Desensitized

Last Sunday, my pastor, Pastor Denis Keating, spoke about how Christians these days are conforming more and more to the world’s standards. He described the world as an altar that we bow down to every time we choose to veer from what the Bible says simply because modern culture says its somehow acceptable. Chad and I were reminded of some of some of the subtle ways Satan sneaks into our lives, some of the ways that we find ourselves bowing down to this worldly altar. Little by little, Satan sneaks into our minds by what we watch on television, what kind of music we listen to, or even what we read in a magazine; he sneaks into our hearts by allowing us to justify and feed our anger, bitterness, jealousy, or self-pity…or even more subtle, he gives us a sense of self-righteousness that prevents us from developing the character traits that God desires for us, like humility and love; he creeps into our marriages and families by surrounding us with worldly ideals that promote selfishness and entitlement, neither of which have a place in marriage. The funny thing is that we look at our Christian counterparts, and they are falling victim to the same temptations, so we tell ourselves that it’s okay to allow these things into our lives; it’s okay to settle for less than what God has for us when we obey Him and follow his word.

So, let’s all make a change. Let’s stand up to the world’s standards and be different. What can we each do this week that will set us apart and bring us closer to Jesus?