I’m certain every spouse has a story of going through a drive-thru, ordering something, asking their husband/wife “do you want some fries?” and hearing “I’m not that hungry, I’ll have a few of yours,” only to find that you get few by the time they’re all gone (I’d be a liar if I said that’s never happened to me, or that I’ve not done it myself). Or if you’ve ever gone in on a piece of equipment with someone, such as a tool, and you’ve paid half or more, but the other person seems to keep it most of the time. The point I’m making is it’s difficult to near impossible to end up on top or break even when you’re sharing something of value. I’m not trying to disparage anyone by saying this, but what I hope you can see is that we all are well intended when it comes to sharing, but usually we don’t follow through with our intentions.
The world is not well-intended. I’m not being too harsh or exaggerating (or trying to sound like Dana Carvey’s Church Lady) when I say that it is run by Satan, and is meant to keep you in the chains and slavery of its rebellion. It demands more of your time, treasures, and talents, and is designed to keep you from being set free by Jesus Christ. And it will demand that you keep your faith to yourself, keep your faith confined to the church house, keep your faith out of the public arena, and then take your privacy and tell you how to worship in the church house. It will demand work, activities and ball games on Wednesday nights and Sundays, and try and convince you that you’re disserving (At best, or, at worst abusing) your child/family/self if you don’t cave in. It will tell you that if you don’t cave in to society and culture’s demands, you’ll chase people away from Christ, and that the message of our sin and depravity isn’t effective for getting someone to Jesus (even though that’s been the message since the beginning).
The world takes and never gives back. It demands, but gives no concessions. This is why the early church fathers warned us about being friends with the world (we’re even told to be one is to be an enemy of God. While God so loved the world, He did not consent to its ways, which is why Christ died to put the flesh to death and make us new by the power His blood through the Holy Spirit. We’re lights in the darkness, and darkness has no place with Light. Don’t give in to a world that has nothing but contempt for it’s Creator.
1 John 2:15-29
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.
Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
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