We live in a time of enormous change, not only individually, but in society at large. In times of great change, good characteristics to have are flexibility and adaptability. People often say, “Just go with the flow.” And while often that is good advice, there are times when it is necessary, especially as a Christian, to take a stand against the flow of change.

In our society, the changes are often increasingly secular. The mood of the day is tolerance toward every view and lifestyle. Acceptance has been elevated to the highest of virtues. Meanwhile, Christians are struggling to repudiate things like abortion on demand, widespread drug abuse, approval of immoral lifestyles – things that are contrary to the Bible.

In such cases, flexibility is no virtue. When the early church was facing sweeping cultural change, St. Peter wrote these powerful words: “We must obey God rather than men.”

One of the best of ways to cope with change is to have a standard by which to distinguish between those situations where we go with the flow and when we stand against the flow. The problem for many people is not, “When do I stand and when do I flow?” The problem is, “What is the standard by which I make the decision?” For Christians that standard is the Bible. We need to evaluate the changes in society in light of what the Bible says. Like Peter and the other apostles, our highest priority should be to obey God rather than men, regardless of the price.