A Christian In A Secular World
http://www.southasianconnection.com/articles/186/1/A-Christian-In-A-Secular-World/Page1.html
Syd Vartak
Sudhin Vartak is 26. A writer and editor by profession, he now works in web design and development. He maintains a passion to work among the underprivileged, having spent 2 years working with street kids in Mumbai and Pune, India. His interests are reading, writing, watching really good movies and trekking through the Himalayas. He holds a long standing dream to cycle around the world.By Syd Vartak
Published on 04/12/2007
Today Christians, especially the youth, are confronted with enormous pressure from the surrounding culture, be it friends, college, work, play and at times even family. Take a good look around you. Watch, listen, and absorb what you see. Magazine ads fostering greed and self indulgence, television ridiculing g values, movies assaulting us and last but not the least, our friends – a great deal of pressure from them. Is the Christian youth handling all this with the confidence that the Lord is with them? Or are they just succumbing to them? Let’s take a brief look.
Today Christians, especially the youth, are confronted with enormous pressure from the surrounding culture, be it friends, college, work, play and at times even family. Take a good look around you. Watch, listen, and absorb what you see. Magazine ads fostering greed and self indulgence, television ridiculing g values, movies assaulting us and last but not the least, our friends – a great deal of pressure from them. Is the Christian youth handling all this with the confidence that the Lord is with them? Or are they just succumbing to them? Let’s take a brief look.
Among the many books in the Bible, there is one book in particular, which we could apply to our modern life – The book of Daniel. Daniel led a pure life in that pagan society of his. Complete and absolute trust in his God. No fear at all. He stood out, different and yet influential. He was a humble witness of God’s might and power.
Care and Concern:
The best place we can witness is our own friends or with our employers and employees. Daniel in Chap. 4 vs. 19 shows genuine concern for his employer. Do we find that today? Not at all. And if so, rarely. People tend to mask their feelings towards them to succeed in their own personal lives.
Can we as Christian’s act that way? No. Whatever maybe our status or designation, we cannot act like them, because we are a missionary people.
After receiving God’s salvation let’s give others a chance. Let’s turn our attention to those in need, maybe our employer is tensed or your colleague has problems or a friend needs help. We should take the first initiative. Go to him with God’s love and Word and watch it work on him. Loving concern for unbelievers, that’s what we are here for. We might use words, but our words will be more powerful when we have that concern for the lost.
But in all this there should be no trickery. All we can do is to give it to them and not ram it down their throats. God didn’t do that to us. He respected us and gave us a free will. So should we.
Coming Under Fire:
How often as Christians do we come under fire? Should we bear the brunt of the insults and smile or should we go cursing and hating the whole world? This is another test to pass in this Christian school we call our lives. We Christians are at times always trying to do something significant, trying to climb the social ladder. Such people do become vulnerable to criticism. So does that mean we just sit back in our chairs and do nothing?
Do not be disillusioned. Our desire is to do the will of God, which includes being loving and respectful to all people. If we have done this, it can be enough. Criticism will not touch us. God will make sure that this criticism will be used for our ultimate good. Our character becomes particularly important if we decide to stick to the truth and come under fire. Let this not worry us. The Holy Spirit will show us the way out. All it requires is to be trustworthy and faithful.
Prayer:
It’s the simplest, the most important and effective tool in the life of a Christian. The only thing we’ve got to do is ask, and yet it takes us so long to do so. US Senator Mark Hatfield says, “ A daily relationship with God in prayer, helps us not to confuse our will with His will. Any person in public life who thinks he can ‘go it alone’ is tragically mistaken. In an individuals relationship with God there comes each day the humility of having fallen short, the joy of being forgiven and the strength of being renewed. For all this there is only one bond – prayer”.
How true! What could we have done without prayer? By praying, we receive the strength to witness in this secular world, which at many times does not respect spiritual reality. It gives us an insight as to how we can play our part successfully. Prayer is the greatest power we hold. We can influence people, change the world and do the impossible, all through prayer. But most importantly it helps us to do what God wants us to do. He wants us to lead a pure and spiritual life in this secular world of ours.
