Christians In This Generation

YOU MAY BECOME BLAMELESS AND PURE, CHILDREN OF GOD WITHOUT FAULT IN A CROOKED AND DEPRAVED GENERATION, IN WHICH YOU SHINE LIKE STARS IN THE WORLD. Philippians 2.15.

When you read these words of the apostle Paul, you may wonder whether he was prophesying about our days and our people – 'a crooked and depraved generation!' Read the daily newspaper and the junk and filth that are spewed out boggle your mind. But they are only reporting what people are doing! That is what life has become in our world today. The other day, there was a report in our daily about the worst kind of incest one could think of! My daughter tore off the page because she didn’t want her teenager son to read it!

Our Prime Minister wants to wipe out bribery and corruption. He is looking forward to having a clean government and an efficient civil service. The police want to cut crime and violence, drugs and prostitution. The schools and universities are battling indiscipline and bad behaviour. Abuse, battering and incest need to be stopped.

Who said that we Christians have no place in the present-day world and no purpose in life? Today, the world needs more fervent and committed Christians than ever before. Sometime ago, a Christian went for a job interview. The moment the boss knew the candidate was a Christian, he was very interested to hire him. The reason the non-Christian boss gave was that he trusted Christians! He said that he has some Christian friends who are known for being honest, punctual, diligent, hardworking and faithful. What a shining testimony to have in the market place that knows none of these things!

In a sense, it is good for us Christians to be living in a crooked and perverse world like ours today. It shakes us up a bit to realise that such were we but God in His mercy saved us through His Son Jesus Christ. When we read about all the evil in the newspapers or see them on TV, it will make us more grateful to God. It will stir up our conscience to be different from the people of the world and live up to our calling from God. The Lord has called you and me that we may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in this world!

It is a very high and heavenly calling. It is a difficult call. You may need to stand up against all odds like injustice, ridicule, ostracising and even loss of position or gain. But it can be done and should be done because the Bible promises, “it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (v.13). We need to do it to keep the good name of Christ and the Christians. Our government and nation expect that of us as Christians in our society.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to face my tomorrows with a firm commitment and determination that, 'I will shine for Christ today in some way that people will notice and know the difference!' Amen.