A word I don’t hear very often anymore is “milquetoast,” which is an adjective that means timid or weak. It entered the American vocabulary because of a 1930’s cartoon character named “Casper Milquetoast.” People may not use the word anymore, but the idea is still out there and is often applied to those who call themselves Christian.
I have always believed disciples of Jesus are the very opposite of milquetoast. One of my favorite Bible verses is found in Matthew 10:16, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Our job isn’t to destroy the world (which God loves), but to live in contrast to it. That requires strength and savvy.
Jesus said, “Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” In other words, don’t be naïve… be wise in the ways of the world and let your hearts be motivated by love. Jesus changed the world not by fighting power with power or evil with evil, but by approaching it all with the light and love of God.
Join us at First Christian Church as we discover daily what it means be “in” the world, but not “of” it.