Scrolling through YouTube and social media will quickly show you that this world is thrives on extremes. On the one hand, we have news media streaming out TONS of negative news stories (because it has been proven that negative news stories deliver better ratings than positive ones). On the other hand, we have people on YouTube and social media promising amazing physical, mental, and emotional “transformations” with just a few lifestyle changes.
All of it boils down to this: nearly all of the popular content today promises that with just a few simple changes to the politics of the country, or to your diet, or to your workflow, you can have the body, life, and country of your dreams. This promise is the sugar-stick candy of the world – it tells you that you can diet, work, or vote your way to a perfect life and a perfect world. The problem here is that that isn’t what the Bible tells us about the world:
1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
If we believe Christ then there is no mystery about the state of the world we live in. It is a sinful place that (generally) does not welcome those who follow Christ. So, the next time things aren’t going quite right for you in this world, remember, they aren’t really supposed to! Our job (as Christians) is to prepare for eternity, our job is not to be a successful in this current world.
Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Now that is a strong statement by Jesus! We are not a few “changes” away from a perfect life and country, unless the change you are considering is the path of Christ. By following the plan of salvation you can truly have the fruitful (and eternal) change that the world falsely promises. Build your hope on things eternal – build your hope on Christ.
2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.