“History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.”
Ecclesiastes 1:9 NLT
Even in the very beginning of the church there were people who adapted their behaviors and beliefs to the world around them in order to make things easier on themselves, not cause any tension, avoid making themselves a target for persecution or ostracization. But we are not called to be friends with this world, if we look and behave like everyone else around us then what will cause people to wander at what makes us different. What will make them look for the reason we have peace and love despite our circumstances. They should notice these things when they look at us. We should not compromise those differences in order to avoid suffering. Suffering for Christ, as he suffered for us, should not only be expected if you are walking the right road, but it should be considered an honor. Besides, at least here in the United States, the persecution we might face is hardly worth sacrificing God’s grace to avoid. It’s not worth the trade off!
In the Living Word 