Instead of shrinking down, taking a stronger stand can actually go a lot further toward stopping the violence and negativity in the world.
Some might suggest that you just need to get along with everyone – even if it required you to be wishy-washy on your faith. And I don’t agree with that one bit! It’s time to learn how to shine your light for Christ as a way we can all help stop the violence and negativity in the world.
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How Can I Help to Stop the Violence and Negativity in the World?
Taking a stronger stance is something all of us can do because it relates to each of us differently. There isn’t one way to do this because each of our situations are all so unique. So when I suggest the solution to stopping the violence and negativity is to become firmer about where we stand in our faith – it means that in order to do this, we need to really consider how we can light up the world with our lives and become less selfish.
It also means that we need to know God now more than ever! Think about it…we can’t stand up for something we don’t know what we believe on, right?!
It seems like everyone’s lights seem to be hidden and dark right now as a collective society. Even Christians are becoming more tame in how they share their faith with others if they’re even doing it at all. That’s why we are developing evangelism tools for you to use, to help spread your light. You can check out my whole evangelism section here brimming FULL of practical ideas EVERYONE can do!!!
It’s almost like we’re not doing our job for God as we should and we have to change that! As Christian women, we are to glorify God in all that we do and share the love of Christ with others (1 Corinthians 10:31, John 15:8). And as we do this, God will work through us to plant seeds of change in the hearts of people (remember that only HE can change people but we can and should be planting seeds and helping and edifying others and building them up in the Lord!) And that is the best role we can play to stop the violence and negativity in the world.
Take a look at Matthew 5:16, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” You’re probably pretty familiar with verses 14 and 15 as well. Maybe even a song comes to mind back from your Sunday school days as a kid – Hide it under a bushel, No! I’m going to let it shine. But there are a few more verses where the Bible talks about light that maybe you haven’t visited in a while.
Ephesians 5:8, “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light…”
Acts 13:47, “For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,” ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'”
1 Thessalonians 5:5, “For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.”
As I read those scriptures, I can’t help but be convicted all over again that as a child of God, I am called to be a light for this world and help spread the gospel and help bring salvation to a lost and hopeless world. But for each one of us, it’s going to take some courage to reach out and touch the lives of people around us. And that courage will come from God as we step out in faith (2 Timothy 1:7, Joshua 1:9, Deuteronomy 31:6).
However, and I love this about God – He doesn’t expect us just to go out there and be a doormat and allow ourselves to get stomped on by these negative people. Just take a look at some pretty fantastic verses included below that can really help guide us as we navigate through these very challenging times. You’ll see that it’s not about avoiding negative or outright wicked people. It’s about how to recognize and operate within the biblical boundaries as we’re out there interacting with them and others.
Titus 3:10-11, “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”
Matthew 10:14, “And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.”
2 Timothy 3:1-7, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
Notice where it says, “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” We’re not talking about outwardly evil people here! We are talking about “GOOD” people!!!! We are to AVOID GOOD people, if they do not listen or change! Read that again!!!
Proverbs 17:14, “The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.”
Proverbs 15:18, “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.”
Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
It should feel very comforting knowing that however we determine to light up the world with our lives, we aren’t the ones responsible for the results or the changed hearts. So that means we also aren’t accountable either for stopping the violence and negativity. We are to simply go into the world and proclaim the gospel. Only God can open a person’s eyes to His Son Jesus Christ
(Ephesians 2:8-9).
But in order to actually do this, we’ll need to become less and less selfish. Philippians 2:4 says, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” I love what Psalm 11:5 says, “The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” (also, look at Proverbs 10:11).
Verses like these where I get to see the kinds of things that God hates, fuel and motivate me. Because, you know what, sometimes it really does bother me that the wicked people seem to get away with things and that I have to go through hard times when they don’t (Revelation 3:19). And I need a little gentle and loving kick in the pants and to be reminded to look beyond their seemingly easy-peasy lives (where they appear to profit and get away with everything) and look into the heart of God. Also, see Proverbs 6:16-19, Revelation 21:8, Psalm 5:5-6, and 1 Samuel 16:7.
God is God and He WILL make all things fair, according to His great justice as a holy and righteous judge.
