In the world
and out of the world! A believer's focus on life is guided by the things around him (him / her) and is generally surrounded by things that matter to him. What are the things of the world and out of the world? King Ahab of Samaria, who knew the presence of the Lord 'eyed' a piece of vineyard adjacent to his house that did not belong to him but to Naboth, a Jejrelite. The king desired to own the vineyard by compensating Naboth but Naboth didn't want to part with it even though none other than the king desired it. Needs are immediate requirements for people without which it is difficult to survive and sustain living. They are basic and are freely available such as water, air, food; shelter. One has to work for food and shelter, though. On the other hand, desires are beyond basic needs without which one can survive. The Psalmist David, in one of his Psalms exhorts both lowly and highly placed, rich & poor that it is not desirable to trust & boast of his/her wealth & riches referring to the passing of their rich possessions to others after they die for one cannot enjoy the ' wholesome ' wealth in one's life. The lands of the rich & wealthy are named after them, people identify their houses after their family names which is a great impression but the human flesh shall perish as beasts also do perish. The wealthy, when they die are cast into the grave for burial for they cannot save themselves. Death encompasses them and all the goodies of life; the beauty preserved all along suddenly is consumed by inevitable death, which is difficult to 'redeem'. We observe that the life of one whose ' soul ' is not redeemed is as good/bad as the life of a worthless beast for the Psalmist rejoices in the ' hope ' and ' confidence' that God will redeem his soul from the power of the grave. The
number of possessions people would want to accumulate in addition
to normal human life requirements, which of course makes their life
easy, happy to lead, are bungalows, cars, wealth, gold & silver,
fields, business empire, fame, lavish way of life that will increase
the glory of his household; but do not be afraid for when he/she
dieth, they carry nothing away, for their glory shall not descend
after them. Therefore, let us look for things beyond the world and out of the world that can connect to spirituality, that bears spiritual fruit i.e., love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Where one's mind is heavily sided towards materialistic things of the world, it may be difficult for one to incorporate oneself into teachings of Christ. If one is in Christ and his spirit working in us, he/she will have 'crucified' their flesh with its 'passions' and 'desires'. To live in spirit is also to walk in spirit. In the epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans, ch. 13, verse 14 sums up ' put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts'. The
word of God guides us in balancing life - materialism with that
of spirituality. The recording of the first epistle of John (I John)
chapter 2, verses 15 to 17 addressing fathers and sons emphasizes
as reproduced hereunder: 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 lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the 'pride' of life - is not of the Father but of the world. If one is to connect himself/herself to the Almighty while living in the world, it is not desirable to associate themselves with the things of the world which is a real test to each one of us. How far one can severe earthly inclinations to sustain life of dignity in accordance with the scriptures while connecting to the Almighty Father while living in the world is the test of times you and I must be ready to face. In the epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Colossians chapter 3, ver.1, & 2 very clearly emphases as 'If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are 'above' where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God & set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth'. The Master Jesus, as he often used to speak, once addresses multitudes even touches on the aspect when one questions on the need to divide inheritance between two brothers in Luke chapter 12 verses 15, wherein he says "take heed and beware of covetousness;" for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth". Flesh
is earthly, of the world; spirit & soul, out of the world. It
should be our endeavor as believers of eternal life and life after
death, to conduct ourselves in the manner worthy of the Lord; as
citizens of the world for the moment, by being content with the
sustainable possessions of the world thereby avoid undesirable materialism
that requires extra effort and energy to gain but to look for spiritual
gain that is pleasing to the Father in Heaven. In
the world and out of the world! . |