Simply telling…

I subscribe to Real Simple magazine. Each month, I love getting the sleek magazine in the mail with beautiful colors and genius uses for everyday things. Filled with tips for one’s life including clothing, household tips, life articles, recipes which I never use, and decorating. I would say it is the agreed upon choice of magazine for many women.

The magazine is seemingly benign especially compared to all the other magazines I could be reading–i.e. gossip and celebrity mags (which are tempting to turn your mind away from real world stuff). Somehow, I think Real Simple and the like (watching HGTV, TLC, etc) are more dangerous for me. Why? It tells me–manage your world like this and you will be happy. I am enthralled with wonderful colors and ideas and wants (not bad in themselves).

Many times this does not add to my godliness. Ungodliness is living without thought or reverence of God. These benign things can turn my mind and heart away from the urgent to things that pass away. The desire for this becomes a cancer that devours my soul, and I forget why I am here. The road to hell is not as much sex, drugs and rock and roll as seemingly nice, moral people, taking care of their houses, building their 401Ks, raising their kids, going on yearly beach vacations, and planning for retirement with no regard that God is even there. They live with no regard that they are separated from Him by their hearts that rebel against Him worshipping other things. Things that they (we) treasure are like eating day old McDonalds when He has a feast that is fit for royalty. I can become drunk with colors and tips for my “happy life” instead of sober to the reality of the awesomeness of God and the truth of His word that so desperately needs to be shared. (At this point, you may be thinking, “she’s nuts”-that’s okay.)

I am not saying this magazine is evil or taking care of your household and family are evil–but they are not the end all. There is so much more. Anything can become evil when we turn our hearts and minds to think on hope in them and worship them before treasuring Jesus. I am called to help those around me treasure Christ more and more–sharing the Truth of the gospel to wake them from their slumber to the UNIMAGINABLE promise of life in Christ through His blood shed to take our punishment for sin. This is just a reminder that the seemingly benign can kill us with a hidden stealth if we do not examine our hearts and lives.