"Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking." - Romans 12:2 (MSG)

One thing I've learnt over the last few days is that even though our brothers and sisters in Christ can inspire us and spur us on towards God, they must never become the example that we want to become. Our eyes must be focused on Jesus and not on the world.

I used to think that my struggle was only against non-Christians, but that is foolish thinking. Even though other Christians may be strong in their faith, we must never replace the truth of God's Word and the Holy Spirit's conviction with their "truth". For example, one thing God really convicted me of was buying pirated DVDs. Now, if my eyes were set on Jesus as the standard that I must compare myself to, I would not buy pirated DVDs. But ever since I found out that some leaders that I respect at church bought pirated DVDs, I automatically decided that since they could do it, then I should too! That is such flawed logic, because I am using their example to guide me and not what God has spoken to me. And in truth, I was using their actions to justify what I wanted in my heart to do. I mean, who wants to pay 10 times the price for a legal copy of a DVD that you're only gonna watch a few times? Still...I know in my heart that I believe it is wrong, and I have to live according to that.

For me, it is especially hard when I see other Christians going out to clubs and bars and even hear of some of them getting drunk because I so dearly in my heart wish that I could too. I have definitely used the actions of other Christians to justify drinking, but at the end of the day, God has called me to sobriety. Maybe He hasn't called them to it, but He has definitely called me to it, and I need to obey Him, instead of comparing myself to others and following blindly with the crowd. Even if the crowd is other Christians.

I must remember that even though Christians are saved, we are all still sinners, just like the non-Christians. I cannot hold them up on a pedestal and focus my eyes on them.