Not Living Like the World
By Alexis A. Goring
Bible Reading
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”— 1 Peter 2:9 NIV
“What a Beautiful Name” is one of the many songs by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir that inspires my heart.
The soloist starts by speaking to the audience, explaining that there are many notable and famous names in this world, but there is no other name like Jesus Christ. His name has power and brings healing. She says we, as followers of Christ, don’t have to live the way the world does. God calls us higher. We don’t need to worry because God cares for us and provides our every need.
But how often do we still live the way of the world? How often do we worry about how we’ll be able to afford food every day or clothes to wear in every season? Maybe we’re worried about losing our income-yielding work and being broke. Perhaps we’re concerned about things going wrong in a romantic relationship or losing a friendship. Therefore, we rush around, chasing money and people, not realizing that all we need is Jesus. If we seek His Kingdom first (Matthew 6:33) then everything else will fall into its proper place.
Living a self-centered luxurious lifestyle and chasing money isn’t the only way to deprioritize God. It can also look like being caught up with the worries of the world. It means being so focused on all that is wrong that we forget that God is in control. This is His world. He made it. The prince of this world (Satan), who tries to control it, only has so much time left to wreak havoc. His reign will end when Jesus comes again, this time to take His faithful followers home to Heaven. This means that our pain and our problems have an expiration date! It also means that we have hope if we’re following Jesus.
In the end, God wins! He is victorious and will put a permanent end to sin and all the suffering it causes. The devil, his evil demons, and people who he deceived into following him will be thrown into the lake of fire, never to live again. God will make the Earth new and all will finally be right with our world.
But until then, we must live for God and remember who He is. We can’t allow our problems to overwhelm us to the point where we forget that we have a good God who is watching out for us. We don’t have to fret and run around in panic mode when we feel like things are going wrong. Let’s relax and rejoice because God has covered us with His love, grace and mercy! The Bible says that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23) and great is His faithfulness. God is more than capable of meeting our every need and helping us survive everything life throws at us.
I’m speaking to myself as much as I’m speaking to you. Too often, I have let the worries of this world consume me and I’ve forgotten about God’s sovereignty. I’ve fallen into the trap of thinking that everything relies on me, and so I need to work harder, be better on my own, and do what I can to provide for myself. But the opposite is true: God is known as Jehovah Jireh because He is our provider. We can trust Him completely to cover us and support us in every way. The home we own or place we rent, the food we eat, the vehicle we drive, the clothes we wear—all our possessions—are gifts from God. He owns everything. We’re only borrowing it during our lifetime here on Earth.
When we make God our first priority every day, we can trust that He’ll meet our needs and be there for us in every way. God’s track record is flawless. We can trust Him more than the most trustworthy person we know, because mere mortals are flawed. We’re only human, which means that we’re bound to fail. But the good news is that we have a Savior. He knows what do to and He will always help us.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
How does it feel to know that God is our provider who will meet our every need? In what ways can you seek the kingdom of God and put Him first?
Further Reading:
Matthew 6:25-34
Psalm 145:13
Proverbs 3:5-6
Psalm 62:8
Psalm 56:3-4
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Mladen Zivkovic
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