A minister walking along a road saw a crowd of boys surrounding a dog. “What are you doing with the dog?” asked the kindly minister. “Whoever tells the biggest lie wins the dog.” “Oh, my, my, my,” exclaimed the minister, “When I was a little boy like you here, I never told a lie.” There was a moment’s silence. “Here,” said one of the little fellows, “you win the dog.” Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
We live in a world where lies are becoming normal; truth is for the naïve who are sometimes perceived as lying while telling the truth. It is no longer about truth but how someone can win or get over another. In this supportive new world where morality is flimsy, families are becoming an endangered species, winning a deal is more important than honesty, and animals are treated more humanely than humans (called the last days; Romans 1). Bad company is no longer what people may call friends. It has constantly bombarded the world surrounding us, primarily through social media. This explicit message seems to imply that all of this is new and therefore unaddressed by scripture; however, satan is the agent, and he just rebranded the same schemes as in the case of old cereal in a new box.
Christ came when the Romans ruled to fulfill Daniel’s words (Daniel 2-7). Even those who claim to worship God were defined by Christ as hypocrites (Matthew 23), “brood of vipers” (Matthew 12:33-37), etc. This did not change Christ; it only exposed His true nature. What Christ experienced is an example for us to follow (1 Peter 2:21-25). It is evident in scripture that we will suffer (Luke 12:4-12). The Psalmist says in Psalm 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Living for the Lord in a decaying world is a challenge that should mature and bless us (James 1:2-4, 12; 1 Peter 3:13-17)Like Christ, we must be determined to live for God so that instead of the world corrupting us, our faith directs and refines us (1 Peter 1:3-9; 13-16), which in turn empowers us to be salt and light to a dark world (Matthew 5:13-16). The more the Apostle Paul suffered, the more like Christ He became (Philippians 3:9-10; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:1-4). Some people may view this approach as being soft; maybe this is why David says, “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.” (Psalm 37:7-8; NASU) Remain focused so that we can become less influenced while becoming change agents.