The Will of God in Christ Jesus!

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” – 1 John 2:15-17 NLT

Most of us like what the world offers us, such as achievements and possessions. My favourite possessions probably are my laptop and my iPad. This is because I practically live on them if WiFi is on and working. My biggest achievements are when I passed my internal and external exams in my high school, Long Bay College, and receiving Certificates of National Certificate of Educational Achievement [NCEA]. NCEA is official New Zealand high school’s curriculum. New Zealand students have to receive certificates of NCEA at least level two if they want to go universities. Luckily, I received certificates of NCEA level one and two so I have been able to go to a university. However, I might have gotten up to NCEA level three if I studied hard enough during my high-school time.

Nevertheless, every worldly thing, such as achievements and possessions, is going to go to a garbage dump at the end of the age. Thus, they will be obsolete and useless at the end but they are be able to be beneficiary to us if we use them according to the will of God. For instance, the will of God for me is to be a Christian Writer so I had to go to Unitec to do a English course for the qualification to do a Bible College. Furthermore, I have to go to Unitec again from March to do a computer course for the sake of getting a permanent residency. Thus, I am able to do distance-learning through a Bible College with cheaper fees I think. Although, becoming a Christian Writer is hard or may going to be even harder than I imagine, I am willing to please God through these circumstances (Matthew 7:13-14). It creates joy within me that I am able to serve and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others, especially when I am writing devotionals (John 14:12), even though endurance and perseverance are definitely required (Hebrews 10:36-39). I am willing to write devotionals for the sake of others and for the glory of God until the end of the age, even if I become a Christian Writer. In fact, it is because of writing devotionals, empowered by the Spirit of God, that I want to be a Christian Writer in the future. Although I may not able to be a successful Christian Writer, I am going to try my best to become one, for this is going to please God (Hebrews 11:6). To be honest, I do not even care how much money will I make in the future as long as I have got necessary things that are able to help me to live my life for the glory of God, such as food and clothing (Matthew 6:19-33).

In addition, James 4:4-5 declares, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?” Hence, if we want to become obedient children of God, then we have to sacrifice our worldly nature and transform our mind-set into the mind-set of the Spirit of God (Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 5:24-25) In fact, Apostle Paul urges us to walk by the Spirit because the worldly things are not going to give true satisfaction that we need (Galatians 5:16-17). This is how we have been wired, as we are actually created by God to be His image (Genesis 1:27; Romans 8:29-30) and His children (Ephesians 1:4-6).

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)