What Hinders Our Purpose Now? (Part 5)

The World System Hinders Our Purpose Now

Some of the elements of the World System include time, death, decay, peer pressure, success, busy-ness, circumstances, status, physical needs, social structure/class structure and over-commitment. There is a power in the world system that comes from the primary curse. There is also a wisdom of this world; the children of this world are wiser than the children of the Kingdom. They know that all they have is what they can get. But this is not true for us saints. We are challenged to “be not conformed” to the demands of this world, to be different, separate from those who have no hope, who are without internal or eternal resources.

We are learning to resist the peer pressure, the pull to maintain the status quo that is so prevalent in this present age. How easy it is to settle for less — we compare ourselves with those who are close to us or those in leadership positions, and by doing so subtly affirm their lives or teachings as our standards. But God values us now “as is,” and expects us to value ourselves on the same basis. It doesn’t depend on what we have accomplished in the past or what we may accomplish in the future, but on what He says is true.

As citizens of the kingdom, we walk in this world, though we do not use its resources to get our needs met, but bring to this world the riches of His Kingdom — life, victory and freedom. We minister to the world because we have received from outside of it, and can therefore act and give independent of its influences. The spirit of this world with all its information, sensory bombardment and what is falsely called knowledge pollutes our minds and batters our emotions to distract us from this focus. We spend most of our lives trying to make life easier for ourselves, but Jesus said in this world we WILL have tribulation.

C.S. Lewis wrote; “Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be.” If you’ve taken a wrong turn, going forward does not get you any closer to your goal. If you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-face. In that case, the one who turns back soonest is the most progressive. Either way you’re in the desert, be it with others or by yourself. In which direction are you going to go?

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