Then as you think over your life, consider where you can become a little more biblically bolder, courageous, or even more outspoken. Where you can share the gospel or at least begin planting the seeds.
Don’t shrink back or be afraid to take a firmer and stronger stand on what you believe – especially if you’re passionate about playing your role in stopping the violence and negativity. A lot of people are too heavily influenced by outside forces instead of being internally grounded in Christ, guided and directed by the Holy Spirit. So if this resonates with you – you could start by reading and going through the passages in this post and praying for wisdom on how to apply them in your daily life.
Challenge yourself to be less of a chameleon, trying to appeal to or be liked by everyone. This doesn’t mean you become harsh or antagonistic (Ephesians 4:32). It just means you aim to please and obey God first before everyone else.
Galatians 1:10 is a great verse if you struggle at any level with people pleasing. It says, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Be sure to also see Colossians 3:23, Galatians 2:20, Proverbs 16:7, 1 Thessalonians 2:4, and 2 Corinthians 5:9. Just a quick side note that people-pleasing is different than following and complying with societal laws, government officials, or your home church that you are a member of (as long as they are moral and not asking you to sin).
Think back to Genesis 6:11, “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence.” That was spoken in regards to the story of Noah and the impending flood. We won’t have another historic flood like that one, but that doesn’t mean that God hates the evil in this world any less.
2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
If you’re someone who enjoys serving others through food, maybe that practically looks like more hours spent volunteering or donating to food pantries or soup kitchens where you get an opportunity to share Christ with others. Or making a meal and taking it to someone who rarely gets a chance to eat home-cooked food, like a college student, a single mom who works three jobs to make ends meet, or an older person who’s widowed or home-bound.
Keep in mind that the Bible talks a LOT about taking care of orphans and widows. And being a widow is not JUST someone whose husband has died, but also includes abandonment. I tell you the truth, that I am both an orphan (no living parents) AND a widow. And I can CLEARLY see those that take advantage of me, God is REALLY adamant on taking care of them!!! It’s important to Him, and so it should be important to us as well! In the same way, I see the hand of God graciously be upon those who bless me.
It’s so incredible to watch! Mind-blowing, how much God cares for us!!
In addition or in place of a meal you could offer to clean or tidy their home. Offer to take their dog for a walk, take care of their kids for a few hours while they get some alone time to rest, or keep up on their yard work. Think of things that you’d love to have someone help you with and see if you can do that for someone else.
If you love to shop, then offer to help them complete their errands by hitting the grocery store or Post Office for or with them. Some people are lonely and would love to have someone ride along with them while they complete the mundane tasks of life. Call them up and let them know you’re heading to the store for a few quick things and see if they’d like to ride with you. Ask God where you could become a little more open to involving others in your life, and watch where He leads.
At the opening of this post, I suggested the solution to stopping the violence and negativity was to become firmer about where we stand in our faith and to really consider how we can light up the world with our lives and become less selfish. Helping to ease the burdens of the people around us is a way to demonstrate the unselfish love of Jesus – people will notice that and wonder why you’re so different from everyone else. It may take a lot longer than you expect, but as long as you’re praying about this, then you can trust God will direct you and that His timing and plans will turn out perfectly.
The one thing that I do want to say however, is that you cannot do EVERYTHING. If you are ALREADY serving the Lord greatly, please do NOT feel guilty about not doing these things listed above. Everyone has a different place to serve in God’s spiritual kingdom here on earth. Not one “job” is more important than another and not one person has to, or can do it all.
We must all work together, as a collective whole, in order to serve and meet the needs of others.
I’ll give you an example from my own life. I’m a blogger and so everything I do is all about teaching my children, teaching those around me, and teaching on the blog and in my courses. God is using me for some major things, but much of it is online.
Since that is the heart of my ministry and what God has called ME to do, I cannot do many of these things on the list. I can’t have time to make others meals or babysit, I’m a single mom, trying to manage everything on my own (no spouse, no parents, etc.) and so I just can’t. I’m not called to do those things, I am called to blog and serve you online and those within my own community in person.
PLEASE understand that no one can do it all. We are to be PART OF His service, but not all of it!
You can still make a difference and be used by the Lord Jesus Christ wherever you are. These things are IDEAS of things you can do if you are able.
