Daily devotion – The Church is not to be like the world to make people comfortable.
Romans 12:2 — “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
In every generation there is a relentless pressure to be what the world calls “cool.” It is a subtle, persistent pull — dress like this, speak like that, value what everyone else values. Yet the truth is clear: what the world labels as “cool” is often nothing more than the empty echo of a lost and wandering culture. Jesus did not place His Church in the world to be cool — He placed us here to be Christlike.
A helpful picture comes from motocross. Riders know that the fastest way around the track is not to follow the ruts made by everyone else. Those ruts can trap the bike, throw off the rider’s balance, and ultimately slow them down. Instead, skilled riders choose a better line — the right line — even if it’s not the one everyone else is taking. The world’s version of “cool” is just a deep, worn-out rut. It may look easy to follow, but it leads nowhere. Christ calls us to take His line — the narrow way, the right way — even when it means standing alone.
For the believer, our identity is not shaped by trends, popularity, or applause. Our greatest freedom comes when we realise we are not called to fit in, but to stand out for Jesus Christ. He never pursued the world’s approval, yet people were drawn to Him because He walked in truth, love, and holiness. That is true “coolness,” if we can use the word — a life marked by conviction, compassion, and courage.
To the world, godliness will never be fashionable. But in heaven, it is precious. While the world changes its definition of “cool” every few months, God’s standard has never changed: “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Resist the urge to conform. Find joy, strength, and confidence in walking with Christ — even if it looks “uncool” to those around you. The only approval that truly matters is His.
1 John 3:1–3
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him… And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
Today it has become popular for many churches to imitate the world — offering entertainment, atmosphere, or a sense of “cool,” believing that this will draw people. But this approach has produced a tragedy: countless sinners now sit comfortably in churches where the Word of God is not preached, where there is no conviction of the Holy Spirit, no repentance, no urgency to turn from sin — and they are deceived into thinking they are in right standing with God.
The Apostle John reminds us that the world cannot understand the things of God because it does not know Jesus Christ. So why would the Church attempt to win the world by becoming like it?
The Church does not need to be cool.
It needs to be holy.
It does not need the world’s approval.
It needs the presence and power of God.
Let us stop trying to fit into the world’s ruts and instead simply be the body of Christ — distinct, transformed, and wholly devoted to Him.