Are You a Friend or an Enemy of God

          

          The last post talked about filling your mind with God's Spirit.   This is just a note to take a look at the other side of the coin.  It would be prudent to examine what you are filling your mind with most of the time.  What are the lyrics to the songs you listen to the most?  Is it possible they are contributing to any of your temptations or ungodly behaviours?  Many of songs that are popular today promote suicide, cutting, sex of any and every variety, and promote the idea that you deserve whatever you want.  It is impossible to listen to these messages over and over without them impacting your very soul. As they say "garbage in -- garbage out."

          What about the movies and television programs you watch? If you are filling up on what the world thinks is funny or entertaining, do you even know what God thinks about those programs? The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and wichcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy,; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.  I warn you as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal 5:19-21)

  This Scripture could be the description for at least 75% of prime-time TV!  God hates this stuff.  Do you choose to fill your mind and soul with stuff God hates?

          "You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?  Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." (James 4:4) If you enjoy entertainment that is based on all that God considers wrong and harmful to us, you are a friend of the world.  You cannot be a friend of the world and a friend of God at the same time.  If you are friends with the world and what the world thinks is entertaining, and what the world prizes, then Scripture clearly says you are an enemy of God! (This is not saying that we are not to be friends with PEOPLE who are in the world -- but rather we are not to be friends with the ideas and values of the world).

Satan is taking greater and greater control of our culture.  We live in a world where right is considered wrong, and wrong is considered right.  We must make a conscious effort to fill up on the things of God and refuse to fill up on the things of the world.  Without a conscious choice, we will follow the ways of the world. 

Of the two Scriptures quoted in this post, one says that “those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God,” the other says that if you are a friend of the world, you are an “enemy of God.”  This is serious business!

Please leave a comment below and share some of the good things you are choosing to fill up on, and some of the things of the world that you have chosen to give up.