The question is, “If I follow Christ and his practical truths, will I wind up with nothing and isn’t the little the devil’s way offers me better than nothing?”
For example someone is single or in a loveless marriage and God says, “No sex outside of marriage.” True pornography or adultery is hollow and empty but , Isn’t it better than nothing?” “Hanging around with ungodly friends leads me into sin and can never meet my inner need and gets in the way of close fellowship with Jesus, but Jesus is invisible and people at church have their cliques and some friends feels better than none, right?” Filling my time with worldly sports and entertainment does not lead to a sense of purpose and value but it is fun and exciting and reading the Bible can be so dry so artificial “fun” is better than nothing, right?” Surely going to work and doing a great job so that I get approval from my boss and peers and extra pay for overtime must be the right thing, and being home and helping out just seems to get me criticized and there is little appreciation. So some approval is better than nothing, right? Working to be strong and have power must be better than to be weak and powerless, right? Getting drunk, smoking pot isn’t real life but it makes me feel better and if I don’t use it I feel miserable so isn’t it better than nothing?
Wrong! Nothing of this world with Jesus is better than everything without him. Also I can’t try to find a balance of some world and some Jesus. It must be all him and his for the rest to mean anything, fulfill in any real way and be worth experiencing or having. Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
It is always better in the long run and even for the now to be dealing with real life and responsibilities and laying up treasure in heaven and growing in character and ministering to real people. We have a whole civilization that is running to virtual reality and away from the life God has given us. Sure real life is slower and often the only one who appreciates is God and it is a lot less exciting in the moment. No one ever had a heart attack having sex with their wife but with the wrong person watch out for the heart attack. However the excitement fades fast and is replaced with the devastation and damage that the new and exciting covered up for a moment. So we go on to more and more dramatic running from life and finally just collapse in burn out and have nothing to show for it all.
We have to start with finding that Jesus and his kingdom building and growing into his image and likeness are enough. Only then will whatever I add actually add anything. Matthew 6:33/ Proverbs 10:22 Don’t seek what the world seeks but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added and bring no sorrow with them. Hosea 2:7And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: than shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now., John6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed., Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heeed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
The hard part is that the empty world give intense and immediate pleasure which only lasts briefly and godliness can be subtle and slow and even painful. But it is real!
Lord help me be OK with what feels like nothing rather than sell out for the fake something of the world and miss out on you.
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