A few years ago, a country song entitled, “Where Corn Don’t Grow” was somewhat popular for a little while. The theme of the song is a seventeen year old feels he must chase his dreams away from the family & farm that raised him. He can only be successful in a bigger place, a large city; a place that seems to lure him away because of the “shinyness” that awaits. The lyrics chronicle a conversation between the boy and his dad with his dad reminding the son all the things he is trying to get away from will exist wherever he goes. The young son is being lured by temptation!
How many of us deal with being “tempted” by the “world?” Well, we all do on some level. We never get up in the morning and are intentional to follow Satan. When we lose our focus on Christ, we become susceptible and fall prey in most cases without even realizing the path we are on! Dennis F. Kinlaw (1922-2017) stated, “Satan disguises submission to himself under the ruse of personal autonomy. He never asks us to become his servants. Never once did the serpent say to Eve, ‘I want to be your master.’ The shift in commitment is never from Christ to evil; it is always from Christ to self. And instead of his will, self-interest now rules and what I want reigns. And that is the essence of sin.”
I John 2:16 reminds us how we are tempted, “For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world.” Verse 17 reminds us, “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
We know it is fine to set goals and work to accomplish them in life. May we seek to keep Christ on the forefront of all we do and do the will of the Lord. Let us remember, no matter where we seek to “chase greatness” with our personal life, the world is passing away, but God abides forever. Temptation lies all around us. The choice to give in to sin will reflect our relationship with Jesus. May we always choose Jesus!
