The World and Our Ways…
What are we supposed to think? Or How are we supposed to think? Living in this world filled with sin and hatred, how are we supposed to cope? How do we prevent ourselves from falling into the worldly pattern? Is it possible to get out of it… for good?
I’ve come across these questions lately as I have found myself slightly stuck… Certain areas in my life have become habitual and I’ve become content with that… which is bad. Also I’ve been slacking on my devotion and dedication… (as you can tell by the amount of posts I’ve had lately)
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing ofyour mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.” According to Romans 12:2, we should not conform to the world and its ways, but what are they ways of the world? This is answered in Colossians 3:
5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Where should we start? that list is SOOO long and getting rid of all of that will take forever! I don’t think we have to start it. If we focus our lives around Christ and dig deep into His Word, the list will eventually disappear. Instead of focusing on the sins of the flesh we should focus on the fruit of the spirit:
Galatians 5:22-23:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
When we start living as the humans God created us to be, the sins and negative junk we don’t want to deal with will diminish.
Recently I came across Matthew 16:24, which hits a new note with me:
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
We must deny ourselves, Leave behind who we were, cast away our sinful self, and take up our cross and become like Jesus.
A few verses down in Colossians 3 it also states what we should focus on:
12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
I believe Love is the center of True Christianity. Love your neighbor as yourself… Do unto others as you wish to be done to you… All of these point to treating people right and loving them no matter what. Exactly like God does with us. No matter what we have been through, whatever we have done, he will forgive us, give us that 777th chance, and love us. So in our challenge to be like Him, we should Love one another as he has Loved us, time after time. The next time you get mad at a friend remember a time when you did something awful and God still loved you. Maybe that’s what that person needs. He doesn’t need the hatred, he already knows what he’s done. What he needs is to be loved and encouraged to put up a fight against it for the next time he faces it…
So now I challenge you. Is the World controlling you? The next time you have an opportunity will you take the easy way out and sin, or will you put up a fight? Will you deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Jesus?
