As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. 1 Peter 1:14-15

What is this world coming to?

Just look around and you’ll notice.

Parents deferring to screaming toddlers, bribing them to stop.

Grown adults holding fake animals as if they were real.

Students turning to AI so their homework is done in an instant.

Many choosing to believe social media rumors over actual facts.

Whole families bent over individual devices while going out to dinner.

I could go on and on. Deeper and deeper into real identity confusion.

While the world’s problems seem to scream in our faces, pause to see past it all.

What’s behind family division? Student cheating? Stroking your ego instead of peace?

The absence of God.

When God is absent, something else is in charge.

Your flesh. You. Your desires before all else.

As our mind begins to focus instead on self, we lose it. We lose our ever loving minds.

How? Slowly. Once we drink the desires of our flesh, whatever drug that may be, the positive reaction encourages the next sip. The next fix. The next lie.

And before you know it, we’ve gone down the road: hook, line, and sinker.

Look inward long enough, and you won’t recognize yourself when you finally begin to look outward.

Look down at your own feet long enough, and you won’t recognize the path you walk when you finally look up.

God must remain our focus.

God must remain our King.

God must remain our all in all.

Take stock today of your heart. Are you all His? Where have you replaced God, placing yourself first instead?

Where have you sought the pleasures of self before your submission to God?

Repent, confess, and point your compass back to God.

As you purpose to follow His will for each day, your mind will be renewed through His strength, peace, and love.

Let’s keep our ever lovin’ minds focused on God and God alone.

When you do, others will notice your freedom and peace amidst a world where God is not.

Photos by Aleksandr Ledogorov, Helena Cook, Jametlene Reskp, & Katy McCray on Unsplash