Out Of Sync With The World

Thus far in my journey, I have come to realize that in following the tenets of my religion, I will find myself more and more out of sync with the world.

The world worships materialism, yet the practice of charity doesn't encourage hoarding of riches.  How can you store wealth when you have so many brothers and sisters in need?

The world rewards aggressive and assertive people, yet we Christians are to turn the other cheek and to be humble and lowly.

The world lauds openness and freedom of speech and act and proclaims such things as 'cool' and 'to be proud of'.  Yet how can we as Christians accept 'openness' such as living together without the benefit of matrimony, use of recreational (?) drugs, hurtful sarcasm aimed at others etcetera?

The world accepts the use of astrology and fortune-telling.  Yet our Bible clearly states that these are the creations of the devil. 

My dressing has changed (less form-fitting and revealing) and I'm automatically pigeonholed as 'old-fashioned' and 'conservative'.  The terms are clearly not meant as compliments.  So far, they have refrained from labelling me 'boring'.

Even when I pray, especially in public, I am sometimes teased for being 'holy' and 'overly Christian'.

Sometimes I wonder if I have to withdraw from certain societies and spend my time only with people who understand me. 

But then this has also made me realize how much the world has 'changed', how far it has gone down the road of accepting so many things God doesn't want us to be involved in.  No wonder it has been said that souls are falling into the abyss by the millions....  I think the majority of them don't even realise that their lifestyles are 'wrong'. 


But then they'd know it, if they read the Bible, don't they? 


Well, recently I discussed some things with someone... and I was gently informed that many things in the bible was only relevant to the times of long ago.  However, didn't Jesus say that He is always the same, then and now?  Wouldn't that make God's commandments true, then and now?  Wouldn't that make the lessons in the bible true, then and now as well?