The Lord has been working on me ALOT lately, and He kinda threw this in my face last Sunday….
A. Mirage.
That’s what this world bates us with.
That’s what this world is.
It’s a fake image of perfection.
A seemingly attainable goal of perfection that lies just beyond the bend.
We think, If only I could look that way, then I’d be popular. If only I had enough money, then I’d have the life of a movie. If only… then I’d be perfect. I could live the life of a celebrity. I could be like them.
Everywhere we look, we are bombarded with the idea that we should be perfect, and we could be if we would only buy this product or eat at that restaurant.
But look inside it all…
Look at the celebrities that we esteem so highly.
They look amazing.
They seem perfect, but…
They are probably just like all of us. They can’t seem settle on one person to live with, on one clothing style to choose.
They may be always hoping that they will find their life’s satisfaction in that next, new, hot item, like some of us are.
They seem to be rushing through their lives trying to not think about why they’re running.
Now look at us.
We like to mirror the perfect celebrities that we see on the silver screen.
And what examples do they give us?
Nothing to be overly excited about.
Our lives are shattered and meaningless.
We are broken hearted, and have a consuming emptiness inside our souls that constantly cries, “Is there anything in this world that makes life worth living? Or should I just spare myself the pain and emptiness and end my life right now?”
…Or it would be crying that constantly if we allowed it the time.
Since our lives ARE mostly that disturbing and meaningless picture previously mentioned, we like to run through our lives at 100mph. Too afraid that if we slowed down, we’d break down, or worse yet, actually THINK. If we actually thought about this picture of our lives, we might understand that this is a perfect recipe for wasting the time that God has given us on Earth. We might consider that God did not put us on this planet to join the world in its crazed frenzy for looking like we’re at the top on the outside, when we’re actually struggling to stop ourselves from reaching rock bottom.
God put us here for a reason.
He placed each of us in this world for His glory, and so that we could reach out to the people that surround us and try to help them see that they CAN get out of this dizzying spiral of the devil’s making.
For us to join the world, is for us to lose God’s witness.
The world has an allure that is very hard to resist. Everything that is within our flesh screams, “JUMP!!!!” But everything within our Spirit should be screaming even louder, “RUN!!!!”
Do not love the world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world only offers a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything that we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
1 John 2:15-17, NLT
I loved this and it was very timely for me too. I just made some huge choices in my life to turn my back on the world’s expecatations for how we live. I have chosen to follow God and seek his will and be true to his creation in me. I have made those choices, but over the past few days I have found myself questioning those decisions and if I did the right thing. I am sitting here in tears. Your email really encouraged me and helped me to remind me that these were the very things I chose to turn my back on and instead to turn my face to God! Thank you for sharing!
I loved this and it was very timely for me too. I just made some huge choices in my life to turn my back on the world’s expecatations for how we live. I have chosen to follow God and seek his will and be true to his creation in me. I have made those choices, but over the past few days I have found myself questioning those decisions and if I did the right thing. I am sitting here in tears. Your email really encouraged me and helped me to remind me that these were the very things I chose to turn my back on and instead to turn my face to God! Thank you for sharing!
I’m glad that God used it to help you again.
I just thought that I would make sure that all of the team got a chance to read it, because I couldn’t tag all of you in the note on fb.
Bethany, I read this on your facebook… but I found myself be blessed again by the second read!
It is so true! We are easily ensnared by the trappings of this world. I am SUPER guilty of that. I spend too much time telling the Lord how I’d like to be this, or that…. Which steals away the praise that the Lord deserves and is worthy of!! If only we could see what the Lord sees when He looks at us! We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made, how is that we miss that truth?!?!?
I wanted to thank you for sharing this and not only being honest with us, but provoking thought. It did for me and I hope it will for others!
I’m so glad you are a part of this team!