Living in a Place That's Not Your Home
When was the last time you felt out of place? Did others seem to prioritize something that you didn't? Were you expected to engage in a behavior you weren't comfortable with? Perhaps your values simply didn't align with someone else's.
Scripture teaches us that followers of Jesus will often feel this way in the world. God's chosen people stand out when they are united in holiness within this broken world. Living like this might sound intimidating, exhausting, or challenging, but God is glorified when his people do it together.
1 Peter 2:9-12 teaches that God has chosen all followers of Jesus to live set-apart lives in his mercy. The world praises selfishness and personal gain, but God's people are called to show others his goodness (1 Pet. 2:9).
How can you embrace who Jesus says you are in a world that seldom cooperates?
Remember who you are in Christ: Jesus died on the cross, bearing the weight of all sins, and then resurrected from the dead to proclaim victory over everything. He loves you so much and has chosen you to join in his great Kingdom if you follow him. There is nothing you need to do to earn his love. Do you trust the truth of Christ's love for you?
Do what he says: God's children not only know him but trust and obey him. Scripture commands Jesus' followers to love God and others, share the good news of Jesus, and make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20). What might be your next step in obedience to God?
As you become a person who chooses to live counter-culturally because of Jesus, consider what areas of your life you might need to hand over to him. What can you do differently this week to look less like the world and more like Jesus?
Dive Deeper
Becoming more like Jesus is a lifelong process that nobody accomplishes perfectly. Consider what it is to live in this world that is not your home, as so many followers of Jesus have done before you.
Blog Contributor: Molly Spikereit