Nuts WORD PICTURE: NUTS
Scriptural Reference: Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
1. Pass around a bowl or can of mixed nuts and share this thought (which came to me over some radio program while I was driving along the highway one day):
God wants spiritual fruit -- not religious nuts.
2. The Bible seems to say, “Be in the world but not of the world.” (John 17:15-16 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. ) But how? How do we do that?
3. Have someone(s) read the scripture from various translations.
4. Using the bowl of nuts, offer my sharing on this topic, hoping to spark sharing by others.
What I Shared
This issue arose for me on Halloween, when my son brought home a drawing he had made in art class. It was entitled SCREAM and looked just like that Edward Munch painting personifying fear itself. This was around the time that a Harry Potter movie had come out, which many of my Christian friends were refusing to allow their children to see. I had taken issue with a few of them, saying that I would rather teach around it than have my son see the whole thing without me.
So it was Halloween, and my son had done a really good job on this drawing (which he’d been required to do -- a choice between that or a witch). I was glad he had not chosen the witch, and now he was wanting me to hang the picture up for the night of trick-or-treating. Reluctantly, I did so -- hearing a little voice inside saying, “Don’t do this” as I taped the picture to the front door. This voice I dismissed as being legalistic or silly.
It was not five minutes later before I was violently ill -- for hours. So ill that, finally, I asked my son to remove the picture from the front door. He was not insulted at all -- he understood and said, “I’ll rip it up, Mom, and throw it away outside in the garage trash barrels.” No sooner than this was accomplished than I felt fine. Surprised, but fine.
I am not trying to claim any particular position on this -- I really do not know what the answer is. I am just bringing up this topic so I can explore it in Scripture with people I trust. I know Romans 12:2 says, Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. and Deuteronomy 30:19, 20a says, This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him...
My question is -- how are we in (not “of”) the world -- and what does Scripture say?
All Scripture references from the New International Version of the Bible (NIV).
Copyright by Whitney McKendree Moore, July 2007