1 Peter 4:4

In {all} this, they are surprised that you do not run with {them} into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign {you;}

     It constantly suprises me how the world views Christians who stand firm in the faith. They do not understand why a someone would not follow them in their worldly ways. Why not lie? Why not get drunk? Why not fulfill your desires to the fullest? They do not understand someone who would intentionally limit their “fun”. Some will even go so far as to criticize those who do not conform. They mock them for making a stand.

      Of course, implied in this is that Christians are different from the world. Some Christians will try to blend in. They will tell the white lies and the inapproriate jokes. If you saw them with their worldly friends, you would not be able to tell who was “worldly” and who was “religous” by their behavior. Christians ought not to behave in this way. Instead they must make a line in the sand and stay true to their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

      For the Christian who chooses to be different, it will always be a struggle. People may not even be trying to mock you for your beliefs, but in their shock that someone would live in such a way, they act as though they are. They just can not understand why someone would live this way. Yet the reason to a Christian is clear. We choose to live this way because God told us to. We want to be right in His sight, and we also trust that He knows us better than we know ourselves. While the world may not be able to fathom this concept, it is the foundation for the Christian’s “peculiar” life.

In {all} this, they are surprised that you do not run with {them} into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign {you;}