A growing Christian has three enemies. We have a tendency to think of other people as our enemies, but that’s not where our problems come from.

The first enemy is the world. The viewpoint of the majority, and the things in the world, will distract you and take you away from the Christian life. This is the distraction that Jesus was teaching about in the parable of the seeds:

Mark 4:18-19

18 "And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,

19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

There are many things in the world that can distract you from the Word of God!

The majority of public opinion runs exactly contrary to the Word of God. That’s why James has this to say:

James 4:4

4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (Not something I would like to be called!)

This is not saying that we should all go be hermits in the desert! It’s simply a matter of thinking differently than the world does. Who are the people that most of the world admires? People that are wealthy, or great athletes, or actors and actresses, or musicians. That’s the world’s definition of success! But the Word of God tells us that the truly successful people are the ones who mature spiritually.

There is one important thing to remember about your relationship with the world. Most people will think you are crazy to put so much stock in a book that’s 2000 years old.

They’ll say things like:

“It’s fine to be a Christian, but why are you so fanatical about it?”

“Different religions are just different paths to God. We should simply respect and accept other religions.”

“It’s okay to have sex before marriage, as long as you’re in a committed relationship.”

“You are successful if you have a big house and money in the bank.”

When you hold fast to the word of God, and actually share what the Bible says about these kinds of things, people will think you are crazy! Just like Jesus warned us about:

John 15:18-19

18 "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.

19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.

Be very careful not to accept things just because that’s what everybody thinks. Your evaluation of different issues must be based on the one true source, the Word of God.

When it is, you will be different! But what matters as a Christian is not what the world thinks of you, but what God thinks of you.