Love of the world is not only found in brothels and bars. Sometimes it’s found in things less demonstrative in nature. It can be found in my pre-occupation with the world, in my desire for the world’s affection, and in my fascination with its events. We don’t have to morally compromise ourselves to be enmeshed with the world. When the world distracts our eyes and directs our focus, we have love of the world.
Last week I had two posts about the jealousy of God. First I wrote about His desire to be my audience of One, where I live for His pleasure alone. Then I explored His scouring jealousy that manifests itself in the rejection and abuse at the hands of man. What could be seen as being His anger or even punishment is actually His deeply passionate and pursuing Love.
Love of the World and My Shepherd
As my Shepherd, He not only has to lay me down in the green pastures of His Life and lead me beside the still waters of my knowledge of Him, but He also has to prevent me from ingesting the noxious weeds of my love of the world. And the world hard-sells these malicious delicacies like Willy Wonka in the chocolate factory. Everything they offer is poisonous to my spirit and delicious to my flesh.
Oh, they’re so tempting, these succulent little weeds. And they go down like freshly made funnel cake melting in your mouth. The problem is it sits like lead in your gut, causing nausea, headache, and heartache. But this isn’t my most damaging consequence for loving the world. No, far more devastating is my leaving of the Spirit and my separation from God. And for WHAT?
Love of the World and Current Events
Though I’m not going to live like a Luddite, I’m also not going to suck down every morsel that each and every carnival barker attempts to sell me. And this is all easily resolved. I don’t have to parent myself, corralling my every access to the world. I just have to live surrendered and yielded to the Spirit of God. He so perfectly knows what to involve me in and what is none of my concern.
As we come into the last few days before our presidential election, with WikiLeaks threatening another exposure, and Brad and Jolie crashing upon the Hollywood relational rocks, I choose His reality—my Kingdom reality. I don’t have to fret or fix or focus on anything but what my God places before my eyes. Though I might be tempted towards that Krispy Kreme, double-bacon cheeseburger of media slop, I ultimately choose to follow His leading of my focus. This might lead me into a daylong consumption of the news, or express itself in my stillness and silence. Really, it’s none of my business, because I am not my shepherd. He is!
“But be on guard, so that your hearts are not weighed down and depressed with the giddiness of debauchery and the nausea of self-indulgence and the worldly worries of life, and then that day [when the Messiah returns] will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who live on the face of all the earth. But keep alert at all times [be attentive and ready], praying that you may have the strength and ability [to be found worthy and] to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man [at His coming].” Luke 21:34-36 AMP
In my next post I’ll share a reason why love of the world has such a draw on my heart.
I never saw distraction like this as love of the world before. I find that being consumed with the affairs of this world is also contagious. I have been distracted lately and what has suffered most is my communion with the Lord. I find when I am around those that are engulfed in these distractions that is they talk about and I am not simply referring to those outside the Body. Whether its FB or a co-worker walking circumspect and setting my affections on things above is one of my love responses to Him I can do every day. Thanks… Read more »
You know Seth what amazes me is that these distractions can even be seen as “being responsible” or “informed” all the while leading you away from the Will of the Spirit. I guess the most crafty ploys of the devil make it seem right and good rather than destructive.
So true John. And when I am distracted I lose the sense of reality, the sober sense of the time we are in and start to plow with a slack hand if I am moving at all. He is so graciously waking me up and leading me on His path. He won’t do it for me and I can’t do it myself. Dependence and obedience are the way forward. Excuses especially in the way of distractions are not leading to fruitfulness. Abiding and bearing fruit. Lord IS helping us.