“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.” (2 Corinthians 5:16, NIV84)
Do you look at life from a humanistic point of view? Do you regard people from a worldly perspective? Do you determine the worth of people in your life based on human needs or human standards? If so, this scripture will challenge your whole way of thinking!
“Syndicated columnist and author Mona Charen had a very personal wake-up call when it came to making family her top priority. A few weeks after she and her husband had adopted their infant son, Jonathan, she went to get him from his crib. No matter how she tried to engage with him, he seemed utterly indifferent to her. But when the nanny arrived, who worked five mornings a week, he positively lit up.” (Marcia Segelstein, ncregister.com)
Because of this interaction, Mona changed a lot of things in her life. She cut back her work hours and spent more time nurturing her family. She began to question things like feminism. She found worth in being with her family. Love meant something different. Her whole view of lift endured a titanic shift in meaning. Before having her children, work was the center of her life. After having her three children, she began to reevaluate what was most important in life.
Today, I want you to examine your life in the same way. I want you to take a step back and reevaluate what you consider most important. Are there some worldly points of view that have influenced how you relate to your world? Do you realize all the ways that ideologies affect your view of life? If you are a modern feminist, you might view motherhood as a step down in worth. If you are a humanist, you might consider religion to be a step toward barbarism. If you are influenced by communism, you may consider faith to be “a spiritual opiate” or simplistic point of view. If you are a shallow Christian, you might consider yourself “religious” instead of faithful to God. All in all, your world may be shaped by human philosophies, ideologies, political ideas, and worldly standards. Instead, how about making God’s ways the central operating tenet of all your beliefs?
In Matthew 6, Jesus stated emphatically, “No one can serve two masters…. You cannot serve both God and worldly wealth… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:24, 33, NIV84). With these words, Jesus displayed his view that the world is ultimately divided into two groups. You either serve God or you serve worldly riches. If you serve God, you will “seek first” God’s Kingdom, God’s righteousness, to pursue God’s ideals. If you serve worldly wealth (mammon), you will pursue earthly riches and ideals. Your life will revolve around money, worldly philosophies, earthly promotion, and humanistic goals. At various points in your spiritual life, you will have to reevaluate which side you are on, which point of view is your guiding light.
In the scripture for today, Paul continued this discussion of two worldviews. In 2 Corinthians 5:16, he explained to the church in Corinth that Christians should “regard no one from a worldly point of view”. Regarding people from a worldly point of view might mean you see the worth of people according to worldly standards. If a person is wealthy, that person is “successful”. If a person has status, he or she is to be given preferential treatment. If people do not see the world as you see it, they are stupid or worthless. A worldly perspective touches every area of your life. If you are a worldly boss, you will see employees according to the money they can make for you instead of fellow humans who can benefit our world. If you are a worldly citizen, you might determine the worth of people according to how they vote, how they make purchases, whether they believe in gun control, or which parties or groups they support. God’s point of view is based on a whole different set of beliefs and is usually in conflict with worldly points of view.
A friend of mine went to nursing school to help people. She got her nursing degree at the tender age of twenty-two and sought a place of employment. Being taught feminism and liberal points of view at college, she was excited to find an opening at a local abortion clinic. Being near the top of her class in college, she was hired after a short interview.
My friend worked at that clinic for two years, then began having problems. After seeing late-term abortions performed routinely, she could see for herself how the babies writhed and suffered from the pain of the abortion procedure. Wanting to become a mother someday, she became more and more disgusted by the overt carelessness with life that abortion doctors displayed daily. The writhing fetuses did nothing to their hearts. The tears of mothers upon realizing that they had chosen to stop the beating heart of a baby was taught as just “a release of hormones with the end of pregnancy”. The cold clinical detachment of the abortion clinic caused my friend to have nightmares and anxiety attacks. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She left that world and the death behind.
Today, my friend is a strong proponent for the right to life. She believes that people too easily throw away not only the lives of unborn children, but they also throw away people with problems. When she had to choose between worldly views of the worth of human beings and God’s view of life, she chose God. Everything changed for her after that. Today, there are no more nightmares. She is more loving and compassionate. She is more willing to forgive and be forgiven.
A worldly point of view and godly point of view will always conflict with each other. By your values and choices, commitments, and words, you will display for the world which point of view is the ultimate rule of your life. So, if someone spent some time with you today, which point of view would they think rules your world? Does God see a worldly point of view in any aspect of your life? Which area of your life might that be?
When a worldly point of view invades your thinking, it will often result in problems for your heart and soul. My friend, who used to be an abortion nurse, had nightmares and anxiety problems. When a worldly point of view controls you, it will make you ill-at-ease. When you finally take on a godly point of view, a peace in mind and heart will be the end result. It may take a while, but the peace will come…. If the heart and mind are in a right place.