So, how many of us have discovered the Daniel within us and how many have yet to do so?
We better not delay. We should not allow the world to mould us, but we, by doing our little part, should mould the world. We should do this so, none will be left behind and none disappointed.
Today Christians, especially the youth, are confronted with enormous pressure from the surrounding culture, be it friends, college, work, play and at times even family. Take a good look around you. Watch, listen, and absorb what you see. Magazine ads fostering greed and self indulgence, television ridiculing g values, movies assaulting us and last but not the least, our friends – a great deal of pressure from them. Is the Christian youth handling all this with the confidence that the Lord is with them? Or are they just succumbing to them? Let’s take a brief look.A Christian In A Secular World
Today Christians, especially the youth, are confronted with enormous pressure from the surrounding culture, be it friends, college, work, play and at times even family. Take a good look around you. Watch, listen, and absorb what you see. Magazine ads fostering greed and self indulgence, television ridiculing g values, movies assaulting us and last but not the least, our friends – a great deal of pressure from them. Is the Christian youth handling all this with the confidence that the Lord is with them? Or are they just succumbing to them? Let’s take a brief look.Among the many books in the Bible, there is one book in particular, which we could apply to our modern life – The book of Daniel. Daniel led a pure life in that pagan society of his. Complete and absolute trust in his God. No fear at all. He stood out, different and yet influential. He was a humble witness of God’s might and power.
Care and Concern:
The best place we can witness is our own friends or with our employers and employees. Daniel in Chap. 4 vs. 19 shows genuine concern for his employer. Do we find that today? Not at all. And if so, rarely. People tend to mask their feelings towards them to succeed in their own personal lives.
Can we as Christian’s act that way? No. Whatever maybe our status or designation, we cannot act like them, because we are a missionary people.
After receiving God’s salvation let’s give others a chance. Let’s turn our attention to those in need, maybe our employer is tensed or your colleague has problems or a friend needs help. We should take the first initiative. Go to him with God’s love and Word and watch it work on him. Loving concern for unbelievers, that’s what we are here for. We might use words, but our words will be more powerful when we have that concern for the lost.
But in all this there should be no trickery. All we can do is to give it to them and not ram it down their throats. God didn’t do that to us. He respected us and gave us a free will. So should we.
Coming Under Fire:
How often as Christians do we come under fire? Should we bear the brunt of the insults and smile or should we go cursing and hating the whole world? This is another test to pass in this Christian school we call our lives. We Christians are at times always trying to do something significant, trying to climb the social ladder. Such people do become vulnerable to criticism. So does that mean we just sit back in our chairs and do nothing?
Do not be disillusioned. Our desire is to do the will of God, which includes being loving and respectful to all people. If we have done this, it can be enough. Criticism will not touch us. God will make sure that this criticism will be used for our ultimate good. Our character becomes particularly important if we decide to stick to the truth and come under fire. Let this not worry us. The Holy Spirit will show us the way out. All it requires is to be trustworthy and faithful.
Prayer:
It’s the simplest, the most important and effective tool in the life of a Christian. The only thing we’ve got to do is ask, and yet it takes us so long to do so. US Senator Mark Hatfield says, “ A daily relationship with God in prayer, helps us not to confuse our will with His will. Any person in public life who thinks he can ‘go it alone’ is tragically mistaken. In an individuals relationship with God there comes each day the humility of having fallen short, the joy of being forgiven and the strength of being renewed. For all this there is only one bond – prayer”.
How true! What could we have done without prayer? By praying, we receive the strength to witness in this secular world, which at many times does not respect spiritual reality. It gives us an insight as to how we can play our part successfully. Prayer is the greatest power we hold. We can influence people, change the world and do the impossible, all through prayer. But most importantly it helps us to do what God wants us to do. He wants us to lead a pure and spiritual life in this secular world of ours.
So, how many of us have discovered the Daniel within us and how many have yet to do so?
We better not delay. We should not allow the world to mould us, but we, by doing our little part, should mould the world. We should do this so, none will be left behind and none disappointed.