Ingrown Toenail
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2
A couple of years ago, celebrity Mark Wahlberg confessed a secret while on national television: he announced that he had recently suffered from a serious case of in-grown toenail. Talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres did the honors of inspecting his bloody but bandaged toe, and this quirky but common malady was brought into the limelight once again.
Many teens and adults suffer from in-grown toenails, a condition that occurs when the corner of a toenail grows into the soft skin surrounding the nail. The intruding nail causes intense pain as the toe swells and reddens, and the only way to alleviate the condition involves chopping off the obtrusive nail. Depending on how far the nail has grown into the toe, surgery may be required to remove the nail.
If the world were toes, Christians would be the toenails. As Christians, we are called to live alongside our fellow citizens, just as a toenail rests upon its toe. Christians can't -- and shouldn't -- avoid the world anymore than a toenail should fall from its toe, but we must be careful not to get too cozy with worldly influences. When we care more about how we fit in with recent trends or how we can keep up with the popular crowd, we have become "in-grown." Instead of attaching ourselves to the materialism of the world, we should instead keep a healthy detachment as we serve the world through love. The toenail's purpose is to protect the toe, after all. We too can do our part to share the message of God's grace -- the only thing that can save the world.
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