"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life-is not from the father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." 1st John 2:15-17 ESV
In the world, but not of the world. Ever heard that one before?
The verse above is an add on to the prayer that Jesus prayed for the disciples in John Chapter 17, when He asks God to protect the followers He is going to leave behind when He leaves the world. Sometimes I think it would have been so much easier for God to remove His followers from the world rather than leaving us in it. And if I sit and look back on my life I can say with much certainty that it would have been so much easier.
I often think of how hard it is to work in the world and stay a dedicated Christian. It is our job as Christians to be the light in the darkness of our chosen field. I wish I could say that it was easy and I wish I could say that I always did a good job of it but sadly I don't. Spending time on any construction job site will surely show you moments of being in the world.
God can only use you and I in the world if we are in fact in the world. The tension that may arise there requires much God inspired wisdom and the Holy Spirit's constant leading.
So what does it mean to be "in the world but not of it?" Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you felt uncomfortable from the first moment you got there? You don't need to follow along blindly and do everything the world does. Like your mom used to say, "Just because your friend's jump off the bridge doesn't mean you have to!"
Can you be in the world and not of it? I can only tell you what I know and that is you have to judge by the fruit in a given person's life. You can only go on what you see in that person. Both of these are easy to fall into. We can buy everything the world does, the iPhones, the Blue Ray players, the Big screen, and the PS4, but it's what you do with those things. Do you pollute yourself with the filth that the world puts on them? Or do you use them to glorify God?
Another extreme is to completely withdraw from the world. You can shelter and hide yourself away to keep the world from staining you and your family but at the end of the day are we called to pull away from the lost and lonely souls in the world or are we called to minister to them and show them another way to live? I, for one, wish that there was a clearer solution but God expects us all to work it out, we are to be the salt and the light to a fallen world.
The best advice I can give is to stay close to God and let His wisdom guide you to the right decisions. Let Him add the flavor (salt) and the vision (light) to the world through you and your example to others.
In the world, but not of the world. Ever heard that one before?
The verse above is an add on to the prayer that Jesus prayed for the disciples in John Chapter 17, when He asks God to protect the followers He is going to leave behind when He leaves the world. Sometimes I think it would have been so much easier for God to remove His followers from the world rather than leaving us in it. And if I sit and look back on my life I can say with much certainty that it would have been so much easier.
I often think of how hard it is to work in the world and stay a dedicated Christian. It is our job as Christians to be the light in the darkness of our chosen field. I wish I could say that it was easy and I wish I could say that I always did a good job of it but sadly I don't. Spending time on any construction job site will surely show you moments of being in the world.
God can only use you and I in the world if we are in fact in the world. The tension that may arise there requires much God inspired wisdom and the Holy Spirit's constant leading.
So what does it mean to be "in the world but not of it?" Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you felt uncomfortable from the first moment you got there? You don't need to follow along blindly and do everything the world does. Like your mom used to say, "Just because your friend's jump off the bridge doesn't mean you have to!"
Can you be in the world and not of it? I can only tell you what I know and that is you have to judge by the fruit in a given person's life. You can only go on what you see in that person. Both of these are easy to fall into. We can buy everything the world does, the iPhones, the Blue Ray players, the Big screen, and the PS4, but it's what you do with those things. Do you pollute yourself with the filth that the world puts on them? Or do you use them to glorify God?
Another extreme is to completely withdraw from the world. You can shelter and hide yourself away to keep the world from staining you and your family but at the end of the day are we called to pull away from the lost and lonely souls in the world or are we called to minister to them and show them another way to live? I, for one, wish that there was a clearer solution but God expects us all to work it out, we are to be the salt and the light to a fallen world.
The best advice I can give is to stay close to God and let His wisdom guide you to the right decisions. Let Him add the flavor (salt) and the vision (light) to the world through you and your example to others.
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