The World vs. The Father

Copyright 2012: singeronthesand

Don't love the world's ways.  Don't love the world's goods.

Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father.

Practically everything that goes on in the world - 

wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself,

wanting to appear important - has nothing to do with the Father.

1 John 2:15-16 [The Message]

A friend contacted me last night, and during the conversation there was a pause, and then a request:  "Please pray for my granddaughter."  When I inquired as to how I could pray for this beautiful teenager, there was deep silence, and it took me a moment to realize that my friend was crying.  As the words finally began to tumble forth, a picture was drawn of a girl in the throes of self-hatred who had carried that loathing to a level where she was harming herself.  Believing herself to be fat and ugly, she saw no reason why she should take care of herself - indeed, why she should not harm herself.  My friend was devastated, and I felt her pain deep in my heart.

The world has forever told young people that there is a certain way you must look, a certain way you must act, a certain amount of money and privilege that you must have, a certain amount of expensive gizmos that you must own.  The message handed out by the media and society is quite clear:  If you don't have these things or look the required way, you are NOTHING!  It is little wonder that many young people live lives of quiet despair that eventually erupt in actions that either harm themselves or those around them.

We adults are not immune to this syndrome either - constantly clawing and fighting to get, to own, to be.  John advises us to take a good, long look at our fascination with what the world thinks is a good life.  The Father offers us another way - a life of unconditional love, unconditional acceptance - knowing that we are loved and cherished just the way we are.