Relevant

"When you see something that isn't how it should be, you can do two things - you can either criticize it or you can be part of the solution."
- Cameron Strang, Founder of Relevant Magazine

This is my favorite piece of popular, albeit "secular" literature...ever. It is proof that having faith in Jesus Christ does not mean that you have to commit cerebral suicide or lose your love for music, art and culture.

I especially love the name: RELEVANT. God. Life. Progressive Culture.*

As Cameron said, God always comes first. That is the key to being relevant in any age. 

But it is strictly against the Gospel of Jesus Christ to hole ourselves up away from the entire world and become a "holier than thou" religious recluse. God has intentionally sent me into the world with my faith. This is the purpose of my life. This is how I am relevant. Through my witness of faith, speaking the truth in love, and intentionally living for God by serving my fellow man, I find that: "I am in the world, but not of the world."

Jesus prayed this to His Father:

"I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one."
"They do not belong to this world any more than I do."
"Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth."
"Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world."
-John 17:15-17*

Jesus preached at the Sermon on the Mount:

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless."
“You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket.  Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
-Matthew 5:13-16*

The resurrected Jesus commanded His disciples:

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth."
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
"Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you."
"And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
-Matthew 28:18-20*

My devotion today was in a similar vein:
If you are consciously aware of your own holiness, you place limitations on yourself from doing certain things — things God is not restricting you from at all. This means there is a missing quality that needs to be added to your life. The only supernatural life is the life the Lord Jesus lived, and He was at home with God anywhere.**

"Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.  The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
-2 Peter 1:5-8*

Recap:

• I am sending them into the world.
• They are the salt of the earth.
• They are the light of the world.
• They should give light to everyone.
• Their good deeds should shine out for all to see.
• They are commanded to go into all the nations.
• I am with them always.
• They should be at home with me anywhere.
• They should have love for everyone.
• If they continue to grow, they are more productive and useful.

Hmmm...

Isn't that just another way of saying relevant?

* Relevant Magazine. All rights reserved. www.relevantmagazine.com
** Holy Bible: New Living Translation, © 1996, rev. 2007 by Tyndale Publishers. All rights reserved.  www.biblegateway.com
*** My Utmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers © 1927, rev. 1992. www.utmost.org