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”
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