We turn on the news before opening our bibles. We check our phones as soon as we open our eyes in the morning and before closing them for the night. And we really question on how this world is so broken? We can choose to distract ourselves with worldly things to avoid the truth about ourselves, but where does that get us? The fact of the matter is the world is so broken because it’s lacking God.
The state of the world is worse than it has ever been. We distract ourselves with new things and fill our time with worldly things to try and avoid the brokenness within us and around us. All that is doing is breeding that to those around you and that is not okay. I know it can be hard to acknowledge our own brokenness, but it is important to acknowledge it so we can break the cycle for the generations before us.
I don’t think we realize how much the things we do or place ourselves around, shapes who we are. If we take a good look at our conversations, opinions, and settings we may find ourselves in the muck of the world. It’s become the new norm to be broken and to just “accept people for who they are”. I’m going to go against the culture norm and say this, that’s a cop out for someone to say that because they just want to stay in the same toxic patterns that they’re in. Broken people are going into this broken world, continuing the cycle until someone finally has the obedience and courage within them to break it.
I encourage you to be the one who breaks the cycle of whatever stronghold has you or your family. Be the courageous one that says “no” to conforming to this world. Dare to be different in a godly way. Let’s find our hope in God and not in this world. In 2020 we saw a lot of negativity around us from a pandemic, politics, and even our own personal problems — but we don’t have to live in those today. We can trust that we have a God that is near to us and cares for us. He wants to bring restoration to our hearts and this this world, we just have to allow him.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2
As humans, we are seeking the next big thing, acceptance, and love but these worldly things we want will most likely be flawed. These things on earth are not genuine like it is from the Father. I read something the other day that said how human love will always be flawed in some way. So, if we are trying to find “perfect love” we will never find it here on earth. Unlike human love, which is often fickle and temporary, God’s love never fails, no matter what.
Unlike generations before us, we have access to almost any kind of information we can think of with just the touch of a button. But how much of that are we using to study about God or his word? How much of this information are we filling our minds with that is against God’s word? Society tells us that God will accept us for who we are and we can remain the same. Wrong. He accepts us for who we are, but we are not to stay who we are. Relationship with Jesus brings complete transformation. Just like human relationships, we can’t have God without our work too.
In society today we want God without the works. We want a convenient relationship with him to ask for something or to be comforted, but we don’t want to put the work behind all of that and truly seek him each day, to worship him. Let’s quit investing our time in this world and invest it in the One who made it.
The important thing to ask ourselves now is; who is shaping us? Is it god or this world? I can promise you this; the only one that can truly satisfy the human heart is the one that made it.
-Brittany