Yesterday, we spoke of being foreigners in a strange land. We are called to separate ourselves from the world, not physically, but behaviorally. Our actions and thoughts should be modeled after Christ, not the rest of the world. Perhaps the most frequent criticism of Christians is that they are hypocritical in their actions. That’s one of those judgments that carries some truth and also is also a cop-out, because we all are hypocritical at times. None of us hit the mark perfectly all the time. We all fall short.

But tell me, what about our lives looks like we aren’t attached to the world maybe just a little too much? A look inside our closets, garages, day planners, and checkbooks may be a good start. How many things and activities are we involved with that separate us from God rather than connect us with him? How many isolate us from others rather than draw us purposefully toward others? Garrison Keillor once observed that something happened when people stopped sitting on their front porch at night to greet passers-by and instead retreated to the back yard behind their privacy fences. Hmmm, worth some thought.

But it is not just our stuff but also our thoughts and ambitions. George Barna conducts extensive surveys of evangelicals across the country and regularly concludes that the thinking and ambitions of Christians do not look very much different from nonbelievers. We define our ‘success’ by how much money we make, how cute of a house we have, and how much entertainment we pursue.

I don’t bring this up to beat up fellow Christians, but to encourage us all to take an honest look at our stuff, our activities, our thoughts about and conversations with others, and our dreams and ambitions. It’s not necessarily wrong to have nice stuff, nor is it some virtue to live in poverty, unless God calls you to it. But let’s bring all this into the Light and expose it to the truth that God speaks. Does it bring you closer to or separate you farther from God and others?

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Titus 2:11-12

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17