Hard Knock Life

"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us."  1 Peter 2:11-12

What a doozy.  As Christians, this is our calling in life.  To live as aliens in this rotten world.  The common man may see what we do and think it is wrong or backwards and laugh and point at us or talk about us behind our backs and not include us, but we are called here to stay strong and keep up the good fight.

This is hard.  Especially for me.  Someone who has always been a people pleaser, wanting to fit in, wanting never to be left out of any of the fun. 

It is hard to hang out with that group of girlfriends who don't have an issue with too much alcohol and be able to say no after my 2nd one.  They wonder why I never cross over that limit.

It is hard to be in a circle of friends complaining about their husbands and his downfalls and not join right in.  They wonder why I don't take part in the conversation.

It is hard to be around neighbors who use profanities in every sentence and not cringe when the words come out of their mouths.  They wonder why I don't laugh wholeheartedly at their crude jokes and stories.

It is hard to no "de-friend" people on facebook who often use awful language and post things I don't really want to know about or want to even read.  They wonder why I never comment or like what they share.

It is hard to change the subject quickly on gossip when it comes about.  They wonder why I don't just join in.

It is hard to be left out because they know a bar or a questionable establishment is not my cup of tea.  They wonder why I am such a fun-hater.

It is just plain hard. 

I am not saying that I am perfect in all the above listed categories.  I have certainly succumb to most of these at times and have to ask for forgiveness.  I am not sinless and I am not saying people that do the above listed things are bad people.  They just haven't found better.

The easy answer would to be only to surround myself with people like me.  The ones I know live life like I do.  Christians. 

But what Peter is saying here is that we must be in the world.  If Christians only hung out with Christians, how can we be witnesses to the world as Christ has called us to be?  So I continue to hang out with those friends who choose to get drunk and hope that my influence can show them that I can still have fun without an excessive amount of alcohol.  I hope that my positive words about my husband honor him and give witness to a great relationship founded in Christ.  I hope they see you can have great conversation without tearing someone else down or have a great time at a place where you wouldn't mind running into your pastor.  That you can get upset or tell a story without using cuss words.

Really, the hardest part of all of this is to do all of this humbly, to not seem like I feel that I am 'better than them' because of the choices I make.  Only to demonstrate Christ's love and the life He calls me to live.  Because we all know that we are definitely NOT better than any of them.  The only thing that separates us from them is the grace we have received from God and how that leads us to making different decisions. 

But on that day when they meet God, they will understand.  Fully.  Hopefully, I can effect their decisions before that day by the life I lead around them.  Maybe, they will decide they want it too.  I certainly hope so.

How do you do it?  What gets you past all the crumminess in this world?