Should we be upset about what’s going on in the world? Yes and no. Of course, terrible things are happening (I won’t recount them here because it’s overwhelming). They always have been in one form or another. As Christians, we should have a compassionate & righteous anger that wants to set things right. But through exposure to media, it’s all amplified from everywhere-evil, corruption, vitriol, violence, injustice, polarization, & persecution. It causes us to grow more agitated, triggered, angry, offended, despondent, & hopeless. As we see culture nosediving into a death spin, it becomes too much to bear.
We don’t have to remain perpetually upset because we have the joy of the Lord. Don’t let the world steal it from you. I don’t mean to downplay the culture’s nosedive into a death spiral-but there’s more to life than all that incessant negative noise & political warfare. Sometimes I think the Amish have it right to just withdraw from society, reject technology & remain blissfully unaware of the world going on around them as they focus on the Lord & life’s simple pleasures.
That’s not realistic though, nor is it part of our mission to engage with those who need Jesus. We do need a respite from all the world’s junk, but not a retreat. We’ll stay & stand & resist. It is maddening. But let’s not be mad. There are things worth fighting for, but we’ll do it as “happy warriors.” There’s only so much we can do-we can’t fix the world. God is sovereign & He will work out His plan, even if it means judgment (which begins with the “house of God”). We take the long view & see the bigger picture because we’ve read the end of the story. God wins…remain faithful…Jesus is returning…we win.
What we CAN do till then is pray, witness, & show the world the difference Jesus can make among us. Let’s get upset. But let’s channel it into godly productive ways. As I told the high school grads last Sunday, people are going to see you as strange-embrace it. We’re called to be countercultural & go against the flow. We’re a parallel community–in the world but not of it. Teach your children God’s Word early–make sure they’re learning truth & righteousness instead of “pride” & “wokeness” (because they’re being inundated with it). Teach them not to desire the world’s approval, but to know who they are in God’s eyes. Show them how to be rock solid in your convictions.