Contradicting the World

Have you ever noticed that God often operates in a way completely opposed to that of the world?  Of course we know God is infinitely more good than the world.  The world is fallen, and our Father is the ultimate good.  But how often do we recognize His higher calling for us in our daily lives? 

This past weekend, I was reminded of the refreshing way God wants us to live our lives in this world.  Let's think about our society.  When we acquire things or possessions, it's not popular to give those up or lose them.  If someone stole your car, you'd be angry, right?  What if you accidentally lost a precious family heirloom?  Of course you'd be upset in either of these situations!  We hate to experience loss and, as a result of our being so possessive about our things, these losses feel personal.  We are self-centered creatures and losing possessions represents a loss to self. 

On the other hand, in God's world, the more we give away, or some may say lose, the more we receive.  Think about it.

The more we love others, the more we are loved.
The more we are better friends to others, the more friends we have.
The more of our time we give to God, the more He blesses our time.
The more we care about the happiness of others, the happier we become.

Funny how that works, isn't it?  God's way is so sweet and humble... a complete contradiction to the ways of this world.  The world tells us that happiness is achieved solely through wealth, power, fame, possessions.  But in God's world, "the meek shall inherit the Earth." (Psalm 37:11)  We are called to humble ourselves, to serve, and to love with a love that is not from this world.  Let us live our lives like the daughters & sons He has created us to be!

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"

-John 8:12