Over the years I've struggled with the concept "in the world, not of it." These two things sometimes seem so interchangeable it's easy to forget that there is a very distinct line. We as Christians are called to live in the world, but to not let the world affect us. We are called to live in the world and not let it touch us, but we should live in such a way that we touch the world. Society's standards should not be what we measure ourselves by. The only thing that should have sole authority in the way that we live our lives is the Bible.

To some degree, the American Christian culture has forgotten what it is to be in the world and not of it. Somewhere along the way, we stopped teaching and listening to the conviction of God and turned to the idea that self-sustenance is enough. We've bought into the lies of our culture that whatever makes us happy" is good enough. We have settled and that is no longer OK.

Matthew 5:14 (HCSB):

"You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden."

Now, more than ever, it is time to live intentionally in a world that condones so many things. It's time to take living the Christian life and following after Christ seriously.

All too often, we fall victim to the almost-god. We allow so many things of the world to shape our theology that we confuse God's truth with the lies of the world. As Christian, this is where Scripture memory is so important.

Take some time, evaluate your life and how you've been living. What needs to change?