Worldly Thinking--More Than What You Think It Is

I subscribe to In Touch, a free devotional magazine put out by the InTouch Ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley, and my thoughts about worldliness have been recently challenged through this helpful and godly devotional guide.



If you're like me, you might consider worldly thinking as centered around materialism, greed, drunkeness, or sexual perversion, but after a closer look at scripture, it really goes so much deeper, finding its roots in selfish pride.



Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. ~James 3:13-18 (NASB)



When I read this passage (though I've read it many times before), the words "bitter jealousy and selfish ambition" literally jumped off the page at me. Then my heart cratered as I read that this sort of wisdom doesn't come from God but from Satan, the world, and ourselves. In the following passage, James goes on to compare this sort of thinking to spiritual adultery.



You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ~James 4:4-8 (NASB)



Paul addressed worldly thinking in his epistles as well.



And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?....Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.” ~1 Corinthians 3:1-3, 18-20 (NASB)



As God's Word convicted me of my own worldly thinking, I realized in horror how this fleshly attitude among God's people is so pervasive, and must surely leave a negative impact on our world. Since this thinking has its base in pride and selfishness, we must often come across to the world as self-righteous folks with a major superiority complex, looking down our spiritual noses at unbelievers as "less than".



To model Christ and reach out to the "ones" (Luke 15), brothers and sisters, we cannot allow this type of thinking to have any place in our lives. Instead we must...



Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ~Philippians 2:5-8 (NASB) 



No wonder Christ tells us that we must deny ourselves and daily take up our cross. My prayer for all of us, is that the humble and selfless attitude of Christ becomes our own.



Lord Jesus, I stand convicted of worldly thinking. It's so easy to think that because I profess You as Savior, that I've "arrived," that I've "made it." But Your Word shows me that sort of arrogant thinking has no place in Your Kingdom, and instead comes straight from the evil one, the world, and my old sin nature. Forgive me, Father. Help me to daily shed the natural man and self, pick up my cross, and follow Your example of humility and love. In Your precious name I pray, Amen.