choosing to live lives of purity and integrity. They don’t smoke, drink, cuss, sleep around, take off their clothes in public, or watch dirty movies. They are choosing to live addiction-free, chaste and unashamed of their faith. Refreshing, isn’t it?
The fact is that, just as civilizations are conquered from within, individuals can only be conquered when they allow themselves to be changed from within. No matter how godless, violent, or immoral the world around us becomes, you and I have control over who we are as individuals. There are still people who are choosing well. There are still families and groups of people who are holding themselves to high standards and enjoying the benefits of hard work, faithfulness and biblical lifestyles. There are still people who attend church regularly, meet in one another’s homes for prayer, and show Christian love to those around them. Some people are standing firm; they’re not jumping.
Keep your dignity. Insure integrity within your own mind and heart. Take advantage of God’s promise to fill you with His Spirit and give you inner strength. Choose life. Find others who are doing the same. Be a bright spot in a dark world. Not everyone is jumping off the cliff.
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