“Oh, so you’re going to Vegas? Sin City!?! Well, be careful!!”
I just smile and nod every time. But the statement makes me wonder at times. I understand the idea, of course- that when people are surrounded by a lot of temptation, it’s very easy to become someone different and make choices you wouldn’t have otherwise. But really, the statement makes me a little sad.
See, I understand that as Christians, we should be “in the world and not of the world.” John 17:14-16 says that we are not to be removed from the world but simply protected from it. Far too often, we completely run away from the world- hiding out, tiptoeing away from the very people we are meant to reach and the very problems we were given ability to redeem. Why should we be afraid of the very world we live in instead of confident in the transforming power that God has actually given us?
Don’t misunderstand me- we need healthy Christian relationships and do not need to be living life the same as those outside of the church. We should not be hanging out in places where our old temptations and habits can easily resurface. However, as Christians in the workplace, you simply cannot practically avoid everything “of the world.” We have to learn to be there, even in the middle of sin city, and still not be conformed by it. We have to learn to be in the world, and not conformed by it.
I remember thinking about this as I started medical school. Most of my teachers didn’t believe the same values I did. Many of my classmates lived very different lives. And I spent the majority of my day, nights, and weekends during my training at the hospital with sometimes very un-Christian like people. I could have sat there and been afraid of that, or could have quit the program entirely to avoid the position, but I think our real goal in the workplace and in our schooling is to learn how to live in between the lines of hiding out at church and hanging out at “Sin City” and not be afraid of the grey areas that that causes in our life. Jesus was not afraid to walk with, live among, and love on the least perfect of people in the least heavenly of places, and we should fight to do the same.
First, that starts with keeping our foundations in God and in the Bible set and priorities in our lives. Second, it also involves knowing our own past and how to draw lines where we need them. I have no past history of gambling problems, so I know I’m going to be largely okay on that level even in Sin City. However, I have a huge sweet tooth and poor eating habits, so I am in much bigger trouble at a buffet honestly! That doesn’t mean I need to avoid all restaurants all the time, that just means I needed to learn how to properly trust God and trust myself even in the midst of a hard place. Thankfully, God gives us the ability to be self-controlled, wise, and steadfast even in the midst of our past difficulties, and when we’ve learned to do that we can help others walk through theirs as well.
Romans 12:1-2- Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God- this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform 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.