Saturday May 13th: With whom do I identify?

‘If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own’

John 15:18-21

When I read this verse of scripture the first thing that came to mind was Jesus saying, ‘Be in the world but not of the world’. Belonging to the world may mean living lives according to whims and fancies while paying little attention to the teachings of Jesus Christ. This of course is how we can be trapped by the evil principles of sin. As our parents used to say, “Birds of a feather flock together” and “Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are”.
Jesus is reminding us that even though we are physically present in the world we don’t have to be part of its value system; and even if we lose some family members and friends along the way, we are comforted knowing that Jesus walked this road too.
Lord Jesus, help me to set my mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, and to realize that friendship with the world can lead us to enmity with God.