Day 45: Be Different
Read: Genesis 6:9-12
Peer pressure is something that never goes away. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be your “peers” who push you to do something you shouldn’t. There have been many times where my friends have told me to go ahead and leave class or work so we could go do something much more fun. And unfortunately, even more times when I’ve been around people who would rather sleep in than go to church.
Temptations of this world take so many forms, and come from every possible direction. It is our responsibility, in response to what we have been given in Christ, not to follow along in the world’s footsteps. Noah was virtually alone in what he believed in, what he fought for – but he still continued on the right path. Noah’s example encourages us to do the same.
Today’s passage starts with a description of Noah. Genesis 6:9 says, “…Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.” He was set apart because only he and his family were not fully corrupted by Satan’s plan. Some people may interpret the term “blameless” to mean that Noah was perfect. But that is not true! He was still born a sinful being, but Noah wanted to live his life according to God’s will. Compared to everyone else in his time, this was a huge deal.
The next section of the passage is verse 10, “And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” We have talked about genealogies (and their importance) in the previous week. So we can see here that Noah’s sons are the foundation and will represent the future of the human race after the flood. This gives you a new perspective of who these men were: they are our ancestors.
Can you picture a world with no form of government or justice system? Just imagine what kinds of things people could get away with! Stealing, murder, incest, adultery… The Ted Bundy’s of the world would be walking free with no repercussions. What these people didn’t realize is that their sinfulness wouldn’t go unchecked forever. God would judge them for everything they did. In fact, He used the very earth they corrupted to destroy them.
Maybe this story seems extremely harsh to you. After all, why would a loving God choose to kill all those people? Well, ever since the Fall, we all became subject to death. That is on us, not Him. God is the one who chooses how and when we die, He could have done it any way.
As we reflect on all that happened, we should be encouraged to follow Noah’s example, and be a light for God in an evil world. Of everything Noah did in his life, he only needed to do two things right: listen and obey. Many times, we do the first and then don’t follow through with carrying out what God has planned for us. As this story shows, it just doesn’t end well for anyone.
Do you tend to succumb to peer pressure? It’s always good to think of things as how it’s going to benefit or harm your relationship with Christ. Will you stick to pursuing the things in life that give you pleasure? Or, are you going to be like Noah and follow through with God’s will for your life?