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                Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. (I John 2:15-16)

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. (John 17:14-16)

Yesterday’s topic was settling in and living in exile in Babylon. Today’s examines the other side of the coin. God instructed the Israelites to settle in the land and live their lives, but they were to remain Israelites, because if they became Babylonian, they would have no reason to look forward to returning to Israel in 70 years.

In the same way, we are called to live out our lives (roughly 70-80 years) in this world, settling in, building homes and lives, planting gardens, raising families, etc., but we’re to do so without becoming “Babylonian.” We aren’t to love the world. We’re not to let it be the pattern for our behavior. If we become followers of the world, we have no reason to look forward to Heaven.

The challenge is to mesh yesterday’s passage and today’s. We are, as the passage in John 17 suggests, to be in the world but not of it just as Jesus was in the world but not of it. What does that mean? At its most basic, it means that we’re to living according to God’s rules – as provided in Scripture – while living in a world that won’t thank us for the way we live, but will gladly exploit the benefits it can from us. It means we must step into the world – as uncomfortable as that might be – to do the good that we can. We may not perform miracles, but we must be practiced enough at doing good for others that we are willing to be God’s tool for performing a miracle.

Ultimately, being in the world and not of it means connecting more powerfully with our true home – turning our backs on the world’s ways. That’s a painful prospect. For others, it means stepping out into the world and influencing it. That’s just as painful a prospect. I love the idea of finding a nice little place (with a big library, craft room, and garden – life’s essentials) where I don’t have to deal with the world very often, if at all. It’s uncomfortable to step out and act on the world around me. I need to learn how to influence. Others might know how to influence, but be too connected to the world. 

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