Upside Down Living

“Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.”—James 1:9-11

There are two ways by which we can live our lives—God’s way or the world’s. And the two are in opposition to one another. The Bible tells us that the lowly brother should boast in his exaltation and the rich in his humiliation all because we are equal in Christ. The rich man should not think of himself more highly than he ought, simply because God is the one who has given him the power to have and make wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18). We all must be continually reminded that we will die—rich and poor alike. In light of our impending death, we live our lives in the acknowledgement and awareness that we are stewards of all God has entrusted to our care in the here and now. We are stewards of everything—our abilities, talents, time, and resources. We’ve been given our wealth and abilities to extend God’s kingdom, not to increase our creaturely comforts.

Satan is a subtle foe. He has successfully conned many believers into indulging the very thing that God condemns—the world. But what is “the world”? The apostle John warns us of it while giving us a brief description as to what it is. He writes,

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”—1 John 2:15-17.

There are three things that characterize the world: the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride in possessions. James warns us that such practices are really declarations of war! He writes, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”—James 4:4.

But what is the world? How can we be on guard against it? The world is the fallen system of humanity based entirely upon our sinful desires. It is the cultural ethos that determines what is right, wrong, and desirable. It is, as David Wells has described it, that which makes sin look normal and righteousness look strange. The world is that which denies true sacrifice, excuses sin, and finds delight in self.

We are to be on guard against catering to the world’s program by continually submitting ourselves to the commands of Scripture. The world values pride, God values humility. The world wants power, pleasure, and prestige. God values those who seek Him, who understand their sorrowful state, and who seek to live sacrificially. The world exalts self, while God exalts the selfless. The world wants to acquire things, but God wants us to give them away. The world wants to be rich with things, while God wants us to be rich in Him. The world wants us to do whatever we want to, while God wants us to do what He has determined is best. The world wants us to try and become like God through sin, while God wants us to become like Himself through the crucified Savior. The world wants us to indulge, while God wants us to resist. The world despises suffering, while God desires to use it to bring us close to Him. The world wants to convince us that it is going to endure, while God wants us to know it is passing away.

Oh, how many Christians have indulged the world! We have made the great mistake of thinking that God’s dream for us was the American dream! We pursue power, prestige and pleasure day in and day out! We Christianize our sinful passions by wrapping them in words of false and selfish piety! May God forgive us! How many of us have praised His name only to find our identity in our purchases! May God forgive us!

God has given us a manual in His Word for upside down living. We must live not as citizens of this world, but of another, heavenly city. We are ambassadors in this world, renters of the temporal, while eternal homeowners in heaven!

May God give us the grace and courage to live an upside down life, where Christ is exalted! May our lives exude the aroma of Christ whereby those in this world are drawn to the risen Savior through us to the praise of His great and glorious name. Amen.