Suspended Between Two Worlds
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Romans 12:2)
Life as a Christian often feels like being suspended between two worlds, caught in a pause between where you are and where you are destined to be. It’s like a freeze frame from a film—an image of someone ascending, on the verge of reaching their destination, yet halted mid-air. The material world we navigate is not our home; it is the terrain we traverse on the journey to something greater.
Before becoming a Christian, one of the greatest struggles I encountered was the constant clash of perspectives about what is right and what is normal. I would often meet people who insisted that certain ways of living or acting were perfectly acceptable—that “this is just how life is.” Yet, deep in my heart, I sensed otherwise. My mind would leap forward, imagining the consequences of these choices—outcomes that the other person perhaps could not see or did not want to acknowledge.
This ability to foresee the ripple effects of actions created an internal conflict. I felt the weight of knowing that certain choices, though normalized by society, would lead to harm, brokenness, or regret. Yet I was surrounded by voices that told me, “This is just the way things are.” It was isolating, living in a world that seemed to normalize what I instinctively felt was not right.
Becoming a Christian gave me clarity about why this tension existed. The world operates on principles that often stand in opposition to God’s truth. It normalizes what is fleeting and broken, presenting it as freedom, even when it leads to bondage. As Paul writes:
"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight." (1 Corinthians 3:19)
As Christians, we are called to live with this foresight—to see not only the immediate but also the eternal consequences of choices. We are called to discern, to distinguish between what is culturally acceptable and what is eternally true. This ability, however, comes with its own burden: navigating a world that celebrates what we know to reject, while loving the people who live within it.
Living in the Tension
In this suspended state, the challenge lies not only in resisting the world’s values but also in navigating the tension of coexistence. How do we remain true to the foundations of Christ while engaging with a culture that celebrates what the Bible warns against?
It’s a delicate balance. The life of a Christian is not about retreating from the world, nor is it about conforming to it. Instead, it is about transformation—about letting Christ’s truth renew our hearts and guide our actions, even as we walk in a world that often operates in opposition to His teachings.
The Path Forward
The suspended state is not a hindrance—it is preparation. It is where we learn to live with foresight, where we develop the courage to speak truth in love, and where we refine ourselves to reflect Christ more fully. It is where we experience the words of Jesus, who said:
"They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." (John 17:16-17)
While the world may present falsehoods as normal and celebrated ways of life, we are called to look beyond the surface, to see the unseen, and to stand firm in the truth we have found in Christ. This is not always easy, and it often isolates us, but it is part of living in the tension between the now and the not yet.
This state of suspension teaches us to live in the world but not of it. It challenges us to love those around us without compromising the truth we know. And most importantly, it prepares us for the moment when the pause ends, the ascension continues, and we step fully into the eternal citizenship we have been promised.