This past week, I read the memoir of a famous actress. She spoke a lot about the various relationships in her life—and yet, after only a few chapters, it became clear that her most important relationship was the one she had with her audience. She sacrificed a lot and jumped through many hoops to win—and keep—their adoration.
Her desire for the crowd’s approval played out very dramatically in her story. And yet, I think we all have a similar desire at work in our lives. Just as this performer contorted herself and her life to avoid the boos of the crowd, we often make choices simply because we want to avoid the disapproval of the culture around us. And this is telling. It reveals just how important the world is to us.
But look at what Jesus prays in John 17:14-18. He says to the Father, “I have given them your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world.” John 17:14-17 WEBBE
Jesus’ prayer reminds us that, as Believers, we have a new kind of relationship with the world around us—one that rarely involves their applause. And yet, we are enabled to stay and face that discomfort because we also have a new relationship with the Word.
One. Our new relationship with the world:
If performers, like the one I read about recently, walked on stage only to be booed, night after night, I doubt they would continue showing up. And yet, in a way, that’s what Christians have been called to do in this world.
Jesus said of His disciples, “The world hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” And yet He also said, “As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world.”
We have been sent to minister to a world that sometimes hates us—and that is a life-altering call. It forces us, first of all, to change where we look for acceptance.
You know, many of us live in places that have long been friendly to Christianity, so we’ve gotten used to being accepted, faith and all. But we need to remember: it may not always be that way. One day, cultures that have celebrated us may turn against us. And people who have always respected us may even come to hate us because we belong to Jesus.
But this is not a reason to withdraw. It’s simply a call to change how we relate to the culture around us. After all, Jesus made it clear: this world is not our home—it’s our mission field.
If we look for our acceptance here, we will tie ourselves up in people-pleasing knots only to end up disappointed and ineffective as witnesses. But if we look to Jesus for our acceptance, we’ll find an unconditional belonging that will then free us up to serve the world without seeking something from it. And this makes us far more effective.
Jesus loves both us and this broken world of ours. He wants to fill up our empty places with His love and then use us to spread that same love to the people and environments around us. The truth is, God’s love may not always be received—we, ourselves, may not always be received—but even amidst rejection and hate, we are still sent to share the loving truth.
So, how have you been contorting yourself and jumping through hoops to win—and keep—the world’s applause?
This might be very noticeable to you, like going against your conscience to follow orders at work. But it might also look more subtle, like holding back your Christian beliefs in conversation so you don’t offend.
When we make our relationship with the world so important that we start contorting ourselves for its approval, we are doing both ourselves and our world a disservice. We miss out on finding true approval in Jesus. And they miss out on hearing the truth in love.
So, how might both you and your corner of the world be better served if you found your belonging in Jesus? And where will you show up authentically—no matter the response—as a result?
Our relationship with this world may not be easy, but thankfully we have a new relationship with the Word to help us navigate it.
Two. Our new relationship with the Word:
As Jesus prayed for His disciples that day, He said, “I have given them your word… I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one. Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth.” We, as Christians, have been sent to a world that sometimes hates us, but we have the Word to help us in two major ways:
First, the Word prays for us. Scripture tells us that Jesus is the Word made flesh and, here, we see Him praying for His disciples. This should give us courage, today. As we navigate this world, we are being prayed for by the Lord! Of course, it’s interesting to note that Jesus doesn’t pray for us to be protected from suffering, here. Instead, He prays for us to be protected from the evil one.
This world is full of temptations that would drag our spirits to dark places. So, could it be that seeking to fit in is actually more dangerous to us than suffering as a misfit? I think, perhaps, that’s true. May we heed the seriousness—and yet walk in the confidence—of Jesus’ prayer for us.
Second, the Word sanctifies us. In these verses, Jesus says that Scripture is God’s Word, the truth. And as such, it has the power to sanctify us. This means God uses His Word to guide us into straighter paths, to convict and rid us of sin and to make us more like Jesus.
You see, while the world attempts to squeeze us into its mold, Jesus wants to squeeze us into His. He wants us, as Romans 12:2 puts it, to “be transformed by the renewing of [our minds].” That renewal of our mindset comes when we encounter the truth of God’s Word—and it leads to increased clarity and peace.
So, how will you invite the Word to transform your walk in this world? And how will you make the most of all that Jesus gives you?
This world may never love us. But Jesus does. He is our ultimate audience and we don’t have to jump through hoops for His love. He loves us fully and unconditionally, already.
So, may it be obvious—both to us and to others—that our most important relationship is the one we have with our Savior. May His love, His truth and His likeness be evident in all we do and say.
This past week, I read the memoir of a famous actress. She spoke a lot about the various relationships in her life—and yet, after only a few chapters, it became clear that her most important relationship was the one she had with her audience. She sacrificed a lot and jumped through many hoops to win—and keep—their adoration.
Her desire for the crowd’s approval played out very dramatically in her story. And yet, I think we all have a similar desire at work in our lives. Just as this performer contorted herself and her life to avoid the boos of the crowd, we often make choices simply because we want to avoid the disapproval of the worldly culture around us. And this is telling. It reveals just how important the world is to us.
This devotion is based on one of the Scriptures from my 2025 reading plan: “A Year in the Gospels” To receive a copy of the reading plan (and future reading plans), sign up for the email list below. Hope you’ll follow along! You can also learn more about my Scripture over Screentime experiment here.
Written by Paige K. Burhans
©2025 Paige K. Burhans
Scriptures taken from the World English Bible British Edition. Public Domain.
