{"id":303,"date":"2015-01-09T11:54:28","date_gmt":"2015-01-09T16:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christiansurvey.org\/?p=303"},"modified":"2015-01-09T12:00:45","modified_gmt":"2015-01-09T17:00:45","slug":"should-we-focus-on-the-positive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christiansurvey.org\/?p=303","title":{"rendered":"Should we focus on the positive?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I frequently endure criticism because my focus is often on sin and its prevalence in our culture.\u00a0\u00a0It can arguably be said that this is unbiblical.\u00a0 We are to think about those things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report.\u00a0 When we do this, when we think upon these things,\u00a0maybe we don’t give way to sin.\u00a0 In other words, instead of focusing on sin, we should focus on things that are virtuous and praiseworthy.\u00a0 Maybe this is our way out.\u00a0 Maybe it’s harder to break free from the bondage of sin when that is where we direct our attention.\u00a0 Our sins may seem insurmountable when we dwell on them.\u00a0 But what happens if we direct our attention to something else?\u00a0 If you struggle with eating too much or too often, then get out of the kitchen.\u00a0 Go somewhere else.\u00a0 If idle time gives rise to sin, then get busy, find a distraction.\u00a0 Now, the reason I focus on sin is because it is so prevalent.\u00a0 I’m not judging others or throwing stones.\u00a0 I am simply making observations about my surroundings, the world in which we live.\u00a0 Maybe Lot should have been more sensitive to his surroundings.\u00a0 The fact of the matter is that we are surrounded by sin and we should be aware of it, or else we may find ourselves in the same place as Lot.\u00a0 Yesterday, my wife shared a thought with me.\u00a0 She wondered what we would think about our culture if we extracted ourselves from it, like\u00a0monks, for a period of time to purify ourselves.\u00a0 How would we feel when we returned back to our culture?\u00a0 To some extent, this is what we do, my family and I.\u00a0 We work at home, we homeschool, we go to church, we attend bible studies, we participate in sports and recreational activities sponsored by churches and\/or homeschool groups, and in other ways, we surround ourselves with other Christians, other people who are like-minded.\u00a0 Moreover, we guard ourselves against the outside world.\u00a0 We don’t watch television, we don’t listen to secular radio, we don’t read pop-culture magazines, and we use an Internet filter (i.e., Covenant Eyes<\/a>) to protect our family from inappropriate content.\u00a0 Is this biblical?\u00a0 Absolutely.\u00a0 We are in the world, not of the world.\u00a0\u00a0 And if\u00a0we\u00a0become supersensitive\u00a0to the darkness about us because we reside in a bubble, is that wrong?\u00a0 Does it make us judgmental because we are sensitive to the darkness about us, because we see much of our culture like it is?\u00a0 Living in a bubble does not make us without sin.\u00a0 We have a sinful nature and when left to our own devices, we fail – I fail miserably.\u00a0 So, we shelter ourselves from the world to the extent that we can.\u00a0 Several years ago, I was listening to American Family Radio<\/a>.\u00a0 A man was being interviewed about his willingness to quit his job and move his family to a place to protect his children from an environment that was not conducive to living a Godly life.\u00a0\u00a0I think this is commendable but to our culture, this man is strange.\u00a0 When I moved into my current neighborhood, five daughters lived with their parents.\u00a0 Their ages ranged from their early-thirties to their late-forties.\u00a0 They were committed to Christ.\u00a0 I think this is commendable but to our culture, these girls are strange.\u00a0 Talking about righteousness, striving to live righteously, encouraging others to do the same, it’s not tolerated.\u00a0 You are either a legalist or you are judgmental.\u00a0\u00a0You can\u00a0share Christ with others but you can’t talk about repentance.\u00a0 But if you don’t talk about repentance, then you are sharing a half-truth.\u00a0 And how can\u00a0you teach repentance without understanding that from which you need to repent?\u00a0 Sometimes, for some, the only message about\u00a0repentance is going to come from the mouth of someone else.\u00a0 And we can’t teach repentance if we just focus on the positive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I frequently endure criticism because my focus is often on sin and its prevalence in our culture.\u00a0\u00a0It can arguably be said that this is unbiblical.\u00a0 We are to think about those things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report.\u00a0 When we do this, when we think upon these things,\u00a0maybe we don’t…
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