EARTHLY MINDED

Lord, so many in my nation live as enemies of the cross…

Their minds on earthly things, they seem hopelessly lost.

They take glory in disgraceful acts and satisfying greed.

It seems they cannot see that only Christ can meet their needs.

Lord, help me not to judge, but weep, and try to be a light

To lead them to salvation’s path and out of endless night.

“For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears,

many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.”

Philippians 3:18-19

apōlĕia⁶⁸⁴ – from a presumed der. of 622; ruin or loss (phys., spiritual or eternal): - damnable (-nation), destruction, die, perdition, X perish, pernicious ways, waste.

aischunē¹⁵² – from 153; shame or disgrace (abstr. or concr.): - dishonesty, shame.

            There is something about listening to a recording of the Bible that makes different verses stand out more than simply reading the passage. When I first heard the words “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame,” they bounced around in my mind for days. I thought this was an accurate description of many Americans.

            Look closely at billboards, newspaper ads, and commercials. They are about food, drink, and luxury items. And it seems all of them are marketed using sex as a backdrop. Things that would not have been whispered about in my mother’s day are emblazoned on signs and blurted out loud. When I was teaching, I felt I could not use the local newspaper in my classroom because the day of the week they would have provided it free was the day of the full page women’s undergarments ad on page 2 of the main news section!

            Society truly glories in what was once considered shameful. Paul pointed this out with tears in his eyes. He was not condemning those who live as enemies of the cross but was weeping over their lost condition. He was also warning the Philippians about slipping into worldly ways.  Sometimes we are like children excusing our behavior by saying that everyone else does it. In our weekly managers’ meeting, my boss handed us an excellent quote on this subject which is attributed to William Penn. “Right is right, even if everyone is against it; and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.”

            Because of the Holy Spirit within us, we have the power to choose to do right.  We should not be ruled by the desires of our sinful nature, nor should we delight in things we know are against God’s commands. We should weep for those who do live in the way Paul was describing and pray for God to change them from the inside out.

            Father, help my life to be evidence of your transforming power.  Help me to live in a way that brings glory to you. Lord, I pray for those who are still far from you and have not fully realized that apart from a life-changing relationship with Christ, their destiny is eternal destruction. Help me to be a light to lead people to you.