How Should We Live?

In the middle of the 20th century, Francis Shaeffer wrote a book called, “How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture.” Schaeffer was considered one of the foremost evangelical writers of the 20th century, but his writings are nothing compared to God’s word (no offense to him, just the truth). 

In Romans, Paul writes to the mostly Gentile church in Rome. Paul is not considered a prophet in the customary sense, but his words preempted the fall of the Roman Empire by a few centuries. Chapter 12 contains many succinct statements that are worthy for disciples to remember regularly.

One is “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Rom 12:2). It is very easy for us to conform to the pattern of this world, just like it was easy for the serpent to trick Adam and Eve. But we must be transformed in our mind – trusting that God is in control and has a plan, not only for us, but for the world. And ultimately, His plan wins. But the world, like the serpent, wants us to believe its lies, that it is okay to be fearful, to be angry, to be sexually immoral, to be self-reliant, and to shun self-control (“If it feels good, do it”). However, all of these things lead to death, and the world does not want us to believe in Christ and the truth in scripture.

Another is “…Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love…” (Rom 12:9-10). While this is similar in thought to “do not conform to the pattern of this world,” the words here are powerful. We are to HATE evil, but more importantly, we are to CLING to what is good. Hate is a strong word, as it should be with evil. And cling is something you do when you’re hanging on for dear life. But most importantly, we are to “be devoted to one another in love.” Not only love one another, but be DEVOTED. 

And the last one is “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Rom 12:12). This is very similar to one of my favorite scriptures, 1 Thes 5:16-18. But it is more succinct. If there are three things to remember daily, in addition to loving one another, it would be this. Personally, “patient in affliction” and “faithful in prayer” are words I need to remember the most. I am not a patient person, and in affliction or struggles, I work quickly to solve the issue myself, which is most certainly lacking in faithful prayer. I need to remind myself regularly that God hears our prayers, wants us to “cast all [our] anxiety on him, because he cares for [us]” (1 Pet 5:7), and ultimately, His Will prevails, not our will. His Will for us is to be “joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” – AMEN