The following is a devotional, written by Billy Graham, that I found particularly inspiring and wanted to share with you today. May these words that he wrote challenge and encourage as you take a moment to ponder them.
“The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.”
1 Corinthians 3:19
Some may contend that the way for the church to make the world a better place is to become like it. But whenever the church does this, it ends up compromising its spiritual authority and losing its influence. Instead of changing the world, the world changes it.
God doesn’t want us to isolate ourselves. In praying for His disciples, Jesus said, “As You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world” (John 17:18). If we isolate ourselves from others, we have no impact and demonstrate lack of love.
But neither does God want us to become like the unbelieving world. We are to be separate, refusing to adopt its motives, attitudes, and patterns of behavior. The Bible warns, “All that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16). Let Christ fill your life, and there won’t be room for the world.
Hope for Today
Jesus never hid from the world. The unclean, diseased, and ostracized were never turned away from His presence. The key for believers today is simply to spend time in the Word before spending time in the world.
Find More Encouragement
- God’s Great Heart | Billy Graham
- 10 Garden-Themed Bible Verses
- Good Interest | From this Verse
- The Conditions of Discipleship | Oswald Chambers
- Faith-Not Emotion | Oswald Chambers