“Syndicated columnist and author Mona Charen had a very personal wake-up call when it came to making family her top priority. A few weeks after she and her husband had adopted their infant son, Jonathan, she went to get him from his crib. No matter how she tried to engage with him, he seemed utterly indifferent to her. But when the nanny arrived, who worked five mornings a week, he positively lit up.” (Marcia Segelstein, ncregister.com)
Because of this interaction, Mona changed a lot of things in her life. She cut back her work hours and spent more time nurturing her family. She began to question things like feminism. She found worth in being with her family. Love meant something different. Her whole view of lift endured a titanic shift in meaning. Before having her children, work was the center of her life. After having her three children, she began to reevaluate what was most important in life.
Today, I want you to examine your life in the same way. I want you to take a step back and reevaluate what you consider most important. Are there some worldly points of view that have influenced how you relate to your world? Do you realize all the ways that ideologies affect your view of life? If you are a modern feminist, you might view motherhood as a step down in worth. If you are a humanist, you might consider religion to be a step toward barbarism. If you are influenced by communism, you may consider faith to be “a spiritual opiate” or simplistic point of view. If you are a shallow Christian, you might consider yourself “religious” instead of faithful to God. All in all, your world may be shaped by human philosophies, ideologies, political ideas, and worldly standards. Instead, how about making God’s ways the central operating tenet of all your beliefs?
In Matthew 6, Jesus stated emphatically, “No one can serve two masters…. You cannot serve both God and worldly wealth… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:24, 33, NIV84). With these words, Jesus displayed his view that the world is ultimately divided into two groups. You either serve God or you serve worldly riches. If you serve God, you will “seek first” God’s Kingdom, God’s righteousness, to pursue God’s ideals. If you serve worldly wealth (mammon), you will pursue earthly riches and ideals. Your life will revolve around money, worldly philosophies, earthly promotion, and humanistic goals. At various points in your spiritual life, you will have to reevaluate which side you are on, which point of view is your guiding light.
In the scripture for today, Paul continued this discussion of two worldviews. In 2 Corinthians 5:16, he explained to the church in Corinth that Christians should “regard no one from a worldly point of view”. Regarding people from a worldly point of view might mean you see the worth of people according to worldly standards. If a person is wealthy, that person is “successful”. If a person has status, he or she is to be given preferential treatment. If people do not see the world as you see it, they are stupid or worthless. A worldly perspective touches every area of your life. If you are a worldly boss, you will see employees according to the money they can make for you instead of fellow humans who can benefit our world. If you are a worldly citizen, you might determine the worth of people according to how they vote, how they make purchases, whether they believe in gun control, or which parties or groups they support. God’s point of view is based on a whole different set of beliefs and is usually in conflict with worldly points of view.
A friend of mine went to nursing school to help people. She got her nursing degree at the tender age of twenty-two and sought a place of employment. Being taught feminism and liberal points of view at college, she was excited to find an opening at a local abortion clinic. Being near the top of her class in college, she was hired after a short interview.
My friend worked at that clinic for two years, then began having problems. After seeing late-term abortions performed routinely, she could see for herself how the babies writhed and suffered from the pain of the abortion procedure. Wanting to become a mother someday, she became more and more disgusted by the overt carelessness with life that abortion doctors displayed daily. The writhing fetuses did nothing to their hearts. The tears of mothers upon realizing that they had chosen to stop the beating heart of a baby was taught as just “a release of hormones with the end of pregnancy”. The cold clinical detachment of the abortion clinic caused my friend to have nightmares and anxiety attacks. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She left that world and the death behind.
Today, my friend is a strong proponent for the right to life. She believes that people too easily throw away not only the lives of unborn children, but they also throw away people with problems. When she had to choose between worldly views of the worth of human beings and God’s view of life, she chose God. Everything changed for her after that. Today, there are no more nightmares. She is more loving and compassionate. She is more willing to forgive and be forgiven.
A worldly point of view and godly point of view will always conflict with each other. By your values and choices, commitments, and words, you will display for the world which point of view is the ultimate rule of your life. So, if someone spent some time with you today, which point of view would they think rules your world? Does God see a worldly point of view in any aspect of your life? Which area of your life might that be?
When a worldly point of view invades your thinking, it will often result in problems for your heart and soul. My friend, who used to be an abortion nurse, had nightmares and anxiety problems. When a worldly point of view controls you, it will make you ill-at-ease. When you finally take on a godly point of view, a peace in mind and heart will be the end result. It may take a while, but the peace will come…. If the heart and mind are in a right place.