One thing about having a few years behind you is that you can look back and see how much things have changed over the years. I look back to my younger days and see that a lot of things have changed a lot. One thing in particular has changed a lot though most people don’t seem to realize it, and that is society’s attitude toward religion. When I was younger most retail stores did not open on Sunday. Many stores would open half a day on Wednesday and Saturday and they would close on Sunday so that people could attend church services. Schools would not schedule events on Wednesday nights because most religious groups had mid-week services on Wednesday nights. If you were taking a long trip by car you made certain to fill your gas tank on Saturday because it was hard to find a gas station that was open on Sunday. Even people who were not religious still treated religion with respect. Boy, how things have changed! To most people Sunday is just another day, religion is superstitious nonsense, and the bible is an outdated old book that isn’t worth much. Unfortunately, this attitude is slowly working its way into the Lord’s church. People don’t seem to take things as seriously as they once did. Attending the services of the church is considered optional. Why bother to go all the way to the church building when you can watch the live-stream while you have your morning coffee. In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus says that Christians are to have a positive influence on the world. Jesus characterizes Christians as, “the salt of the earth” (vs 13), “the light of the world” (vs 14), a “lamp” on a “lampstand” (vs 15), and in verse 16 He says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” If we are not living in a way that is a positive influence on those around us, we are not doing the job that the Lord gave us.