CAUTION! This month’s spiritual imperative–REJECT THE WORLD—is one YOU are more likely to SKIP than most other topics that deal with your Christian faith. PLEASE DON’T.
Why do we minimize God’s call to REJECT THE WORLD? Because:
“We don’t have a CHOICE.”
“It won’t get ME.”
“The world is FUN.”
Please read on. You may KNOW the message—REJECT THE WORLD—but that is not the question. The question is will you REJECT THE WORLD.
“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:19
My focus on this REJECT THE WORLD theme so far has been on our hypnotic draw to be materialistic. To acquire. To seek pleasure.
But our attention today shifts to the world’s corruptive NOISE.
We live in a noisy world that goes well beyond the racket created by a cascading cacophony of messages and images raining down on all of us every minute of every day.
That’s bad enough on its face, but it also steals our mindshare and creates distraction from the important things in life. But what comes next is the killer punch—the world’s noise is the ideal backdrop for the enemy to launch his evil schemes and hijack the time we spend with God.
It may sound simplistic, but instead of panicking when the noise drops in for a visit, we should pray. After all, God’s truth has not changed just because the world is turning up the noise volume. The question is not if noise will chase us because IT WILL. The question is will we allow God to turn it down and then off.
I know from years of PERSONAL EXPERIENCE that staying busy to avoid the world’s pulsating and pervasive noise sounds great on the surface. But I know that it falls apart quickly when we realize what comes with that deal—waking up in the night dripping with sweat and worrying about keeping your life’s deck of cards from tumbling into a heap.
The world’s soundtrack keeps getting louder and louder as it plays out on a Smartphone billboard conveying messages along an assembly line destined to capture our attention.
NOISE has a life of its own. It talks to us even when we do not want to listen. Will you listen?
I ask God to give me the strength to turn off the world and turn to HIM.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
What is your strategy to shut off the WORLD’S NOISE and connect with God? Is it working?
“Make it your aim to live a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to earn your own living, just as we told you before.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11
“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:19
