Advice and opinions. Everybody has got them. Not all, however, are whats best for you. Many times what the world says is quite different than what God says. Here’s just four examples of what the world says vs what God says:
- The world says “Grab as much power as you can” Being the leader and in front of everyone else is what is important. Work hard and people will serve you. You can be the boss, have personal chefs, work out in a private gym, etc. But God says “Be a servant.” Matthew 23:11 tells us “the greatest amount you must be a servant.” We are called to be like Jesus who could have come as a king and a conquerer but chose the shed his rightful place with God and came in a lowly manner and served others every day of his life.
- The world says “Just a little more and I will be happy.” I just need a little more money and I can get that thing that will make my life all better. But God says “You will never be content when you are searching for money.” Ecclesiastes 5:10 tells us “Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth— except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!” Whether we want to admit it or not money is fragile and can be lost easily. A dip in the stock market, a bad business decision, whatever its cause may be; wealth can easily be lost. Instead of thinking money will make us happy we should focus our attention and efforts on God who is the giver of happiness.
- The world says “Set your sights on the important needs of life (food, shelter, and family)”. Focus on the basic needs of life so that everything else that comes after is just the cherry on top. All you need is the essentials. But God says “Set your sights on God who supplies all of our needs”. Matthew chapter 6 explains to us that God will supply all of our needs and there is no need to worry. He feeds the birds in the sky and the beasts in the fields and we are more valuable to Him than them.
- The world says “Death is the end.” When we die we are buried in the ground and that’s it. We cease to exist. So do everything you can in this life. Make the most out of it. You only get one. But God says “Death is only the beginning”. This life is only temporary. What is important is the coming life. Think about it; in this life we are full of sorrow, grief, and troubles. If thats all there is then we kind of got a raw deal. But God promises a life like one we could never imagine. One where there will be no sorrow or tears. One where the streets are lined with gold, not traffic and potholes. One where we will get new bodies and get rid of this body that we have been trying to shed those last 15 pounds. Death in this life is not the end, it only the beginning.
Many times in this world its advice and opinions are in direct conflict with God. Thats why it is important to focus on Him and read His word so we know what He advices and wants from us as opposed to what the world does. If you get advice from the outside world you should always go to the scriptures and see if it lines up with God’s word.