The sinful world is a very close friend of the material world, but the religious world seems separate from the sinful and material worlds, at least in appearance. Initially, believers struggle with the sinful world, and they are repeatedly defeated until they give up. When they give up, however, they seem to find the secret, and thus they are delivered from that aspect of the world. As long as we have the fallen flesh, the allure of the sinful world will remain. However, it will not be the primary thing to which our natural man is attracted.
The next level of the world, and one we will find more acceptable, is the material world. Even though we are the Lord’s followers, it will still seem reasonable to pursue things in the material world, such as a career or a better lifestyle for our family, more than Christ. A Chinese proverb says that the older you become, the more you will care about money and the less you will care about other things. What tempts me in my old age is the desire for peace and quiet. It would be so pleasant to be delivered from all the turmoils and bothersome things that surround me. But such desires do not own us. We are for Christ.
Adapted from Ruth: Growth Unto Maturity, page 79.
Tomorrow: “Controlled by Religion More than by Christ”