Here is the devotional that I shared with our ladies at our November fellowship. My Mom wanted to me to share this, so here it is. I hope it is a blessing, and I hope you have a spare hour to read this! :0)

The Lord began showing me some of my own “worldly thinking” shortly after my Dad went to Heaven. At that time I began to think that I should go out and get a degree in case Terry died suddenly. I would need to find a good job support myself and four kiddos! (After all, I certainly couldn’t continue in the family business, could I?) What would I do? Well, my mother, who holds several degrees, pointed out that I was using worldly thinking. She reminded me that God could provide for me, and if I needed a degree, it would be in His timing, not mine. As I nurse a baby, home school two kids and rear a lively toddler, when could I find time to work on a degree? I’m struggling just to write this now! No, I need to just wait and trust Him. There’s nothing wrong with planning for an emergency, it is wrong when we do not seek His face before plunging ahead with our own ideas. He may have another way- a better way, and perhaps, an easier way. But we must trust Him, and go to Him. We cannot possibly plan for every possible circumstance that may come up! We must trust Him, and rely upon Him.
Why do we need to shy away from worldly thinking? James 4:4b says “whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” I surely do not want to be God’s enemy! I’m also aware that sin begins in the mind. If I keep my thoughts pure, then my life will be pure. It’s definitely a battle for the mind!

Oh, I also want to add that this is not an exhaustive study. This is just the tip of the iceberg. My hope and prayer is that this will be a springboard to an even deeper and more personal study for you. May God help all of us to clean out the cobwebs of worldly thinking that have settled in our minds, and replace them with the glorious sunlight of God’s Word!

I.What does the Bible say about the world?
A. Who rules the world? Satan!
Eph. 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:2 Cor. 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.Rev. 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

B. As Christians, how should we feel about the world?
The Bible says we’re different, and others should be able to see that clearly. Not just by how we dress, that’s way overemphasized – but by our attitudes and actions. After all, if our hearts are right with God, then will submit to His authority on everything, including our clothing. Get your heart right, and the rest will fall in place, and it won’t be hard at all because you’ll be sincerely desiring to please Him!
2 Cor.6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
1 Cor. 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.James 4:4b whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

C. How do we act toward people of the world?
We love them! See John 3:16, and 1 John 4:8 & 16

D. How should we live in this world?
Live right, do what’s right. Go to church, read the Bible, pray, be honest, witness, be real, and on and on.
Tit. 2: 11-12 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;E. We love the people, but not the “way” of the world.
1 John 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

F. We should love Him, and the things that pertain to Him!
Col.3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
We can overcome this world.1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.Your faith is what overcomes this world. You have the power already in your hands, or heart. But which one are you “feeding”? Your faith, or your flesh?

G.Where does it all begin? In the mind!
Do you feed your mind filthy TV, wrong music, bad books? Then you will not be an overcomer! You’re feeding your flesh and not your spirit. I don’t even watch the news because all the media does is tell you all that’s wrong in the world. I want to dwell on what’s right – and only one thing fits the bill – Jesus! Let’s dwell on Him, and His Word!

Do you use worldly thinking? I think we all do without even realizing it – I know I do, anyway! Remember, we’re in the world but not of the world. We should think according to the Bible. With that said let’s try these on for size:

II.The following are some comparisons of worldly thinking to Bible thinking.

The World says: “She (or he) deserves that!”The Bible Says: We should be forgiving and longsuffering with others.
Eph.4:32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.Matt.5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.Matt.18:21-22 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Prov. 24:17-18 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

The World says: “I have to take care of myself, because no one else will.”Are you a child of God? If so, then that’s not true! God takes care of His children.
The Bible Says:
Matt.6:25-26Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?Ps. 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.Ps. 37: 25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.*Note: What about the beggar Lazarus in the NT? He was saved, yet he was a beggar! I believe the key to this verse is that David said he hadn’t seen the “righteous” or those living right forsaken. Perhaps Lazarus wasn’t living right! Maybe that’s why we see some saved folk suffering financially. Maybe they aren’t tithing, or living right according to God’s Word. Just a thought!
I Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

The World says: “No one can make me do anything.”The Bible Says:
I Cor. 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.I Sam. 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry….Gal. 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.Matt. 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
The World says: “I’ll serve God, but my family comes first!”The Bible Says: We should put God ahead of all other people in our lives.
Gen.12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee:Matt. 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

The World Says: “Okay, I’ll help with (fill in the blank). But I’m doing it my way!”The Bible Says: We are to submit (which means to abase or humble) ourselves to others, not take over.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.Eph. 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.I Pet.2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
Here’s the one that gets me!
Eph. 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

The World says: “No one notices what I do, so why should I bother?”
The Bible Says: We aren’t to do things to get man’s attention, but we are to serve God out of a heart full of love for Him.
Matt. 6:19-20 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:Eph.6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;Heb. 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.Ps.100:2a Serve the LORD with gladness:…