The right thing for the wrong reasons There are times when we come across someone who is doing the right thing, but only because it is popular, or what everyone is doing. These individuals are seeking to increase their acceptance in the much larger group. But when the tide turns, and the group goes down another road, they will follow along, even though it’s obviously not the path they should be taking. These individuals are like feathers in the wind, blowing as the wind blows and having no way of changing course. They will cling to the group that has the highest approval rating and tag along, proclaiming the message of the group and enjoying their popularity. The Apostle Paul discovered this during his imprisonment. When writing to the church in Philippi, he emphasized that these people were actually helping to spread the message because they were talking about Christ, discussing Christianity and proclaiming parts and pieces of the Gospel even though their motives were self-centered. “Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.” Philippians 1:15-18(NKJV) As Christians, we need to take advantage of someone preaching Christ and Christianity even though it may be for personal gain, or for selfish reasons. We need to take full advantage of any conversation relating to this issue and proclaim the truth in order to clarify the message. We need to show the world that God is not a God of personal gain, or the genie in a bottle, but a God that loves, a God that can overlook the transgression of proclaiming His name for the wrong reasons and use the opportunity to set things right. We need to be ready to proclaim the gospel for the right reasons, and not because it seems to be the trendy thing to do right now. We need to live out our true beliefs so that others want to tag along with our group. We need to become the majority in a world looking for something to grab on to. We need to do all of this because it is the right thing to do, and the right time to do it. If we preach the gospel for the right reasons, others will want what we have. Soon, we become very influential in a world that despises truth and wants no part of “loving its neighbors.” But it takes effort. It means sticking to our original story and not changing because the world changes. God will be the same God tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Our story about God should do the same. “in the world, not of the world”
Posted on: Thu, 11 Jul 2013 11:50:12 +0000
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