“Farewell, vain world; my soul bids you adieu.~David Brainerd
My Savior taught me to abandon you.
Your charms may gratify a sensual mind,
but cannot please a soul for God designed.”
The more I know God and the longer I walk with Him, the less worldly things entice me. We, Christ's followers, must examine ourselves. We cannot serve two masters. God or materialism? God or egotism? God or sensuality? Wealth, fame, power, pleasure, and other temptations in this world can never satisfy our soul. Only Christ, our Lord and Savior, can! Don't waste your life chasing after these temporary things! Live for God and give Him your undivided loyalty! Don't let the world and its pursuits come between your soul and Him.
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" Matthew 16:24-26a
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2
We're a new creation. We no longer think the way the world thinks; we embrace the mind and the attitudes of Christ. Our old way of thinking and living has gone, being replaced with the new way of thinking and living according to God's Word.
"When they see a follower of Jesus who is sold out for Christ, living free of legalism and bondage to the world, they are drawn to Jesus. When they see a follower of Jesus living for 'self' and the world, they have no problem rejecting Jesus because it allows them to play the hypocrite card. The world needs us to be an example of living the Bible so that they too are drawn to Christ. They need answers, and for us to say we are "Christians" and live our life in pursuit of personal gain would only be a contradiction to who we say we follow. " ~David McGee
"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14
You're invited to share your thoughts about the quote above (by David Brainerd) on your blog and then link up your post here. To learn more about "In Other Words"(what it's about, how it works, and how it originated), visit here.
This post is also linked up with Faith-filled Friday @Beholding Glory, Spiritual Sundays, Sharing His Beauty @The Beauty in His Grip, Playdates with God at The Wellspring, and "Hear It, Use It" @Graceful.
We thought about this quote completely differently. I love the diversity in the body of Christ.
ReplyDeleteVery, very good. We can't have it both ways. We have to say goodbye to one and "Hello" to the other. Our actions show which it is we have chosen. Thanks so much for hosting and giving us this quote to think about. Well written and thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteIt is one of the joys of being conformed closer to His image every day, this lack of desire for the world's things. Lovely thoughts.
ReplyDeleteSuch good thoughts expressed here. The things of the world are so enticing. It is good to be reminded often of what is really important.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Charlotte