By Janelle Pollard
My husband and I don’t watch much TV. We have shows we watch on demand, but we never watch the news or even the weather. If there is a tornado headed our way, we are more likely to find out from friends or by a slight feeling that the house is starting to shake somewhat. Some may see this as choosing to be ignorant but we simply don’t miss it. Life seems a little less stressful and chaotic with fewer scary headlines displayed on our TV screens. And for a recovering worry wart like myself, I don’t want to add to the problem!
While chatting with my mom last night, I found out just how out of the loop we are. She mentioned that the Super Bowl was going on and I didn’t even know it. Not only that, but this may be the first time I didn’t even know who was playing. Growing up with a dad who loves football, I at LEAST knew who would be playing in the Super Bowl that year. But these days, life is busy and the Super Bowl has dropped many notches from my list of things to pay close attention to. (That is probably also influenced by my husband not being big into TV or the NFL, ha!) With this realization of how out of touch I have become with the goings-on of our current society, I decided to see what types of things people are searching on Google these days. Some of the top currently trending searches included Britney Spears, Tom Brady, The Bachelor, and of course, the Super Bowl. I became curious how words like “Christianity” might compare with “Super Bowl” and found that Google offers a nifty little tool for this exact comparison (see below). Of course, over the past 90 days, as it got closer to the day, the “Super Bowl” has been increasing in popularity. However, I noticed that, in general, it is always more popular than “Christianity.” At least in Google searches. This isn’t surprising but it is disappointing. (I would like to add that I don’t write this article while sitting on top of a very high Clydesdale horse! I have searched countless words on Google that have nothing to do with Christianity and I don’t believe this makes me a bad person or “un-Christian.” However, I do think it can help us to re-focus our thoughts!)
This is a good reminder that the world needs a Savior! And that is obviously Jesus. So, how can we help our non-Christian friends and acquaintances be aware of this? The book of 1 Peter gives us some insight…
“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:14-16).
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:9-11).
The Cliff Notes:
- Be obedient to God
- Don’t be like you used to be before becoming a Christian
- Be holy in ALL of your conduct, like Jesus
- Proclaim the greatness of God
- Remember that, as a Christian, you have received mercy and are part of God’s people
- Stay away from things of the flesh, things that will tempt you
- Be honorable in your conduct
We may not get it right every day, but we must try our best! And while trying, may we cause others to want to know more. Let’s always remember to pray that our being different isn’t for our glory, but for God’s. And that it will lead others to Him!
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Life and Favor (Job 10:12) 