Navigating This World

“For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,” Titus 2:11-12

Can I see a show of hands from those who think we live in an evil world? I don’t need to read the headlines to you in order for you to come to that conclusion. You know. You know it’s no longer safe to send your kids off on their bikes across town to their friend’s house and not hear from them until dark. You know you can’t trust everything you read on social media. You know about fake news and fake people. You know that even some people who once appeared to be believers in Christ have led others astray and even done unthinkable things in the name of Christianity. You know there are false prophets and false teachers. Yes, we live in an evil world, but not everything is evil.

In Paul’s letter to Titus, he gives us insight on how to navigate this world we live in. He says we are to live in this world with wisdom, righteousness and devotion to God. 

First, we are to live with wisdom. Wisdom is the appropriate application of knowledge. A wise person knows what to say, when to say it or whether to say it at all. “If you need wisdom,” James 1:5 says, “ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.”

Secondly, we are to live with righteousness. Righteousness is God’s standard of perfection. To lead a life that is pleasing to God, we are to live it by His righteous standard, a standard none of us can obtain on our own. But God offers us His righteousness through Christ. When we choose His righteousness, we can easily navigate the pitfalls of this evil world.

And finally, we are to live with devotion to God. Devoting our lives to God gives us the hope and courage we need to live in this evil world. A life devoted to God will bring peace and security, even when the moral integrity of the world is falling down around us.