perplexing thoughts

How is that a few can steer a ship away from safety? How is that a few can turn a nation away from God? Why is it that the weakest link becomes the predominant link? I am alarmed at what we have become as a society. Where is the effect of a little leavening or the biblical idea that a little salt or a little light can change the entire environment. I do believe we are called to love the unlovely, but do we have to adapt to their preferred environment to prove we love them? Blending in has become our undoing! I cannot find the standard of righteousness that the bible declares is proof of our love of God. We as a nation have come to our current state not in one giant leap but baby step by baby step not realizing that we have and are leaving behind the standard of the ONE who loved us and gave HIS life to redeem us from sin. What does God require of us as proof that we love HIM, that we keep his commandments John 14:15. We are not to be conformed to this world. I am observing a lot of people want to fit into the world but very few understand what it means to be identified with Christ. A mentor of mine has always said "living for Jesus is not seeing how close you can walk to the world without sinning but living as far away from the world as possible and still loving the sinner." I believe the lie of the enemy has been to convince the Christian that loving the sinner is trying to find common ground with them. I find that all to often the Christian is drawn away subtlety into the ways of the ungodly rather than the ungodly being drawn into a life of godliness. That is why the bible says come ye out from among them, be ye separate. 2 Cor 6:17. I don't want to be compared to anyone in this world, I want to be compared to Jesus Christ. When I compare myself to others, I always come up short, when I compare myself to Christ I am filled with the grace to say "no" to sin and to the compromises that lead to sin. I find Christians in business with non-Christians, believers dating non-believers, and churches who have watered down their standards so that no one will get offended. The cross was meant to offend. I am perplexed and undone! What is my role to be in this current situation. I want to run away, I want to hide my grandchildren in a cocoon and protect their innocence as long as possible. I am perplexed by it all!