Read: Leviticus 20:22-26
I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples. (v. 24)
Like sojourners in a foreign land, like refugees fleeing violence, we may feel like strangers in a distant land. We look around and see a world that is ravaged by violence, illness, and death. We may find that we have no real sense of belonging.
As Christians, we are called by God to go forth into the world and preach the gospel. Prior to that, however, we need to understand what it takes to follow God. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). To be a follower of Christ means to be set apart from the rest of the world. It is in this sense that we don’t belong to the world; the marks of a Christian distinguish us from the world around us.
Even amid the suffering around us, God is using his church. Though we are separate from the world—in the world but not of it—we have a distinct call to be in the trenches of life with our non-Christian friends, family, and co-workers. This doesn’t mean we reflect their lifestyles, but we reflect Christ to them. In all, we are separated by the kind of life Jesus has called us to, one of purging sinful desires and of representing him well on earth. —Steve Wierenga
As you pray, ask God to reveal areas to you that you can improve on. Thank him for the gift of his Son Jesus and that he desires a relationship with us.