When Bad Gets Worse

The last couple weeks, the government leaders in my area have made some decisions which I found disheartening. On top of that, this week has brought news from around the world of injustices, persecutions, and the dramatic rise of oppression in a land where many American lives have been sacrificed for the establishment of freedom, only to have that freedom ripped away.

It seems like as time passes, the bad just gets worse, and looking around at the state of my local area, my country, and society on a whole, it feels like things are spiraling out of control, with wickedness becoming the norm and righteousness rapidly losing ground.

But as I read my Bible this week, God pointed out to me that He has already told us what to do when the bad gets worse. 2 Timothy 3:13 tells us,

“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

Does that sound familiar? Look at what the next verse says:

“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them”

While the world grows worse and worse around us, with the wicked deceiving others and being deceived themselves, the Biblical response of Christians is to continue to live out the truths of Scripture.

That’s it.

Seems too simple, right? Yet that is the purpose God has each one of us here on earth: to live out the things He has taught us in the Bible, sharing those truths (especially the truths of the gospel) with others.

Instead of fixing our eyes on the world around us and fretting over it, we are to focus on our mission,

“Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at thee right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (Hebrews 12:2-3)

No matter how bad the world around us gets, no matter how the world ridicules and persecutes God’s people, our job remains the same: to simply continue living out the truths of Scripture, being lights to the dark world, shining all the brighter for the growing darkness around us.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

(Matthew 5:16)