Guilt by Association

(Jas 4:4 KJV)  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

(Proverbs 3 also read)

The church has a significant problem of open “friendship” (5373) [philia] with the world.  This is true as individuals and as an organized group.  

There may not be much you can do about the organized church but you can be responsible for your own choices and priorities.  It isn’t that we are supposed to set out to make people angry at us.  No, it is that we are not supposed to be courting the world because we want to be accepted.  As a general rule that means rejecting the values and truth of God.  The world has a sliding scale when it comes to truth, values and morality.  God’s people believe in absolutes.

What we see happening is that we are trying to be like them instead of drawing them to be like Jesus.

So?  This is serious.  We need to look at how we live and ask who we are trying to be friends with. 

Pick Your Path

(Pro 2:20 KJV)  That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

Is this your goal today?  Really?  Do you want someone watching you to say that you have demonstrated the “good” (2896a) and the “righteous” (6662) or would you rather have them admire your style?  Would you rather be thought cool than upright?

Sometimes we mess up because that is the desire of our heart.  We think that traditional virtues such as prudence and chastity are so old school.  We want to be with it.  So we do not seek to follow the way God would have us go.

(Jas 4:2 KJV)  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

So?  Take a moment to examine your goals and attitudes for today.  Only you know what the real desires of your heart are.  Only God hears what you are really asking for.  If the results are in order, praise God.  If you find dissonance, then repentance is in order.