Camouflage

Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

One of the biggest businesses in the hunting world today is the camouflage industry. And rightly so. Camouflage allows a hunter to blend in to his surroundings or to conform to the things around him. I know when I am bow hunting or turkey hunting I want the best stuff out there on the market so I can look like the things around me and effectively blend in. Also during different times of the year I like to wear different patterns to accommodate the present foliage or lack of foliage that is currently in the woods. It is the same principle also when I travel to different parts of the nation hunting. There are patterns that work well out west on the side of a mountain that are not very good when one is hunting in a pine plantation. Good camo for the hunter is a good thing.

However, good camo for the Christian is not a good thing. I believe one of the biggest sins among Christians today is the fact that we have too often and too well blended in or conformed to the world. We have blended in politically, we have blended in materially, and we have blended in morally. Instead of getting our direction on how to vote, how to dress, and how to live from the Bible we have looked to the world and have conformed to its culture. Christians, we are new creatures with transformed and renewed minds designed to please God in every aspect of our lives and not the world.

Paul says through out his writings to be bold in your walk with Christ and not be conformed to the world. He is saying we should stand out and not blend in. We should be like the orange vest that some gun hunters are required to wear for safety purposes. You can see a hunter with hunter orange on for 100's of yards away. A hunter's presence is undeniable when he is wearing hunter orange. As Christians, this is the way we should be living out our lives. In all we do while living out our lives here on earth should be done differently than what the world is doing. The way we act and react to life in general should magnify and glorify Christ, which will cause you to stand out in our society today like hunter orange in the deer woods.

In order to be an effective witness and lead others to Jesus we must be different. If we live and act like the world, what could we possibly offer the world? When we go the extra mile for those who have wronged us, when we love our enemies, when we bless those that curse us, when we do good to those that hate you, and when we pray for those that despiteful use us and persecute us then we are acting differently than the world. We are to do more with our lives as Christians than the people of the world do with theirs. (Matthew 5:38-48) This kind of difference, including other Biblical instructions for Christian living, will draw people to Christ and away from the world.

So the next time you suit up in your Realtree AP ask yourself this, "How am I living my life? Conforming or blending in to the world, like I plan to do in the woods today, or do I stand out for the glory and honor of Christ!!

God Bless and Happy Hunting!!

Posted by Mark Newell