After more than 74 years in this world I am still learning how to live in it and not of it. It is all about my relationships with and reactions to those around me. Scripture is very clear about our loving relationships with other Christians, but we must also deal with people every day who don’t have the love of Jesus Christ in their hearts. Paul writes “Live wisely among those who are not believers and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” (Colossians 4:5-6) Jude tells us, “For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness and devotion to God.” (Titus 2:11-12)
The common thread in those two scriptures is wisdom. Wisdom is more than accumulating facts and knowledge. One of my favorite examples of the difference is: “Knowledge is when you know that a tomato is a fruit and not a vegetable. Wisdom is not putting one in your fruit salad.” Solomon knew that true wisdom only comes from God and he asked God to grant it to him. As Christian believers, we are so blessed to have the wisdom of God in us in the form of His Holy Spirit. All we have to do is pay close attention to His instruction.
There is good and evil in this world in which we live. Wisdom allows us to identify each and then react accordingly. How will we be affected by our environment and circumstances here on earth? The same boiling water that softens the potato also hardens the egg. It is what we are made of, our character that determines how we will be affected by our surroundings. As we grow in the Christian faith, our character becomes more and more like that of Christ.
In this world we are encouraged and strengthened by the love and fellowship of other Christians. We are called to interact with those who are seeking and draw them to God by our example and our testimony. We will also encounter evil in this world and that is when our “fight or flight” instincts kick in. The word of God and His Holy Spirit equip us to fight against evil, but there are times when evil temptations try to grip us and we must flee like Joseph fleeing Potiphar’s wife. In the words of that Kenny Rogers song, we must “know when to walk away and know when to run”. There have been times in my life when I have fled from evil and times when I have stood my ground and fought evil. In both cases the Holy Spirit has given me the wisdom to know what to do and the strength to do it.
The good news is this world is not our final destination. We are only passing through.