day 3 devotional- worldliness

Here's what my prayer guide gives us for today:

"

Rev. 2:20-21 (NLT) "But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting to woman- that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet- to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality."

Personal reflection:
We must always be careful about those things that come into our lives to decieve us and divide our thinking. The word worldliness, for most, bring to mind images of sex, drugs, and rock & roll; while these things can certainly be outward relection of an inward heart turned toward the world, perhaps the most subtle and damaging form of worldiness comes when we allow our culture to defie our values. When money, power and status cloud our definition of success. When we think our job is our security. When we seek first a career, a mate or material object rather than seeking first the kingdom of heaven. Ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse you of the idols in your life. You can tell whether or not something has taken priority over God in your life by how much time you spend with it, or thinking about it.

Going forward, I'm committed to _____.

Additional Scripture Support: Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 15:16-20, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Colossians 2:8, Deut. 7:26 & 8:18, Galations 5:19-24

"

Sometimes I have to remind myself that a productive day isn't necessarily one filled with schoolwork- with teaching and writing and coding and experiments. Sometimes I get so caught up in that idea that I push people aside in order to have what I think a "productive" day should look like. I work through lunch. I stay at my desk all day. When I go home, I take a short break, and get back on my computer and write.

The reflection reminds us "you can tell whether or not something has taken priority over God in your life by home much time you spend with it, or thinking about it."

At the same time, I know that saying "oh, well I shouldn't work 8 hours a day" is silly, because God calls us to work. He says that whatever you do, do with all your heart. And if we do things with all our heart, that's a reflection of Him.

I think, once again, it's a matter of balance.

When we focus so much on one thing, we have no room for the rest.

Kevin Hass once explained how we should use our time in life as putting rocks in a jar- the rocks are different sizes depending on the importance of them. Doesn't it make sense, he once asked me, if you put the big important rocks in first, and then all the little ones to fill in the cracks? Because if you start with the little ones all at the bottom, the big ones don't fit in right.

The same thing goes with time. Our number one priorities should be first. And a lot of times we spread ourselves too thin, or we start with smaller things because they are easier, and we leave out the really important things.

Praying through scripture today is from 1 corinthians 1:19-23 (the message translation)
Jesus, I would rather the world call me a fool for following you, than to conform to what the world calls smart- you see as foolishness. You see through the smoke screens of those who think themselves wise. Forgive me where I have bragged in my own conceit and forgotten that I am privileged to call you my Savior, my Lord and my King.