being in the world, not of it

[Christ_empowered]

OK. So, right now, I'm not a whole lot of either, lol. I get disability because I had a major nervous breakdown 6-7 years ago. I'm just now recovering, thanks only to my recent (18months) repentance and Christ's grace.

Recovery means, in my situation, that I get to go to school (online). Awesome! But this raises some questions, the big one being: now that I'm in a position to once again get into the world (mainstream society), how do I avoid becoming of it? Be ye not conformed unto the ways of this world, but be ye transformed by the renewal or your mind...

In a way, I'm (thanks only to Christ) blessed for having gone crazy. Its like an additional line in The Beatitudes: blessed are the mad, for they shall see...if not Christ, then I think truly, severely mentally ill people see how the world really works. Oppression of the poor. Abuse, by perfectly respectable people. The importance of power, prestige, and status to just about everybody.

So...yeah. Honestly, one reason I want to go back to school is to get a job so a) I won't be on disability and b) I won't be so vulnerable and oppressed ever, ever again. That's why I'm looking to start a business degree with a useful cognate/emphasis, so I can get a decent, secure job (God willing), maybe a masters one day (they do those online too, its amazing), and be in a position to help people who find themselves trapped in madness, poverty, oppression, bondage, etc.

The downside is that, if I wasn't a Christian, I'd just get the degree(s), get to work, and be like everybody else, right? The experience of madness and abuse would only make me bitter and work towards not being vulnerable; it wouldn't change who I was, which only Christ can do. And He has!

Back to the original Q. How do you stay in the world--working or whatever, dealing with non-believers day in, day out--and stay not OF the world? I have a cushy deal right now, all things considered. My nominal believer parents take good care of me in their very nice house. I even get to drive one of their very nice cars! Very few people who've had my life experiences get these opportunities.

So, that's the question: how does one stay (or get into) the world and yet remain not of the world?

 

[Angel]

Hun, I don't have a black and white answer. All I know is that the Spirit will lead you to do good, and will convict you of what is bad for your own heart. One thing though, don't rationalize something bad to be ok. What things/ situations are you generally speaking of?

 

[Christ_empowered]

Nothing specific...just random thoughts I my mind.

 

[His_nee (Jeff)]

OK. So, right now, I'm not a whole lot of either, lol. I get disability because I had a major nervous breakdown 6-7 years ago. I'm just now recovering, thanks only to my recent (18months) repentance and Christ's grace.

Recovery means, in my situation, that I get to go to school (online). Awesome! But this raises some questions, the big one being: now that I'm in a position to once again get into the world (mainstream society), how do I avoid becoming of it? Be ye not conformed unto the ways of this world, but be ye transformed by the renewal or your mind...

In a way, I'm (thanks only to Christ) blessed for having gone crazy. Its like an additional line in The Beatitudes: blessed are the mad, for they shall see...if not Christ, then I think truly, severely mentally ill people see how the world really works. Oppression of the poor. Abuse, by perfectly respectable people. The importance of power, prestige, and status to just about everybody.

So...yeah. Honestly, one reason I want to go back to school is to get a job so a) I won't be on disability and b) I won't be so vulnerable and oppressed ever, ever again. That's why I'm looking to start a business degree with a useful cognate/emphasis, so I can get a decent, secure job (God willing), maybe a masters one day (they do those online too, its amazing), and be in a position to help people who find themselves trapped in madness, poverty, oppression, bondage, etc.

The downside is that, if I wasn't a Christian, I'd just get the degree(s), get to work, and be like everybody else, right? The experience of madness and abuse would only make me bitter and work towards not being vulnerable; it wouldn't change who I was, which only Christ can do. And He has!

Back to the original Q. How do you stay in the world--working or whatever, dealing with non-believers day in, day out--and stay not OF the world? I have a cushy deal right now, all things considered. My nominal believer parents take good care of me in their very nice house. I even get to drive one of their very nice cars! Very few people who've had my life experiences get these opportunities.

So, that's the question: how does one stay (or get into) the world and yet remain not of the world?

the only answer i've seen work and it's never taught in the united states is voluntary poverty. without that, one of if not
the first things lost by the official church(ekklesia politically formed group) , no one has been able to remain not of
the world effectively and repeatedly(in more people). schindler of schindler's list might have been a clue for one way - and he cried that he hadn't sold his rolls royze because he said "i could have saved 12 more Jews from death" (if he had sold it) . . .
so there may be the rare individual in ekklesia out there somewhere who has managed to be in the world and not of the world, but they are extremely rare and don't have a 'reproduce-able' method as far as I have seen ever.

 

[Gary]

Back to the original Q. How do you stay in the world--working or whatever, dealing with non-believers day in, day out--and stay not OF the world? I have a cushy deal right now, all things considered. My nominal believer parents take good care of me in their very nice house. I even get to drive one of their very nice cars! Very few people who've had my life experiences get these opportunities.

So, that's the question: how does one stay (or get into) the world and yet remain not of the world?

Matthew 22
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”


Keep these 2 commandments at the forefront of your mind and heart. The Gospel is not as hard to follow as some make it out to be. Acknowledge and honor God and treat people the way you want to be treated and the Lord will assist you in filling in the blanks.


Luke 6
32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

.

 

[His_nee (Jeff)]

in the sense as Yeshua said you are right "those who are mine will keep my commandments, and my commandments are not burdensome"....
but in the sense that people won't give up their lives and possessions and favor of men, then it is for them not so easy because they simply won't comply with the Creator's Directions.
you might even say it was easiest of all for adam andhis wife, but look what happened !

1 John 5:3
New King James Version (NKJV)
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

John 15:10
New King James Version (NKJV)
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

 

[Gary]

in the sense as Yeshua said you are right "those who are mine will keep my commandments, and my commandments are not burdensome"....
but in the sense that people won't give up their lives and possessions and favor of men, then it is for them not so easy because they simply won't comply with the Creator's Directions.

If they're not complying with the Creator's directions, then they're not following the Gospel.
.

 

[His_nee (Jeff)]

If they're not complying with the Creator's directions, then they're not following the Gospel.
.

exactly correct! (and very sorrowfully)

 

[Free]

Back to the original Q. How do you stay in the world--working or whatever, dealing with non-believers day in, day out--and stay not OF the world? I have a cushy deal right now, all things considered. My nominal believer parents take good care of me in their very nice house. I even get to drive one of their very nice cars! Very few people who've had my life experiences get these opportunities.

So, that's the question: how does one stay (or get into) the world and yet remain not of the world?

By continual, regular prayer and reading the Bible so that one has the mind of Christ. There are other spiritual disciplines which can help but prayer and reading the Bible are necessary.

 

[jasonc]

theres no command to be in poverty in the bible. poverty is a perspective unto the nation that defines it.

 

[jasonc]

let god lead you in what you do and buy. it not easy and I fail at that at times. peer pressure is hard to resist.

 

[Michael74]

So, that's the question: how does one stay (or get into) the world and yet remain not of the world?

On my job, a group of Christians read the Bible together, and prayed together during coffee break. If you can find a job with a group of believers working there, this can be helpful. You might even be able to get a job at a local church for awhile, until you are ready to transition to a secular job.