COMING OUT OF THE WORLD SYSTEM

It has been said, and I find it to be true, that Christianity is opposite in its fundamentals from the world system. Let me explain. The world system is best observed in our media, be it television with its soap operas, or news media with its conjuring up what they think the Republicans meant when so and so said xyz or what the Democrats meant when they said the opposite. Almost all seem to be trying to mind read the heart and intentions of each group and impugning motives to each as if they can indeed read their minds. All of this speculation then becomes fact and we, with me included, can get drawn in with a sort of addiction taking place. We have to hear more. We can’t turn it off.

Additionally, the world system appears to be composed of judging people by race, religion, beauty, money, popularity, station in life etc. It seems to be about envy and judgment. When we envy something we have a tendency to want it. If we cannot get it, we judge and put it down. We discredit it. If we do set out minds to get it, whatever it is, most often we lower our standards to climb, manipulate, and deceive in order to get what we believe will make us happy.

Before, and even after becoming a Christian, I operated out of the world system. I wanted to be in the popular group, I wanted to be pretty, and I wanted cute boyfriends. I wanted people to see me and think, "she is really something special." Our family was a member of a country club. I loved to go there to see and be seen. As I think about this, I actually got a bit of a high "being something."However, underneath all of that there was a driveness to be accepted. According to my view, I was not acceptable to people unless I projected all the attributes of the world system.

Everyone probably has some American Dream scenario in their hearts for their life. By the time I was 30 I had reached my own personal American Dream. I wanted to marry a lawyer, not a doctor, because that would take too long struggling while he was in medical school. So when a "handsome" young lawyer to be asked me out and we began dating,I thought,"he meets the career and looks criteria for a husband." After marriage we were able to build a brand new house in a beautiful neighborhood that I had admired from childhood. We were twenty-five and twenty-six when we moved in.

After about a year living in my lovely new home,I began to be aware of a pattern in my life that was starting all over again. The pattern went something like this: I would long for something but upon receiving it I would only be happy for a short amount of time and when, poof, I was back to being unhappy and longing for something else. This happened with little things like Christmas presents and with big things like getting in a sorority at college or getting this big new "impressive" home so young. The newness wore off and I was back where I started- longing for something else.

I guess for the first time in my life I began to think about what was going on. A friend invited me to a small group of women led by a therapist in her home. It had sort of a "who am I"agenda. I only remember two things; one, I did not have a clue who I was. The second thing I remember was a girl who shared her homework assignment with the group. We were to write our obituaries. Hers went something like this: Susie Q was found deceased in her kitchen having baked two dozen brownies for her child's class party.

I got the point of my life. It was not much better than Susie Q's. This really got me thinking. Who am I? Who do I want to be? What do I like and dislike? I had zero answers. I remember my first trip alone, driving my two boys to a ski resort in North Carolina. I did not ski, they did. The plan was to drop them off at the ski lodge and pick them back up later in the day. I was too intimidated to sit alone at the ski lodge. What would all those people think? No date? No husband? No friends? Therefore, I went back to the hotel and sat in my room wrestling with "what do I want to do?” Anxiety rose as nothing came to mind. Now I can think of a 100 things I can do alone, but not back then. This is just another example of my not even knowing what I liked to do and didn't like to do. I felt like a chameleon. Let's just do what you like to do!

This was about the time a friend invited me to a prayer breakfast. I had no idea what a prayer breakfast was, BUT it was going to be at a prestigious country club and the ones sponsoring the event were members of a social club I wanted to join. Of course my answer was, yes,I'll go!

God knew He would not catch me in a church. Little did I know this was a "set up" from God. The woman who spoke had a theme that ran throughout her story. Every time she told us about her accomplishments she would say, upon getting what she so desired, the bubble would burst and she would find herself back in despondency. I so identified with her. She told us that she eventually recognized her life was empty and discovered the only thing that would fill her permanently was Jesus Christ. So when she prayed and asked all of those who wanted to pray with her, I prayed and asked Jesus Christ to come into my life and give my life meaning and purpose.

I must report that I did have an experience with the Lord in that moment. A driving force, if you will, of joy settled into my being that some thirty-six years later has not subsided and I don't expect that it ever will subside. I have up and down days like everyone else but the driveness to connect with God and His Son Jesus remains. Experiencing His lovestill remains.

Now back to my original premises that Christianity is directly opposite in its everyday operational fundamentals as compared to the world system. Jesus said He came for the sick and not the well. Now sick can mean many different dysfunctional ways we try to function and survive on this planet. My particular method of survival was to try to climb the social ladder. I never could find just that one right ladder. There were many ladders or organizations that would make you think you had arrived until you were at the top. You then discovered you either had to play the game and stay in denial about your life or change the direction of your life.

In Christianity I found I had no ladders to climb. I could come out from playing games with people and myself. I could be authentic about my struggles, disappointments, and fears of rejection. I discovered that God uses people who know and can admit they are weak. That was a sigh of relief for me, no more impression management. He even said, "when you are weak I will be strong on your behalf."

I even received purpose in life: people. I am called by God to love Him, to love others as I do myself, and to love myself the way God loves me. There is an old saying that you can't take it with you when you die. Of course, they are referring to all the things we gain through the world system. However, there is one thing we can take to heaven with us and that is people.

The Bible tells us God is love. If you reverse that you get love is God. Now love has many different meanings to people. In English, we use only one word. With just one word I can say I love hot dogs, I love Girl Scout cookies, I love you and I love God. However, in Greek there are numerous words for the different types of love. A boy may tell a girl, "I love you." When in reality his heart is saying "I lust for you." God's love is an unconditional love. You do not have to be somebody for Him to love you. You do not have to have money for Him to love you or good looks or be popular. None of the requirements of the world system are needed. In fact, you can hate Him or ignore His existence and He still will love you.

Oh, but to enjoy His presence and get to know this kind of supernatural love you must desire to have a relationship with Him and His Son. Both parties must want this. This connection with Him is what makes life here on earth worth living. God does not want you to work for Him. He desires to work through you. God loves you in spite of your weaknesses, in spite of your sins. He loves you just because you are His child. The way you become His child is by accepting the reality that Jesus took all of your sins past, present and future onto Himself and in return gave you all of His righteousness. That's a deal. Jesus gets our sins and we get His righteousness. Once we are clothed in Jesus' righteousness we can go boldly to God's throne of grace day and night to find grace and mercy in times of need and trouble.

Thirty- six years ago I laid down my inabilities for God's abilities in me. I laid down my good works because Grace is based on God's performance on our behalf not my performance on His behalf. I invite you to rest with me in God's system for living.