If not us, who?
Photo by Tijs van Leur on Unsplash
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (I John 2:15, KJV)
I can hear the thunderous voice of the preacher, Bible in hand, the church folk shouting “Amen!” and the voices of the lonely and broken outside.
When I’m not in such a somber mood, I see a stern-faced mother and a wide-eyed little girl, just caught with her friend’s mother’s lipstick. It’s her duty to remain homely so the boys will behave themselves.
When the child is older, say about 16, the warning is issued in words more apropos: “Don’t smoke, or chew, or hang around those who do.” That could rob God’s kingdom of another preacher, Bible in hand, shouting, “Love not the world…”
Gotta keep God’s people from worldliness.
“Worldly” is one of those words defined by the speaker. Here’s what the authors of the Oxford Languages dictionary said it is: 1. The quality of being experienced and sophisticated. 2. Concern with material values or ordinary life rather than a spiritual existence.
Huh.
But it makes sense. The enemy didn’t offer Jesus a gift card to Golden Corral, a porn magazine, and a megaphone. He offered him the chance to be someone, to have it all, to take what God had already promised Him, and to leave the rest of us on our own.
For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — comes not from the Father but from the world. (I John 2:16, KJV)
World. Kosmos.
Check your Bible dictionary and you’ll see the Greek word kosmos means “an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order.”
Huh?
Given that, then, the questions become:
Do my intelligence and experience erect walls to keep the uncomfortable at bay?
Is my first allegiance to ordinary things?
Am I protecting my orderly life? The harmonious arrangement of my schedule?
I’ll go first.
Is it more important for me to be seen as smart and sophisticated than to remain humble and loving? Often, yes.
That’s worldliness.
The temptation is almost always there, and as long as it is, God will continue dropping me into situations where I’m tested until that temptation is a temptation no longer. But then another opportunity to be worldly will present; another area in my life that needs to be exposed.
OK, now your turn.
Are you spending more time watching the news than praying? Are you moaning and groaning and condemning and complaining to others who are watching the news with you?
Plain and simple, that’s worldliness.
Are you spending more time on Facebook, scrolling and hitting “like,” than sitting listening to hear what the Father is saying? There are thousands (millions?) of pithy Christian sayings circulating the feeds of well-meaning believers who eagerly click “share” but never do. Maintaining presence but not substance. That’s worldliness.
Perhaps you are more productive than that. Your planner doesn’t allow for such foolishness. But neither does it allow for much of anything else. That’s worldliness.
Alright. Enough. Time for an antidote. Some supernatural redemption of those things that happen so naturally.
For me:
Be slow to speak and quick to listen. Put my hand over my mouth and stand back, waiting for an opportunity to compliment or encourage rather than jumping in with my opinion.
For you, perhaps:
Pray while you’re watching the news. Take your need to be up to date as your assignment to, with godly compassion, pray for those who are doing what you hate.
For the Facebook friend of all: Ask the Holy Spirit to tap you on the shoulder when someone who wants to be your “friend” really needs one. It probably won’t be anyone you’d choose, but find a way to spend quality time with them anyway. (Ladies: ignore this advice if it’s some guy with no “friends” and no feed except a photo of himself posing by an expensive boat.)
To the efficient: Do something totally unselfish and extremely uncomfortable. Interrupt your schedule with an evening of service at a homeless shelter where you’ll see close-up the pain of those who have nothing but time on their hands.
Tell me “We are in the world, but not of it” and I’ll agree, but then I’ll tell you your presence in the world is the calling to be something different, to catch the attention of those empty and crying out for significance, not to simply present another Christian bumper sticker with the power to elicit only a “meh” and a scroll.
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (John 6:38, KJV)