Francis Schaeffer was a great evangelical theologian who wrote some amazing books in the 20th century. His great merit was that he sought to give a Christian response to the challenges presented by the cultural, philosophical and theological trends of his time. One of his books that profoundly influenced me as a young believer is The God Who Is There. There, he argues for the existence of God in a world set on denying His existence.
However, his most notorious work is How should we then live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture. Schaeffer brilliantly argues here that when a society is based on the values of the Bible and the concept of a personal God, this leads to a concept he called “Freedom without Chaos” which results in societal harmony. On the other hand, a society without those values will eventually see chaos and demise. I bring this up because Pastor Ken finished his message on Sunday saying, “the way we live matters.”
As I listened to the message last Sunday, once again, I was struck by the impact we can have on someone’s life. I wish I could say my parents had a positive impact in my life. There have been a bunch of “strangers” who have helped me, taught me and impacted me, so I have always made mine the movie line “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” I must point thought, that the one characteristic all these strangers bore was that they were all believers in Jesus. And so, they taught me Christian values which have made me the person I am today.
How those people lived mattered, because they made an impact on me. Because they lived according to what the Bible taught, they were salt and light to me, who came from an unsalted and dark life. I can say they heeded to the words of Paul to Titus when he encouraged him to “. . .encourage the young men to live wisely. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized.” Titus 2:6-8.
The way we live matters. Let’s be salt and light because of what Jesus has done in our hearts. Let’s impact lives just as Christ has impacted ours.
Add Your Comment