Of Going with the (Hidden) Flow

This week's blog post is about putting off our worldliness, but with a new twist. Basically, the phrase "being in the world but not of it" is a widely understood term in its denotation--at least, in our own "Christian culture"--and rarely in its connotation, as was shown by Jesus' perfect example. It's called not going with the flow.

Don't go with the flow if the flow is heading down the drain.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:

The most common tripping hazard for Christians in the US is the need to relate to what others are doing. Things like always talking about sports, cars, finances, having or losing significant others, latest movies, and everything else that can be categorized as a temporary worldly satisfaction are what make you an "outsider" or and "insider". As Christians, everything we are not should make up everything we are. In Jesus' time (...on earth...in physical form), there were many things he and his disciples did not do that set them apart, which is why he is the perfect example. They went against the flow. "The flow" is the tendency everyone has to jump into the stream of things that are generally accepted as "cool" and "right." Not riding the current and denying yourself the things other people do is not comfortable. You will feel like an outsider and it won't feel good, it's hard. The good news is that if you truly believe that the things of this world are empty and will pass away (believe everything Jesus taught us) and that true satisfaction comes not in "the flow" but in the company of the heavenly deities and your fellow "insiders", then you will begin feeling natural at being an outsider and you'll realize you're actually an insider too!

"The things that we are not, or the things that we refuse to be, are often just as crucial to our character as those things that we aspire to be. In an age of zero boundaries and endless personal gratification, it's the things that we deny that truly set us apart. We're sold the idea that practically anything is acceptable, and we subscribe to a 'no regrets' way of life. The truth is that honest regret builds integrity. Opposing the flow of a nihilistic, self-absorbed culture is something to take pride in.

~Ryan Clark (from the band Demon Hunter)