This week as I’ve been processing Sunday’s message, the question I keep coming back to is this one:
“When going into the world, we must ask — am I influencing the world, or is it influencing me?”
This was such a deeply convicting question for me. I spend a good chunk of my work time on social media because I do this as part of my ministry, but what ends up happening is instead of influencing the space I walk into…it quickly influences me. I end up spending hours every week on social media and leaving with some good information, but mostly information that simply feeds my own anxiety.
We are always worshipping something. I love how Pastor Jason put it this Sunday as he talked about the influence the world can have on us and if we end up worshipping something else other than God…he said “anything can be your lord.”
It’s hard to really take that in, isn’t it? Because as believers, we walk with this strong conviction that Jesus is Lord. That He is the one that rules our lives. So when we look in the mirror, it is hard to the truth that at times, our hearts worship other loves.
These “other loves” can come in so many forms…eating and drinking, sex, addiction, possessions/shopping…even good things like marriage or family can turn into false gods that we worship.
There is a calling inside every human soul to worship something…it is ingrained deeply in us. All you have to do is look at the world around us to see that we eagerly “worship” whatever we can get our hands on that resembles God….but is not actually Him.
As we studied John 17 this week, we saw Jesus’ specific prayer over his followers, that they would be set apart, differentiated from the world. I believe every day He prays the same prayer over us as He intercedes on our behalf.
The words of verse 16 echo in my heart this week: “They do not belong to this world…”
We belong to heaven. Our real home is actually a truly good and beautiful place, unlike this world of brokenness we find ourselves in, with so much pain, heartache, and things we can’t understand or explain.
This week I got some hard news about a family member diagnosed with cancer. My heart has been so very heavy with grief, but also, it deeply illuminates my longing for heaven. My longing for a place that is so unlike this world filled with loss, disease, cancer, grief, death.
We were not meant to live with all of this, yet we endure to the end because Christ showed us how. He will draw us near as we continue to endure.
God in His great grace never leaves us alone in this. Here are a few things His word says to move towards as we continue to be “in the world but not of it”:
1. Abide with Him. (John 15:5) If you are near to Him, step by step with Him, allowing Him to work in and through you, your heart will know which way to go. You will be able to endure.
2. Let the trials produce perseverance (James 1:2-4) This is a beautiful promise. The more we stay here, the more we endure, the greater we grow in our capacity to endure.
3. Watch your actions so others won’t stumble (1 Cor 8:9-13) I was reminded this week of the example Paul gave where he told believers to not eat the meat sacrificed to idols if it caused others to stumble. Our actions matter, people are watching us.
4. Return to your first love (Rev 2:4-5) If you’ve strayed and let the world influence you a little too much, it’s never too late to return to your first love. In fact, I believe throughout our lives we will need to return again and again. He never tires of seeing us come back, like a loving Father, He welcomes us with open arms.
Take heart, dear friend, it is not easy to live in this world. In fact, it is just downright heart-wrenching at times — like it has been for me this week. But I feel so comforted by Jesus’ words in John 16:33:
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
“When going into the world, we must ask — am I influencing the world, or is it influencing me?”
This was such a deeply convicting question for me. I spend a good chunk of my work time on social media because I do this as part of my ministry, but what ends up happening is instead of influencing the space I walk into…it quickly influences me. I end up spending hours every week on social media and leaving with some good information, but mostly information that simply feeds my own anxiety.
We are always worshipping something. I love how Pastor Jason put it this Sunday as he talked about the influence the world can have on us and if we end up worshipping something else other than God…he said “anything can be your lord.”
It’s hard to really take that in, isn’t it? Because as believers, we walk with this strong conviction that Jesus is Lord. That He is the one that rules our lives. So when we look in the mirror, it is hard to the truth that at times, our hearts worship other loves.
These “other loves” can come in so many forms…eating and drinking, sex, addiction, possessions/shopping…even good things like marriage or family can turn into false gods that we worship.
There is a calling inside every human soul to worship something…it is ingrained deeply in us. All you have to do is look at the world around us to see that we eagerly “worship” whatever we can get our hands on that resembles God….but is not actually Him.
As we studied John 17 this week, we saw Jesus’ specific prayer over his followers, that they would be set apart, differentiated from the world. I believe every day He prays the same prayer over us as He intercedes on our behalf.
The words of verse 16 echo in my heart this week: “They do not belong to this world…”
We belong to heaven. Our real home is actually a truly good and beautiful place, unlike this world of brokenness we find ourselves in, with so much pain, heartache, and things we can’t understand or explain.
This week I got some hard news about a family member diagnosed with cancer. My heart has been so very heavy with grief, but also, it deeply illuminates my longing for heaven. My longing for a place that is so unlike this world filled with loss, disease, cancer, grief, death.
We were not meant to live with all of this, yet we endure to the end because Christ showed us how. He will draw us near as we continue to endure.
God in His great grace never leaves us alone in this. Here are a few things His word says to move towards as we continue to be “in the world but not of it”:
1. Abide with Him. (John 15:5) If you are near to Him, step by step with Him, allowing Him to work in and through you, your heart will know which way to go. You will be able to endure.
2. Let the trials produce perseverance (James 1:2-4) This is a beautiful promise. The more we stay here, the more we endure, the greater we grow in our capacity to endure.
3. Watch your actions so others won’t stumble (1 Cor 8:9-13) I was reminded this week of the example Paul gave where he told believers to not eat the meat sacrificed to idols if it caused others to stumble. Our actions matter, people are watching us.
4. Return to your first love (Rev 2:4-5) If you’ve strayed and let the world influence you a little too much, it’s never too late to return to your first love. In fact, I believe throughout our lives we will need to return again and again. He never tires of seeing us come back, like a loving Father, He welcomes us with open arms.
Take heart, dear friend, it is not easy to live in this world. In fact, it is just downright heart-wrenching at times — like it has been for me this week. But I feel so comforted by Jesus’ words in John 16:33:
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.