Worldliness and Pleasure - J.I. Packer
Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and Prayer. 1 Timothy 4:4-5
Enslavement to activities is worldliness in its purest form: compulsive workaholism is as worldly as is any form of laziness. Whether persons are worldly or not depends not on how much pleasure they take from life, but on the spirit in which they take it. If we let pleasant things engross us so that we forget God, we are worldly. If we receive them gratefully with a purpose of pleasing God by our appreciation and use of his gifts, we are not worldly but godly. Worldliness is the spirit that substitues earthly goals (pleasure, profit, popularity, privilege, power) for life's true Goal, which is the praise of God.
Worldliness is not pleasure, but the confusion of values.
J.I. Packer - The Christian and God's World
posted by Doug E. @ 2:08 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Good post. Worldliness so often creeps into my life, and it always draws my attention from God when it does.
Enslavement to activities is worldliness in its purest form: compulsive workaholism is as worldly as is any form of laziness.
This is a powerful statement. I fear that sometimes, even in our service to God, we become so enamored with "busyness" that we forget that God often wants us to sit at His feet and learn of Him.
It's the old Mary/Martha conflict.
Post a Comment
<< Home