It is so easy for us to get caught up in the world because the world is happening around us daily. We see and hear from television and people around us that make it easy for us to have darkness. It takes us focusing on what is good and pleasing to God and then feeding the Spirit in us so we live in the light. I have shared my mission statement before; helping people who believe in Jesus, belong to Jesus and I think this belonging to is what helps us stay focused even with the world around us being darkness.
Jesus shows us the importance of belonging to Him in John chapter 15 verse 5, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” If we don’t understand belonging to Him is a change of heart and a releasing of our worldly desires that will not just go away, we will struggle every time the world shows us something we like. I really like how Warren Wiersbe puts it in his commentary, “God has made provisions for us in these ways to conquer sin. We never lose or change the sin nature that we were born with, but we need not obey its desires. As we live in the light and see sin as it actually is, we will hate it and turn from it. And if we sin, we immediately confess it to God and claim His cleansing. By depending on the power of the indwelling Spirit, we abide in Christ and walk as He walked-live as He lived.”
That is why it is so important to open God’s word and seek wisdom and ask for light. Verse 16 says, “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions…” These are not important to God, but our shining His light is. What we do or have does not make who we are, it is how we live and serve that shows our true heart. It is easy to fall into the desires of this world that are wrestling in our minds already, but surrender to ourselves and following the Spirit takes time, patience and hard work.
You don’t earn anything by living this way, you get to enjoy heaven on earth when you live this way and that is so exciting. Think on this statement as I close this writing; “Growth into maturity does take a lifetime, but each day in that lifetime can represent a small step of closer obedience to God.” Warren Wiersbe. Amen