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.

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Throughout my life I have had numerous people, activities, and interests that reigned “most important” in my life. I strove for earthly success in business and on social media. I worked out, built websites, made videos, wrote blog articles, and ran in the wrong crowds. I interviewed and was interviewed by people who others (in the world) considered “important”. And I was wrong.

All of that time I was chasing the wrong things. I was working for the temporal – not the eternal. After these 40 some odd years I can finally see clearly that Solomon was right:

Ecc 1:14  I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Why couldn’t I have just listened to him in the first place? I think it is because the world is very good at deceiving us. This world promises to make us happy and content, but it can never do so. All of the sins of this earth are but temporary and distracting pleasures, they can never truly fulfill.

Some people strive after this worldly “wind of sin” for their entire lives, never feeling content and always thinking that the next big thing will finally make them happy. However, this world is not set up by our Creator to provide ultimate fulfillment. This world is but a “testing ground”, a veil of soul-making, designed to allow us time to decide whether or not we are going to follow Christ into eternity.

Fortunately, as Christians we can move past the illusions of the world and escape its seductive grasp by following Jesus. The things of this world fade and perish (Isa 40:8). Christ himself knew that the realms of this world were weak, pitiful, and hollow compared to His eternal Kingdom:

Joh 18:36  Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

So let us stand back from our lives today and ask ourselves a question: what is most important in my life? If the answer is anything except Jesus and His commandments we need to reevaluate our priorities. I do this frequently, and I ‘m often surprised that something from the world has crept back into my life. Thankfully, Jesus blood and precious sacrifice will cover these mistakes if we make the effort to get back on track.

The world is deceitful and self-centered. It prioritizes profit and temporary material gain, not eternal salvation. Let us all take a moment this week to make sure our lives are built upon the solid Rock (Jesus Christ) and not the ever shifting sands of this world:

Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

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