Does that mean we can just be lazy and forsake our responsibilities? Quite the contrary. I had an assistant who was not pulling her weight. She was not changing or doing what the Lord had called her to do (work heartily on this blog) and so what did God do? He kicked her off this blog! He did not allow her to be my assistant anymore because of her sin.
I was in shock.
When all this happened, I had NO CLUE what was going on! I could not see her personal life and make a judgment against her. I honestly had no idea. So when it all happened, I was floundering around, not knowing what was going on, until God started convicting me of all this.
Now I know and now I see that God knows the hearts of man. He purposes and wills things to happen and when we disobey and do not listen to the wise counsel of others or the clear Word of God, we CANNOT be used to be a part of what He IS building. It’s such a tragedy that at this time, she cannot be part of all the amazing things He is doing, she cannot be used, because her heart is not right with God and so ANYTHING she does, no matter how “GOOD” it SEEMS outwardly, is NOT pleasing to the Lord. She is…in unrepentant sin.
This brings me great pain because I love her and care about her and her family and have sacrificed much for her.
But it is a fantastic lesson to all of us, that if God wants to use us, we need to also be taking it seriously. At the same time, if we are ALREADY doing EVERYTHING He has called us to do, we cannot feel guilt because we are not doing it ALL. There is a balance there.
As we do all of these things, whatever it is that God has called each and every one of us to do, others will take notice of it. For non-Christians, they can’t necessarily pinpoint why we’re different – but they will notice it, and more than likely, given what 1 Peter 3:15 says, they will probably ask you at some point about your hope.
The reason for this will most likely be because they will think (or sense) that we must put our hope in something else besides this world; otherwise, how could we possibly be so unselfish? It’s almost like, at some point, they just won’t be able to stand it any longer – they will honestly want to understand what drives us and it becomes a testimony of our faith for God when they ask.
Titus 2:11-12 is a reference as to why we live differently from the world also.
So back to 1 Peter 3:15. We need to be prepared with a confident answer on why Jesus Christ is our hope; see Romans 1:16. It can be something as simple as quoting a Bible verse you memorized or that God used in your salvation – relax, no need to have a ten-page essay.
Just be prepared because we never know when God’s timing will directly open the door to a full-on gospel presentation. But since the Bible tells us that we are to share Christ with others (Matthew 28:19-20), we can be confident that this time will come as we put ourselves out there more and more.
You may be deeply burdened to try and stop the violence and negativity in the world today. Or you know someone who is. Like it’s something that you (or they) just wish could be fixed immediately – it drives you crazier than most.
When that time hits, and you’re tempted to go guns blazing, take no prisoners style into the world, take a step back. Think more along the lines of being a vehicle – a vessel God can use to change people’s hearts and minds – as they hear the gospel. Operate from that posture or attitude by doing what you know and obeying what Scripture commands.
God tells us in 1 John 5:19 that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one – and guess what, we’re still in this world for now. We’re all impacted in some way by what’s going on – and you can bet Satan is having a heyday right now – you can see the evil everywhere you look. It affects all of us at some level; each one of us wants to stop the violence and negativity.
And however bad it gets, the great news is that Jesus is coming back soon (Matthew 24:44) – and the reason we’re still in this world is that we’ve been set apart for Him with a job to do. And that should really motivate us to shine our lights even brighter, stand our ground, and share His message of salvation with anyone willing to listen.
There may be some women reading this who are struggling with the violence and negativity in the world because it’s personally impacted them in some way. Maybe you lost someone close because of the unrest we’ve seen, or your struggle can be attributed to unfair policies, perhaps like in my case, people you care deeply for are all heading for the door and want nothing to do with God, even though they openly claim they do…their hearts are far from Him. Whatever the case may be, know that in light of the evil and wickedness in this world, you will naturally groan for heaven all the more.
Instead of fighting it, try to accept that feeling of longing for heaven more. Try something like looking up verses on heaven and meditating on them until your soul becomes refreshed.
Encouraging verses on heaven:
Isaiah 65:17 – “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.”
Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
2 Peter 3:13 – “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
1 Corinthians 2:9 – “But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—”
Revelation 21:27 – “But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Philippians 3:20-21 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
Hebrews 11:16 – “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”
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