Go Into the World

"I have given them your message and the world has hated them because they are not of the world; just as I am not of the world. I do not ask you to remove them from the world but to keep them from the evil one." - John 17:14-15

Sometimes there's a sense that we need to leave the things of the world behind in order to dedicated ourselves to God. Like I wrote about yesterday, we feel the things of the world and the things of God are incompatible. It's either we're church-going people or we're out socializing. But if we're to be holy people, it's actually both!

On the night before He died, Jesus prayed for us, His people. He prayed for God the Father to protect us and if you pay attention to what He says, He asked not to remove us from the world but to protect us from evil. If the things of the world are so evil, why would Jesus pray for this? In Mark 16:15, Jesus gives us what is called The Great Commission: Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation! If you and I think that we're going to achieve holiness by staying away from everything and everyone because we want to distant ourselves from sin, we're not fulfilling what Jesus asked of us. In order to become holy we have to try our best to follow the will of God in the world in which we live. If you work with people who don't know God and are in sin, be a light to them… there is holiness in that. If your wife or husband doesn't believe, be the best husband/ wife you can be and that will show the love of Christ to them. You can't remove yourself from the world when you're called to serve it. Don't worry about getting "contaminated" by anyone around you… Jesus prayed for you to be protected and as long as you stay firm in prayer, the Lord will guard you. Be holy in the world and you will be its light so that others may also walk out of the darkness.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, You prayed for us to not be removed from the world so that we could help those who walk in darkness. Let us not be afraid to speak about or live out our faith in front of the world, but fortify us in Your Spirit. Protect us in all we do so that we do not fall into sin, but help us to bring our brothers and sisters into the light. In Your Name we pray, amen.