One of the most helpful thoughts for these evil times is to meditate on whose you are. Who do you belong to? Who do you represent? There is an answer beyond yourself, despite the lies of the spirit of the age. And that answer is one of life’s most stabilizing forces. It is a guiding principle that will not only comfort you psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually but it will help you practically conduct yourself the way you are supposed to.
Many of us have experienced this at the family level. I am a Diaz. I tell my kids they are part of the “Diaz Tribe,” and they are to act accordingly. A lot is packed into that simple phraseology. We have clearly defined values as a family. We are Christian. We are to love and be joyful. We are to be peaceful, kind, and gentle, bearing one another with gentleness and forgiveness. We are to be charitable and generous. We exert restraint and self-control, among many other things.
Even when my children act contrary to the values I have instilled in them, I can simply go back to them and say, “That is not how we act in this household.” The standards we have set give us a framework of understanding. “Yes, you spoke to your mother that way, but that is not who you are. You know better.” “Yes, you slacked off, acted irresponsibly in your obligations at work or toward friends, but that is not who you are.” “You fell, it’s okay, pick yourself up. I am here for you. You can do better next time.”
The same principle is helpful to us as we seek God’s wisdom on how we are to navigate our times as a society. The world often presses on us demands that perplex us. When challenged or attacked, dissed or disrespected, society demands certain reactions.
Faced with cultural or political choices, the spirit of the age has set a standard we are to follow in order to gain “credibility.” It is true that Americans especially pride themselves in having “choices,” but the reality is that the age demands a certain choice if you are to be accepted.
The Christian should always remember we are Christ’s, as the Apostle Paul explained in 1 Corinthians…
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