I Want To Be Different

“Come as you are.” This is one of the most inviting phrases you will ever hear. When someone tells you to come as you are, they mean that no matter where you’ve been, no matter how you feel, no matter how you look, you are welcome. I’m so thankful for those three words. There have been times in my life that I didn’t feel worthy of love, but Jesus would take me just as I am, and pick me up from the mess I was in. There are countless stories in the Bible that show us how Jesus accepted broken people, and made them whole.

But what happens after you come as you are? Today I’m writing on a subject that has been such a burden on my heart over the past few weeks. The idea of “Come as you are” is wonderful for a sinner in need of a Savior, or a prodigal in need of forgiveness. But I feel that we as Christians are taking this idea way too far. I’m afraid that we are drifting further and further away from what it means to be Christ-like. We are becoming more and more like the world, and being okay with things that God is not pleased with. We have forgotten the parts of the Bible where it says,

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:1

Because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy.
1 Peter 1:16

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord
2 Corinthians 6:17a

*Now, before I go any further, I want you to know that being set apart, does not mean putting yourself up on a pedestal of holiness. You are not better than anyone else. We are all sinners, but some of us have been saved from our sin, by grace. Even though we aren’t supposed to live like the world, we are still living in the world. We can’t condone sin, but at the same time, we must love the sinner. Showing love is a part of being different. Jesus shows His love to everyone, and we should too.*

The Bible clearly states in the scriptures listed above, that we are to come out from among the world. God wants us to come to Him as we are, but He wants us to leave differently. Every time someone in the Bible had an encounter with Jesus, they left changed. When people look at our lives, they should be able to see a difference in us. They should be able to see that Christ is in you. Because Christ lives in you, you must reflect who He is. When you accept Jesus into your heart, old things must pass away. All things are become new. As my husband likes to say, “When you become a Christian, your life should turn at a 180 degree angle, not a 360.” Lukewarm Christians are becoming far too common. We say we love Jesus, but turn around and party with our friends on the weekend. We say we are born again, but we listen to, and watch things that would’ve made our grandparents blush. We say we’re on fire for God, but we stab our friends in the back without a second thought.

Our world today is losing hope. We need a generation to rise up, and become more like Christ. We need a generation that will stand up and live God-pleasing, God-fearing lives. We had our student camp this past week – Camp 10:10. Our theme this year was HOPE. On the last night of camp, Tyler preached on nailing our different sins to the cross. During the invitation, many students came and “nailed” their sins to the cross and gave them up. You wouldn’t believe some of the things that these teenagers wrote down. But what encouraged me so much, is that they were willing to give up what was holding them back from God. They wanted to give their sins and issues to God. They wanted to start living for Him.

In order for us to truly make a difference for God, we have to be a light in our dark world. How are lost people supposed to know the difference between a Christian, and themselves, if we all live our lives the same way? I’m not saying we have to follow any ridiculous man-made standards, but what I am saying is, we need to go back to following the Bible!

Being set apart isn’t always easy, but our lives are not about us, being set apart is not about us. It’s about letting others see Christ in us – the One who made us who we are. I must say, it seems that whenever you’re trying to live right, Satan attacks you the hardest… but that’s usually when you’re making the biggest impact on the people around you. God never said we wouldn’t face trials, or temptations, but He did promise He would be right there with us. In fact, the Bible says,

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Our world is a hard place to live. As a Christian, sometimes it may seem like it’s a hopeless battle to be different than the world, but it’s not. If God is in you, He will guide you. He will lead you to a life that is full of Him, and a life that honors Him. Whenever you draw close to God, and strive to be more like Him, He will draw closer to you! I believe that if just a few Christians decide to be different, decide to be set apart, that we can make a difference in our homes, communities, and ultimately, the world.

This post was a little long, but I hope that it has encouraged you in your walk with the Lord. Thanks so much for reading!