Last week I talked about how toxic thinking is influenced by three different, but related, ways: through the world, through spiritual warfare, and through our own flesh--our own nature.Today I want to focus on how “the world” can be a source of negative thinking. “The world” touches everyone in many different ways. Worldliness is the attitude that places, self, or things at the center of one’s aspirations and activities.
Secular usually means “belonging to this age or this world.” Worldliness, or secularism, is a worldview or lifestyle oriented toward the irreligious rather than the sacred, towards the natural rather than supernatural. It is the ungodly aspects of our culture, peer pressure, values, traditions, what is in, what is uncool, customs, philosophies and attitudes.
Secularism is guilty of having “exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25).
Although believers are told not to be conformed to this world (Rom. 12:2) we nonetheless are influenced by it. Most Christians live in two different worlds: the one on Sunday morning and the one that includes rest of the week. In practice, both worlds clash. Our disposition, temperament and habits are manipulated through the workplace, media and entertainment industries, advertising, the education system, peer groups; world views and philosophies. No doubt our minds are more at risk now than ever.
If we follow the world’s ways, we miss God’s blessings. Jesus’s disciple John said, “Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father” (1 John 2:15, Msg).
This is an excerpt from the book: Breaking the Cover Girl Mask: Toss Out Toxic Thoughts
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