You can't go through a day, or a part of a day without hearing or seeing something on the news that makes you say "What in the world?" And that is just it. It is the world. Jesus said in John 17: 9-11 9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.
What are the effects of "more world, than God?" It is a slippery slope and very hard to move back up to a higher vantage point once we drift down into the pit. But it can be done. Jesus in his prayer in the verse above asked on behalf of those who would be living their faith out in the world, and His prayer helps us see that we are in the world, but we are not of this world anymore once we have a born again life. We will appear different, and that is because we ARE different. Paul wrote to the church at Rome in Romans 12:2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. THEN you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will." The effect this world can have on a believer is usually less than good and the ongoing draw of this world will cause you to go down a path that is not leading to anything good. Conformity to the ways of this world is a sure formula for destruction and a very weak faith. Compromise will creep in and drain the life out of you to the point that you have no more joy in your Christian walk and the truth becomes more relative to your circumstances that the truth being the answer to your circumstances. Point in case....EASTER.
What have we Christians done to Easter? We have cheapened the most precious act of love ever in the history of man and made it into a promotional campaign for rabbits. Oh, don't get me wrong. I have hidden "and found" the yearly Easter egg as a child and as an adult like most others. But really, is all of this really the "best" way to celebrate Easter? If children of today were to think about the true meaning of Easter, they might wonder if any Easter eggs were hidden in and around the tomb of Jesus. Do you see what I am saying? The two just don't go together. Why? Because the world hates believers. That is just the way it is and always shall be. In John 15:19 Jesus said, "If you were of the world, the world would love it's own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you." With the worlds hatred for us, we also see that world is full of deceptive practices and that world will try to minimize anything that has to do with lifting up Jesus above all other things, also known as glorifying God. My marshmallow bunny is really starting to look suspect in all of this. Plus it is full of the white stuff.. you know...sugar. In 1 John 2:15-17 John writes 15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever."
So, what is a person to do? Reject egg hunts? Every church I have attended has had an annual egg hunt on Easter. My family does annual eggs hunts for our kids and now grandkids. I let the grass grow a little longer to make it possible to hide the eggs as good as I can. C'mon, are we actually gonna be "party poopers" and possibly go too far in this whole "living for Jesus" thing? Probably not, but just in case you do. Here is what John wrote about it. ! John 2:6 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. And also Jesus said this about being "different" than the norm in Luke 9:23 "and He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me."
Let's be sure and anchor our kids in the truth and minimize, or do away with, the false narrative about Easter that has crept in from the world about the meaning of the event we know as the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Our Savior. Eat those hard boiled eggs and save on the money you spend on dye kits and open up the Bible and read the truth about Easter. The moment you take that stand the "world" will try to chew you up and spit you out, and it will probably come from those very close to you. But don't give in. The moment they try to chew you up they will notice a wonderful flavor from your life that is best described as "real Christianity." Then you will be the "what" in the world. And your what is best described as a "true believer."
The Pilgrimage continues....
David Warren
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