There is no hope. The world is only getting darker. We are just trying to stay afloat. There is nothing we can do. These statements swirl around the Christian community often these days. No matter where you live in the world, darkness is growing deeper. Instead of delivering a motivational speech, this article is going to talk about the truth. There won’t be any sugar coating.
1.So what is the truth?
The truth is no matter how much we smile and try to hide it; the world is only getting eviler. It is a hard fact, but one we do need to recognize. These days, morals in the world are almost nonexistent with everyone living for their own truth. With everyone living by their own set of rules, the state of the world is quickly decaying. Selfishness is on the rise, especially with social media taking over. Social media gears everything that pops up on the screen to its users' preferences and it feeds selfishness.
And where selfishness is, there is no room to think about the good of others. But a large part of the issue is the word selfishness has become ok in today's society. People are encouraged only think about their own welfare and mental health. The real definition of selfishness is described like this: concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself : seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others. So, if selfishness is so bad, why is selfishness on the rise, and why is the world turning darker?
2. Why is this true?
Sadly, this next question is harder than the first. Selfishness is one of the devil’s biggest allies. If he can get people to focus only on themselves, people stop caring about what happens to their brothers and sisters, becoming cold and shut off. Unfortunately, the church is one of selfishness’s greatest victims.
The Bible’s entire history is about how much Jesus loved us, no Himself. He died for us, the most unselfish act anyone could ever perform. When Christ’s followers followed Jesus’s example of selflessness and showing love, the church flourished. And Satan despised that.
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." Philippians 2:3
"For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." Romans 12:4-5
When the church is unified and working together for God against evil, darkness flees. But the moment the church falls silent, evil begins to creep in. This has always been the way it works. They say history repeats itself, and we are seeing that prove true. Eighty years ago, the churches in Germany fell silent against the evil of the Nazi. They kept making excuses for the evil and turning a blind eye, saying the church didn’t have anything to do with politics. But the Nazi were meddling with things that the Bible told the church to stand up against. When the church finally realized what was happening, it was too late. Their world had already been invaded.
The Nazi were only able to do what they did because the churches didn’t stand up for their beliefs. The same stands for today. But this time, the churches aren’t only being torn apart by ignoring the problems. They are being torn apart by selfishness. More and more these days, Christians are forgetting that they are supposed to be loving others like Jesus loved them. In this day and age, it is all too common for people to go to church on Sundays and live out the rest of the week for themselves. So, if we don’t want to end up like the churches in Nazi Germany, what should we as Christians be doing?
3. What should we be doing?
First, we need to make sure that we are grounding ourselves in God’s word. It is so important to make sure that we are living a life like Jesus. I know from experience that this is hard, especially when you are having a rough day. But what if you could be shining a light to those around you leading them to Christ? Second, we need to be firm in what we believe. This means no compromising. We are called by God to be different from the world, so what better way to do that then oppose it? But the most important of all things to remember is to take action.
It is one thing to tell someone what you believe, it is an entirely other thing to do it. We can talk about how the world is decaying and shake our heads pitying and wishing for what could have been. Why is it in our human nature to recoil from fighting the good fight? This happens to me all the time when I go to share the gospel. There is always a small voice in the back of my head telling me that it would just be easier to smile at them and go on my way. This voice is so much easier to let take over than follow the conviction the Holy Spirit gives us.
But what would have happened if some of the world’s great leaders hadn’t done the hard thing? We would not have some of the world’s greatest cities, institutions, laws, inventions, and the list goes on. And what would have happened in Nazi Germany if the church would have stood up for the truth? So, I encourage you to take action!
What is a passion God has given you? Do you want to fight for the unborn? Are you called to stand up for injustice? Do you have the gift of writing, art, speech? Use it! Use your God-given talents to fight for God! We are not all called to the same thing for a reason, but it is important for us to remember that our greatest mission is to be shining God’s light, and trying to bring others to Him. Everything that I listed can not only be used to stand up against evil, but they can simultaneously bring in other sons and daughters to God! That is the best calling you could ever have. And if we did this, what would the world look like?
4. What Would the World Look Like?
If more Christians stood up for what they believed, used their talents for God, and shared the gospel in the simplest forms, the world would look very different. I think the impact in the world would shock and startle everyone. By doing these things, we are going against the stereotypical selfishness and shining God to a dark world.
Before you shy away from the thought of sharing the gospel, remember there are so many different ways to do it. You are not expected to walk up to someone and start preaching. You can offer a gospel tract, and ask if they need prayer. The same day I’m writing this, I went to coffee and asked the barista if I could pray for her somehow. I could see the startled impact my words made on her, and I am praying even now that God will use the love I tried to show her to lead her to Him. We do not have a responsibility to save people. That is God’s job. But we do have a responsibility to tell others about him.
"We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God." 2 Corinthians 5:20
If we just did these simple things on a daily basis, we would see the world changing. All moral laws in the world are only considered right because of the Bible. If they don’t believe in God, then why would they follow the law? As the world becomes more and more unbiblical, there will be more chaos than ever before.
Some will say that the end times will come no matter what we do, and I completely agree. There will be a time of darkness in the world, but I don’t believe that gives us permission to stand aside and watch souls go to hell. Ultimately, it is up to God, and our only responsibility is to live and try to change the world like we would do if Jesus wasn’t coming back for another thousand years or so.
"“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." Matthew 24:36
Conclusion
My point of this article is not to come across as preachy. What I am doing is pointing out the sad facts of the world around us. We want to be optimistic, but sometimes the best thing we can do is be brutally honest. And the honest truth is if we don’t do something fast and take action, all those sentences at the very beginning will be true. Down the road, we will be like the churches in Nazi Germany, caught in our own making. Don’t let that happen. Please don’t let the world slow us down. Don’t let our selfish human nature rule us. I want to fight for the unsaved lives in the world. And I hope you will join me.
In the next few months, I am going to be releasing a short book speaking in depth about this subject. If you have any encouraging stories you would like to be in it, please talk to me through the chat box. This book will only be available to those signed up for the email list. Join me in discovering the defiance for Christ against the world. It is there.
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