Daily devotion – The real world is so different!
Romans 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
We live in a world where we are constantly being told what reality should look like, how we should behave and think.
Movies, influencers and celebrities have an enormous impact on people’s lives today. Hollywood actors are never backward in telling us what we should believe, how we should live and what should make us happy. Magazines tell us what to eat, how we should dress, how we should look and even how much we should weigh. And now, through social media, influencers have become the focus of millions of young minds.
Even the word influencer tells us what they are seeking to do—to influence us, shape our thinking and convince us that their version of life is the one we should pursue.
But much of what we see is not reality at all.
The perfect faces have been airbrushed. Bodies have been altered. Cosmetic surgery has changed appearances. Filters can completely transform a person’s image. What is presented as “real life” can actually be carefully manufactured, edited and designed to make us believe something that simply isn’t true.
Meanwhile, the real world continues and its very different in the close ups!
Real people struggle with loneliness, rejection, anxiety, broken relationships, addiction, disappointment and despair. People can have thousands of followers online and yet have no one with whom they can share the deepest struggles of their hearts. The pursuit of the perfect life often leaves people deeply dissatisfied with the life they actually have.
And there are some realities from which none of us can escape.
We cannot stop the aging process. There is no fountain of youth. No amount of money, beauty, fame or influence can prevent death. The grave has a 100% strike rate.
But there is another reality—a reality that is not manufactured, edited or temporary.
Jesus Christ is real.
His death was real.
His resurrection was real.
His forgiveness is real.
His grace is real.
His salvation is real.
And His promised return is real.
Paul could therefore say, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.” Why? Because the gospel is not another human philosophy or carefully manufactured message. It is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.
The world offers temporary happiness, temporary beauty and temporary satisfaction. Jesus offers something infinitely greater—eternal life.
For those who belong to Christ, there is a day coming when everything that has been broken by sin will be made new. There will be no more aging, sickness, loneliness, sorrow or death.
Revelation 21:4 says:
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Now that is reality!
As believers, we possess a hope that the world desperately needs to hear. We have something far more precious than anything Hollywood, social media or human wisdom can offer. We have Jesus Christ—the One who died for our sins, rose again from the grave and is coming again.
So let us not be ashamed of the Gospel.
Let us not allow the voices of this world to drown out the voice of God. Let us remember that we are ambassadors for Christ, called to point people away from the empty promises of this world and towards the One who alone can save.
And let us obey the final command of our Lord Jesus to His Church:
Matthew 28:19–20
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit… teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”
People are searching for reality.
They may not realise it, but what they truly need is not another influencer, another makeover, another celebrity or another temporary answer.
They need Jesus.
The world may offer an illusion, but Christ offers eternal reality.
Let us therefore be unashamed of the Gospel and faithfully tell others about the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6)