The World have I hid in my Heart?

Balance. One of the most difficult challenges facing Christians is how to be in the world, but not of the world.  We are called to be ambassadors (2 Cor. 5), and salt and light (Mt. 5), but how do we do that without becoming "of the world"?

I see that some people realize how hard the balance is and decide to err on the side of caution--much caution. Church statisticians tell us that most believers have no meaningful relationships with nonbelievers after five years in the Church. It is quite possible for Christians these days to spend the rest of their lives in a subculture of Christian everything--from t-shirts to rap music. How do they justify this in light of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19ff)? Perhaps we think our checks to missionaries and a "Jesus loves you" bumper sticker is all our part need be. Jesus wouldn't have used the metaphor of salt if that was all  he meant. Salt has to make contact with food to serve its intended purpose. It is no accident that the gospel is best communicated through relationships.

On the other extreme, there are those who think we need to blend in like chameleons. I used to go to church with a lady who was trying to have a ministry to inner city kids. She felt the need to "help" me understand youth ministry one day by explaining how she went about her mission. She would go downtown and attract these kids by talking their talk. Indeed, she said they listened to her because she swore worse than they did. Can any of us picture Jesus doing this?

Jesus knew how hard it would be for his followers and prayed that the Father would "protect them from the evil one" (Jn. 17:15). He didn't want them removed from the world, but he didn't want them becoming like the world either. Fascinating to me is what he prayed for after he made this request. He asked that He "set them apart by the truth." What is the truth? "Your word is truth," he clarified. (vs. 17).

We ought to take from this interaction a profound commitment to the Bible. What sets us apart is the truth and claiming to know the truth is not popular today. The truth for all mankind is in the Word of God. Only when we are set apart through washing and renewing and saturating our minds can we be in the world and not of the world. Remember that powerful verse from Psalm 119 "Your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you."

Let us not hide the world in our hearts. Let us hide the Word in our hearts. Let us shine the light, pray for each other and encourage each other as we interact with those outside the subculture.