To become a standard or a positive reference point, there is a price to pay. Going through the Bible, one will see that all those who got outstanding approval from God had at least one thing in common, which is that they stood out for God before they became a reference point. One of such Bible heroes is Elijah. He stood out for God on Mount Carmel. He risked being killed by numerous prophets of Baal whom he had challenged. As a matter of fact, he was considered to be Public Enemy No. 1 by the ruler of his day, Ahab (1 Kings 21:20).
Another Bible hero is Daniel. He stood out alongside three young Hebrew men in order to be outstanding and thus became a standard. Several times, he risked being killed because of his stand for godliness. He knew his God and would not compromise his allegiance to Him. On one occasion, a decree forbade everybody from praying to God, but he put his life at risk by praying. He showed that he was different from every other person. The Bible says he did not go into hiding to pray; rather, he opened his windows and prayed three times a day until he was found out (Daniel 6:10). He disobeyed the malicious decree, which his malicious fellow presidents made King Darius to Sign. One striking thing in this story was the statement of these presidents in Daniel 6:5: "Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God".
The question is: if it becomes a crime to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, will you be found guilty? It is unfortunate that Christians are steadily losing their virtue as salt and the light in this world of darkness. Christians are no longer setting the standard for godly, virtuous living. They are allowing this corrupt world to overwhelm them, failing to realise that the state of corruption they are witnessing today was predicted in the Bible so long ago to prepare us to meet its challenges (2 Timothy 3:1-5). This is the reason why in '2 Corinthians 6:14-18, God commands us to come out from among evildoers, particularly false brethren. This is part of the price of being a standard; you must stand out and not conform to this world (Romans 12:2). May the Lord give you the grace to obey in Jesus' Name.