The Christian straddles the
balance beam of life. They are required to discern the favour of God from
within the evil empires and principalities with which they live—and then
execute God’s transient will. This is the exercise of moral discernment to a
level hardly known, unless through teaching they are blessed or through
experience they have learned the hard way.
Not including the influence of
spiritual attack, learning, openness and humility are keys to divining this
Spiritual web of intrigue.
People may run to the Lord Jesus
Christ in a bout of traumatic uncertainty as to their very existence, but they
soon learn that being a Christian—whilst it is the most blessed reality
possible in this life, and for the hope in it beyond this life—it’s a hard
life, at least initially, and also in enduring pressing seasons that intervene
within our lives at many points unknown.
How are we to live this life when
we are trapped between the splendiferous realities of eternity? We think there
is heaven on earth—in certain respects—but then there is heaven! Go figure. Then we experience the
hellishness of this life and we forget altogether the vast expanses of bliss
saved just for us that are now only just out of reach.
How are we to go about our daily
business—our going out and coming home and all the things between—when we are
to satisfy the Audience of One whilst simultaneously getting on with many
problematic relationships and tormenting schedules amongst the frenetic fears
and anxieties that find themselves clung to us?
To be in the world but not of the
world is the call of Christ on our lives.
This call of Christ in our lives
is probably the most central call given, but we cannot also help but to live in
the world. God mandates that we live! Life and breath we have for this reason.
We will be tempted by so many
things, and so many things will entrap us. Then the devil will condemn us and
we will allow it to occur, until we realise that God is no stickler; the one
and only true Deity, full of grace.
Being in the world but not of the
world helps us to honour God, but we need great discernment and then courage to
allow and then facilitate the passage of God’s will as we execute it in our
daily lives.
***
Living in the world but not being
of the world is a Christian’s key purpose. It requires skilled discernment of
awareness and the courage to commit and recommit to the Lord’s way. It is our
daily challenge; our daily walk.
© 2013 S. J. Wickham.
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