During my senior year in college I did a study program abroad. It was my first time in Europe, and every part of it thrilled me, from the stately art museums and opera houses, down to the charming alleyways and street vendors. In college I enjoyed going to parties, but I wasn’t a “party girl.” Many of my fellow students on the trip, however, used it as an opportunity to party as a hard as possible, as much as possible. At times I felt lonely, hanging on the edges of conversations and get-togethers, distancing myself from the bacchanal while trying to not be standoffish. I tried to conduct myself in a manner worthy of the gospel.
On the last day of the program we gathered with our local tour guides to thank them for their expertise and hospitality. Needless to say, my fellow students had made a poor impression, and most of the leave taking was stiff and rote. Near the end of the awkward encounter, one of the guides, an older, formal man, singled me out in front of my fellow students. To my surprise, he took my hand and kissed it in the old fashioned way. As he did so, he looked in my eyes and said for everyone to hear, “You are a lady.”
Recently I thought of that incident as I read 2 Peter 3:10-12. In the passage, Peter is talking about the Second Coming of Jesus, how it’s going to surprise most people—we won’t know the day or the hour. In addition, he speaks of the destruction of the present order and the certainty of judgment. He says, “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”
All Christians experience the pain and awkwardness of living in a corrupt culture. Sometimes it’s hard not to be drawn into it because we want to be accepted, respected, and admired. We are told in no uncertain terms that the way of the world is the norm, and the ways of Christ are a scandal and a source of mockery.
However, we are living for a much higher purpose than to fit in with the rest of humanity, if we belong to Christ. We are here to fulfill His plans for us while serving others and conforming to His very image. If we live in a manner pleasing to Him—worthy of the gospel—we won’t get our hands kissed when He comes again, but we will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s happiness.”
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