Can I love God and love the World?…

It is not hidden that the young people of our generation have found themselves at a fork in the road and many of us, unfortunately live most of our lives stuck at this fork. We’re not really sure which way to go or possibly we’re trying to use that noggin of ours to figure out a brilliant way to get the best out of whatever it is that lies at the end of both roads. Sorry to break it to you, but its just not possible. There is no way to actually truthfully know what lies at the end of a road until you have walked the path and reached the end. Also, considering that in life things often come in pairs and no matter how similar those two things may look, there is something very different about them. Now, these two roads before you they look very similar almost identical but do not be deceived because if they were just that, the same, only one would exist.

What these two roads represent is this: One is a path which consists of a life in the world physically, but being spiritually in tune with God. Meaning yes, you are living in the world but you are not of the world. The other is a path which consists of just living life in the world, enjoying all it has to offer but giving no acknowledgment to God, as if he does not exist.  If you have noticed, no matter which path you decide to take, you are still living you life in the world but the difference is God. Now let me tell you why it is so hard for many people to choose between these two path even when they know without a doubt which is the right path to choose.

To help you understand, let’s analyze Jonathan McReynolds’ No Gray.

Verse one says “Lord I’m split in two
Part of me loves the world
And the other loves You
So what do I do
I wanna be saved
But I got to stay cool too
And no I’m not a fool
I know eventually I’m gonna have to choose
And really I don’t wanna lose
My ticket into heaven
And a chance to be used by You”

This verse is exactly what we just discussed. We’re at this fork in the road meaning we have reached a point where we have knowledge about God and who he is and we know clearly what the world is about. We love the world and we also love God (is this truly possible? We’ll find out soon enough). Now we’re in constant battle with ourselves because we know that we have to make a decision soon (we are not fools) Unfortunately, we want what the world has to offer but we also want what God has to offer. This is the reason why many of us waste most of our lives standing at this fork, in this constant battle because we are hoping to find a middle ground which does not exist.

The chorus says “And if it’s God that I’m after
I can’t serve two masters
And before something happens
I got to turn it all around
Because I know
I can’t just have my cake and eat it too
Cause it’s real easy to stay on the fence and still do you
And it’d be cool if we could love the Lord and still go do our thing
But see it doesn’t work like that
You gotta to be white or black”

This is what I’m really trying to get at and it answers our question “Can I love God and Love the World?” The answer is right in the lyrics. “It’d be cool if we could love the Lord and still go do our thing, BUT see it doesn’t work like that”. It does not work like that. If you’re for God, be for him. If you’re for the world, that’s a decision you have to make for yourself. God tells us in Revelation 3: 15- 16 that he would rather us be hot or cold, not lukewarm. And if we are lukewarm he will spit us out his mouth. The song says the same thing, you have to be white or black, no gray. There is no middle ground. I know its easier said than done and I’ve been there and sometimes I feel like I still am at the fork battling myself even when I clearly know what is right. It’s like saying, I’m a good person and a bad person at the same time, when in reality, good and bad can not co-exist. They both exist separately but try bringing them together and what happens? It’s the same with God and the world, two extremes. The world is full of deception which allows us to believe that the two paths are not so different but we know there is a clear difference. We just have to look hard enough and have the desire to actually see the difference. 

I promise you, if you choose God and stick with him, you will never regret it. It’s not an easy decision to make nor is it an easy one to follow through with but the end is more rewarding than what the world has to offer.