“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)
We have all experienced the embarrassment of being tricked, fooled, and deceived. We have all swallowed lies and sales pitches that brought empty promises of miraculous results for just about anything. I couldn’t tell you how much money I have wasted on face creams that promised to get rid of the wrinkles, pain gels that were supposed to rub away arthritis pain, and oh the money I have squandered on hair products.
But other things in our world have now surfaced that are far more dangerous than fade creams and frying pans. I am talking about some of the movements in our culture that are pushing dangerous agendas in our face. We are being sold a set of values and morals that are distorted. And sadly, many Christians are buying the hype.
We need to be careful that our sympathies and emotions do not cause us to lower our standards and lay aside our bibles along with our convictions. Yes, there are many valuable and worthy causes out there that we should support. But we need to be carefully cautious that we research the objectives, purposes, and underlying interests of each group and organization. Some may have ideals and values that are completely contrary to scripture. Allowing public opinion to sway our positions on important issues can be dangerous for Christians. Our caring hearts can be deceived into sympathizing with the world’s laxing morals and standards. Throw in the compassion for family members and friends who have been caught up in this revolution of cultural change, and we can find our values drifting farther and farther away from the standards found in God’s word.
God makes it possible for us to love others who find themselves in plights of different lifestyles, beliefs, and struggles, by showing them Christ’s unconditional love without embracing, excusing, or condoning their behaviors and ideals. It is important that we let others know by our words and behavior that we love them very much, while at the same time asking them to respect our biblical standards.
Perhaps we have reached a place where we are more afraid of people and the effects their behavior might have on us, than we are of God and his commands. We need to be more careful evaluating what we support, as well as keeping our hearts in the place they belong. “The word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
Darlene