Holidays: Worldly or Wonderful?
by an Old Disciple
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.”~ 1 Jn. 2:15
The writer of Hebrews tells us the first tabernacle was “worldly.” That is, it was made by man and pitched by man. If you went by the reasoning of some, those who frequented this sanctuary would be, of necessity, worldly Christians. By this definition, all Christians are worldly. We basically wear the same apparel (not fashion), use their form of transportation, live in the same kind of houses, and eat and buy our food at the same places of business.
Worldliness has to do with affections. “Love not the world.” Scriptures teach we are permitted to richly enjoy the things of the world. Enjoy; Yes. Enamored (inflamed with love); No! One old theologian puts it this way, “You cannot find fault with the sharpness of the world’s saw. The problem lies in the fact that it cannot cut straight.”
It’s the world’s inward principles and priorities that we are warned against, not necessarily their outward manner. The wrong lies not in having their things, but their things having us. Paul plainly tells us that it is an accepted and expected fact for married couples to “careth for things of the world,” that they might please one another. We are to use the things of the world, just not abuse them. While our affections are set on things above, we can still enjoy things on the earth.
”Holidays can be Holy-days. It all has to do with the affection of the heart.” (rds)
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