Is worldliness hostile to holiness?
Scripture reading: John 17:6-19. Text: “‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.'” John 14:27/a.
This coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, thus it is proper to start Lent with self-examination and continue for the next six weeks. If we ask what has the most unfavorable influence on, then the most suitable word would be “world.” In our Scripture reading, “world” occurs 13 times.
“Not as the world gives …”
How does the world give?
What comes to our mind when “world” is mentioned? It is not so much our globe or Mother Nature but the people who inhabit the Earth. How does the world give or offer, promise or entice? Using a general approach we can distinguish among these steps:
n The world is illusionary. Often the world is not as rewarding as it appears to be.
n The world is complicated. The world cannot be simple when so many people have so many ideas.The conflicts of interests and of personalities are not easy to cope with.
n The world is contradictory. One man’s poison could become another one’s meat.
n When the unwritten and undeclared rule of the world — survival of the fittest — permeates people’s thinking, high moral standards are not very appealing and often do not “work.”
What can we do if the world is as it is? Let us try to realize these:
Other than the Bible, there is no absolute knowledge and truth. People need to ask themselves: Do I know all the facts and do I see the circumstances clearly?
There is no perfect decision and solution. If you are a parent, how do you settle the fight between your children which started with, “I hit back?”
There is no total satisfaction and happiness. If more money, freedom, luxury, comfort and knowledge makes us more satisfied and happy, then we Americans should be the happiest people.
There is no pure fairness and just equality. The “cross on our shoulder” does not always have the same form and weight.
How does our faith and teachings of the Bible come to our help?
n When the world is illusionary, let us try reality. — When the world is complicated, can we react to it with simplicity? — When the world is contradictory, can we become reconciliatory? — When the world forces many of us to become self-centered, can we let an altruistic disposition overcome our egoistic attitudes?
World-changing divine blessings sometimes come through a sudden miraculous event, but more often these blessings come through a slow process of believing and persevering in a dedicated following of Christ’s example. Apostle Paul’s appeal is as timely today as it was almost 2,000 years ago: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2.
The Rev. Alexander Jalso is a retired United Presbyterian minister living in Ligonier.