Live Godly in Christ Jesus

What God enjoys and encourages most is mercy, gentleness, compassion, and so much more in the way of peace. In keeping with His desires and character, He wants His children to “Let [thier] moderation (gentleness) be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:5). This will stand in stark contrast to the world we live in that promotes fighting (physically and verbally), aggression, violence and so much more that incites turmoil. James points out that this attitude had crept into the church, and his sharp rebuke reveals that their desires for fighting, warring and killing was none other than “friendship with the world” that he says put believers in opposition to God (James 4:1-4). John, in no uncertain terms, strongly warns us to stop loving the world (it’s philosophies and emphases) and the things that are in the world “if any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). The world’s movies, music and media are filled with actions and words that encourage the inflicting of pain and minimizing of hurtful behavior as acceptable and normal.

As the world is preoccupied with those things that lead to death, may we as a people of God have our minds set on things above and not the things of this earth (Colossians 3:2). We must live in the realm of things that push people toward life and light. As others are consumed with darkness, let us consume ourselves with the God of light and walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7).  "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. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” 1 John 2:16–17.