CHRISTIAN OR CHAMELEON?
(8-minute read)
Nature reserves and parks are replete with insects and animals that use camouflage tactics such as mimicry and background matching to conceal their identity, presence and movement. Interestingly, Christians do the same thing in their communities. Look up the book of Esther to see how Queen Esther thought she could hide her identity and stay safe when her entire ethnic group was in danger of being wiped out. Paul reserved his most acerbic remarks for early followers who thought that as long as they kept up with the times and not stir up any controversies, they would not be blamed for being offensive and disagreeable. Because the Christian faith emphasizes compliance with God’s Word, it leads many to assume that all conformity is good. Don't rock the boat even if it is no longer seaworthy. So we keep doing what we have always done to stay in harmony with each other. We fall in line even if the leadership, direction or idea is questionable.
In reality, Christians are told not to blend in to the community just for survival or to be liked. We are to emulate Jesus in compassion and also in courage to have hard conversations that help others live by the Word of God and its goodness. Our own relationship with Jesus must lead to a continually transformative way of thinking and living. True disciples will find it hard to ‘blend in’ because our values alone will make us distinctly different from others, and even among ourselves. This is not about being loud and flashy about our faith. But if we think that our stand with God and His values should not make anyone – even our spouse and close friends – uncomfortable, then we fail to understand what it means to be in the world yet not of the world.
In 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, Paul urged the Christians in Corinth to be “on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” He was confronting followers who felt they had to blend in and keep up with the prevailing cultural norms to avoid sticking out like a sore thumb in a society thriving in sin, corruption and immorality. Today, we misapply the 21st century term ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (or DEI in short) when we think that we need to affirm people to love them. Paul’s teaching emphasized strength, courage and love; not permissiveness, relativism and a laissez-faire attitude towards life.
It won’t surprise anyone that it’s easy to slip into spiritual slumber and comatose. Here are five safeguards to help us make biblical decisions when facing moral dilemmas:
1. BE ON YOUR GUARD
We really place ourselves in spiritual jeopardy when we remain oblivious to the enemy’s schemes to take us down. As such, we are told to “be alert and of sober mind” (1 Peter 5:8) because the enemy is determined to take down humans and he does not discriminate whatever our gender, our age, our level of commitment to God, or whether we have a seminary education or not. No one wakes up saying I want to fall into sin today, but we can cross the line into immorality before we even see the trap.
Sin enters by what we entertain in our minds. Even subliminal exposure to immorality and corruption makes us vulnerable. Therefore, the apostle Paul laboured the point of being changed inside out, beginning with regulating what goes on in our mind. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2).
There are three habits to keep us constantly on guard:
Read the Word of God. There is no way we can know God and His heart better if we don’t start reading the Bible on our own. Wherever you choose to start, read it from chapter to chapter even if at first you don’t understand it, and even if history or genealogy is not your thing. When we think we are reading the Bible, we are actually letting the Bible read us when we keep our hearts open to the Word of God.
Pray unceasingly. To be sure, prayer is not like cooking when we need special tools and space to do it. Rather, it is like a relational harness God has given us for an unbroken connection with Him all day. Prayerful people recognize that God wants to be involved in every aspect of their lives and so they invite Him to their “business as usual” at work, to interpersonal conflicts, to celebratory events and to private moments of disquiet and struggle.
Surround yourself with godly people. No one can stand alone 24/7. It is important to invest in friendships with godly people whom God sends into our lives. The best friendships are not the easiest, and the easiest are often not the healthiest for us. You know that the people God sends into your life will not be flatterers and people-pleasers (you can easily find these yourself!). God sends honest people who share His love for you. They will point out unwise choices, warning signs and possible pain ahead.
2. STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH
Godly faith is never about confidence but about who we believe in, what we believe in and why we believe in it. Our faith is a spiritual harness that keeps us stable in the ever-changing realities of life. We put ourselves in danger of sinking into idolatry when we cling onto predictability, routine, and rational thinking and let them become our life guiding principles over and above a sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
Godly faith produces in us a convincing posture that signals to people what our faith stands for. “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” (Ephesian 4:14). A telling sign of instability is when we cannot even tell the difference between truths and half-truths.
Contrastingly, those who stand firm in their faith are fearless. Isaiah 50:10 tells us: “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of His servant? Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God.”
3. BE COURAGEOUS
We all like to have courage but few will sign up for the conditions where it thrives and shines.
We won’t know what courage is nor will we need it until we put ourselves in situations where we won’t find familiarity or certainty. We need courage when we don’t know or see what’s ahead, when we feel outnumbered and out-powered, and when we feel intimidated and overwhelmed by different demands in life. It takes courage to confront sin in our own lives before it is full-blown in our face. It also takes courage to reject the herd mentality and start thinking for a change.
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. IN GOD, whose word I praise – in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me.” (Psalm 56:3-4).
You will need courage to be stay vigilant and alert because temptations and compromises are always lurking around us.
4. BE STRONG
It is disheartening to find long-time Christians who show no interest at all in the things of God. They may hang out in Christian circles but they prefer to spend time with people who distract them from honest self-examination, and from problems they need to confront. Their lack of spiritual growth and engagement with the Holy Spirit make them immature. Like chameleons, they switch code according to who they are with to avoid being detected as outsiders.
Paul called them out in his frustration, “Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly – mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.” (1 Corinthians 3:1-2).
5. DO EVERYTHING IN LOVE
This is a biblical mandate that needs to be understood with a caveat: ‘everything’ here means everything that is aligned with God’s Word. In order for us to be sure that what we do in love is the right thing, we need to first educate ourselves on what the Word of God says and regulate ourselves to filter out bias and unbiblical thinking. For example, telling someone to ‘close one eye’ whether to the adulterous activities of a spouse, or unethical business practices, is unbiblical and cannot be a loving act. Everything we do in love must point people to the amazing love of God - demonstrated on the Cross of Calvary - rather than to human solutions and their predicted outcomes.
To be sure, things done in love can be risky because relationships are fraught with difficulties as connections deepen. While our intentions may be other-centred, our execution and approach could be flawed and hurtful. But God is able to redeem even our flawed efforts to lift up another person.
1 Peter 4:7-8 reminds us that “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
Jesus calls us the salt and light of the world, not chameleon Christians. The healing quality of salt and the enabling quality of light must be what our lives reflect - wherever we are, in every situation, and at all times.
This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 30 September 2023.
