Living Life on the Fringe Is No Way to Live

Living life on the fringe is really no way to live life because you aren’t fully involved or fully committed to the life you’ve chosen to live. What keeps you from diving in? There are some real cons in being non-committal.

So, the first documented battle in the Bible is outlined in Genesis 14. The battle lines were drawn. Four powerful kings go after five. There was a rebellion against one of the power four so he and his allies went to squash the rebellion. While they were at it they attacked some other kingdoms along the way such as Sodom and Gomorrah, Zeboiim and Bela. As the armies for Sodom and Gomorrah retreated from the Valley of Siddim a large number of them fell into tar pits and the rest fled to the mountains. (This may be good information to file away for another story.) As a result of the four kings attacking Sodom and Gomorrah, they took prisoners and possessions as part of their booty. Somehow a survivor from Sodom and Gomorrah escapes and runs to tell Abram.

Isn’t amazing how people living on the fringe know exactly who to contact when things go wrong?

Lot chose to live in the valley of Jordan near the cities of Sodom of Gomorrah. Can we say LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION? On the fringe of wickedness. When the kings defeat Sodom and Gomorrah they assume that Lot who’s living on the fringe is part of these cities and takes him captive. Are you on the fringe of a behavior or activity that you shouldn’t be? Do you associate or do things that are not Christ-like but you justify because you don’t think you’re as bad as the next person? SAYS WHO?!

If you speak like the world, live like the word, but go to church on Sunday, you are no better than those who don’t. Worse, you are a hypocrite. The Bible calls you luke-warm, and God says He’ll spew you out (Revelations 3:14-19). Get your head in the game! Put your big girl panties on! It’s time to grow up and grow roots in your faith!

You will see in chapters to come that Lot living on the fringes does not bring his neighbors up to God. We’ll see if Lot lowers his standards though. Have you ever lowered your standards to fit in or to get the sale or the job?

Here’s the thing, Lot made the choice to live in prime real estate among the wicked, and the enemy took Lot just as if he lived in Sodom and Gomorrah himself. The punishment of the wicked or defeat of the wicked is applied to Lot as well. Living on the fringe does not protect you when things go down. Living on the fringe gets you heaped in with those around you doing the behaviors that they do.

I love how the escapee finds Abram. Have you ever had a friend who keeps making wrong decision after wrong decision and when they are in trouble they call you for help or direction? Do they listen? Do they ever turn around and change for good? You can’t change them. ONLY GOD CAN.

People in need seek out those who are godly when they are in crisis because what they are doing isn’t working for them. My job is not to judge. My job as a child of God is to point those who are living on the fringe to The Way, The Truth and The Life. My job is also to be set apart, to be different. As believers we are called to be light and salt. Are you being light and salt, or have you lost your flavor and your flame by living life on the fringe?

One more thing, if you don’t want your children to see you doing it, if you don’t want your spouse to know, if you don’t want your parents or your pastor knowing what you are doing…YOU ARE TRYING TO LIVE ON THE FRINGE AND AREN'T WHERE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE…just sayin’.