I've been thinking alot lately about something I heard Will Smith say in an interview a while back. He was asked how he and Jada Pinkett Smith have managed to stay together in the hollywood world. He answered by saying that LA/Hollywood is a world of opportunity and choices. He said that they separate themselves from that. He said that they don't even see it as an option to not be together.
I was listening to some speaker recently who was talking about marriage, then vs now. As in, how divorce has become a more common occurrence in present day. This speaker was saying that it wasnt as accepted 'back then'. Usually people didnt have the choice.
I've been listening to a bible study on Daniel, by Beth Moore. I've really only been studying chapter 1 so far. But she has been talking about Babylon and how we are in a present day Babylon. About how Babylon can be a mindset. A mentality. And by that she referenced Isaiah 47:8,10...
"Now then, listen, you wanton creature, lounging in your security and saying to yourself, 'I am, and there is none besides me.' ... You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, 'No one sees me.' Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself, 'I am and there is none besides me'."
Anyways, I have been thinking alot about the danger of choice. I mean, I think choice is a great thing. God gives us choice. I like having the choices I am offered living in a free country. But I'm realizing more, the dangers of choice when mixed with the Babylonian mindset, selfish choice.
I just heard on the news this week something that isnt an amazing discovery, but a good example still. Chemically, in our brains, the idea of having something that we dont currently have, a new house, a new outfit, whatever it is. That 'want' makes us think/feel/chemically react to the idea that we will be happy if we do obtain that want. And then when we do get it (if we are so "fortunate"), chemically again, we are not as happy as we had imagined. Which, therein, lies disappointment.
Beth Moore read the last verse in Daniel 1. Verse 21, "And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus." Speaking about how Daniel remained at Nebuchadnezzar's camp. Then she said in continuation of that verse, 'Like we are remaining in our own Babylonian culture until Jesus returns. And, like Daniel, with-holding from the evils of the world.'
I guess this all goes down to choosing God above everything. And anything more that you have, be thankful for, as it is a blessing, a gift from God. What right do we have to take a gift from God and trade it in for a different model? Or disregard it completely because we thought we deserved something 'better'? Just thought I'd share. I guess this has been a thought of the week, as this has definitely been a thought on my mind lately.
Hope your weekends were spectacular spectacular!
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2 comments:
I have been mulling over some of these thought for the past year...the holy spirit is tugging. I was just learning about this seminar based on the book "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" that teaches you how to hear it and act on it. The presenter said that she realized that we are in a Laodicean mentality or "Babylon" mentality and that we think we will be changed when God comes but He wants us to change so He CAN come. That we need to be Christ-like with His help in order to be saved, not that we will become Christ-like when He gets here. We need to work on our selfish desires and downfalls now... Interesting thoughts.
It's nice to think that we are like Daniel living in Babylonian captivity and keeping ourselves pure and godly...thanks for sharing that...Daniel definitely was not afraid to be removed from his comfort zone for the sake of his faith. That's something I have been thinking about for a long time now, too. We are so comfortable, and I'm afraid that I won't know if and when I become "too" comfortable for my own spiritual good.
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