Have you ever accidentally put a coloured item into a white wash? Sometimes you can get away with it, especially if you wash with cold or lukewarm water. But our family was using a washing machine in Slovakia, and I had decided to use the hot water cycle to get the boys' socks really clean. What I didn't know was that the washer actually heated the water to the boiling point, reminiscent of boiling one's laundry in a big pot. Lo and behold, I ended up with a batch of pink socks! The boys were not impressed.
In a way, you could say God is interested in sorting laundry. In the Old Testament God wanted to keep the nation of Israel, His special treasure, separate from the rest of the world. God had given them guidelines to follow, beginning with the Ten Commandments. Over time, the people forgot how important it was to obey them. They didn't listen when God said to completely destroy the people who were occupying the Land. Instead, they gradually began to imitate the ways and customs of these nations. Like the white socks in my laundry load, they took on the “colour” of the nations around them. They did not separate themselves from the influence of foreign religions.
Paul, writing to the Corinthians, echoes the warning of the Old Testament prophets. In 2 Corinthians 6:14 he says “Don't team up with those who are unbelievers”. And in verse 15, “How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?” (NLT)
That reminds me of a playground seesaw, an activity for partners. It is great fun for two children to get on each end of the long plank, and ride up and down by pushing with their feet on the ground. That is, it's fun if both children are approximately the same size and weight, so the up-and-down motion is even. A problem occurs when a larger child is on one end, leaving the other child hanging in the air, or when the larger child suddenly gets off, leaving the smaller child to crash to the ground.
We need to be balanced partners with God. “I will live in them and walk with them. I will be their God, and they will be my people," (2 Corinthians 6:16 NLT) said Paul, quoting from the Old Testament prophets. God wants us to separate ourselves from the influence of unbelievers, to avoid compromising our Christian beliefs. Not avoiding unbelievers, but not being influenced by their ways. “Therefore, come out from unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 6:17 (NLT)
“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. “ (Psalm 1:1-3 NLT)
We must separate ourselves from worldly influence, and not get caught up in attitudes and actions contrary to God's ways. We do this by staying close to the Lord--- by regularly meditating on His Word. This beneficial and necessary practice will help us to flourish, and not to be a pink sock in a white wash, having succumbed to wrong influences.
Lord, help me to delight in Your Word so as to not succumb to wrong influences.
Alice Burnett
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
| 
