Who do you strive to be?
As a modern person living in a modern world, a fair assessment would be that we are people who want to do good, seek good, and be good to all. We seek righteousness on our own terms as long as it pleases the crowd.
Popularity gets us by, encourages our drive, and sets us up for favor. The 21st century definition of goodness skates us along the edge of a slope that we’ve been skimming as a society for a long time. The mold that we are to fit teeters us on the the brink of a downfall away from the eternity that most scoff at.
What if we don’t fit in the frame of the modern do-good persona? What if our definition of goodness is placed in striving for righteousness based on a faith that isn’t always popular in this generation?
There’s a misguided notion about what being a Christian means. It has caused strife in our hearts and between people. It sometimes drives us to take action, but at other times it pushes us down and tramples us into the mud. Thinking that good is good is not enough when nonbelievers don’t set up their definition against the Word of Truth.
We are more that what society calls a “do-gooder.” We are more than what popularity says we’re not. We are beyond worldly constraints because we are called, loved, and meant for sanctification and worship. Community with the Lord allows us to do good works because of the faith we have. As servants and sons and daughters of The King, we are called to righteousness in our faith.
Romans 4:23-25 NIV
The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
When we face the scoffing attitudes because our good works through faith swing a different direction than good works for the sake of vanity, we need to remember that the Lord will comfort us in any adversity we may face. He will raise us up and away from the perpetration of disillusionment that may try to seep its way into our faith attitudes.
Psalm 34:19
The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all
He will deliver us from those who are against us for what we do according to our faith. The Lord will provide us with strength and protection according to His will as we go out to work for His kingdom. As we stand against the modern good, let us ground our labors in truth.
He will deliver us from those who are against us for what we do according to the faith. Click To Tweet
Find all posts from the series 31 Days of Biblical Truths here.
This was encouraging to me as I just posted a video on my Facebook page sharing what I know the Spirit put on my heart. It was an encouraging message. Even though I know I was being obedient and wasn’t doing it for my own selfish gain, I still get this voice in my head questioning if I’ve made a fool out of myself. I don’t want to submit to my same old yoke of people pleasing again and this has encouraged me. My prayer is that I and others like me will continue to have our desire to love other people outweigh the desire to look good and be liked.
The theme in both the Old and New Testaments is that the righteous will face troubles. But we know the solution and the answer in the person of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 34:19 is one of my favorite scriptures, and one I stand on when going through a trial.
Thanks for sharing, MaryAnn!