Today half of our country is thrilled, and the other half is downtrodden. Unfortunately those who are thrilled will happily rub it in the face of those who are hurting. It’s the way of worldliness. Those who belong to the Lord need to remember that this is not our home, and we are not to join in with worldliness. “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4) 

Only humility to the Lord cures worldliness. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.” (James 4:7-9) James calls us to mourn and to enter a season of repentance, recognizing our own sin, and instead of lashing out at others in anger, we must take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 10:5). Remember that James opened his letter by instructing believers to chalk their hardships up as joy (James 1:2-4)!

This world here on earth is but a vapor (James 4:14), and in eternity we won’t think for a moment about any earthly heartache (Rev 21:4). So since we won’t think about it now, why waste the precious moments the Lord has given us fighting with the enemy disguised as someone we know. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12)

So instead of thinking of what we have (or don’t have) here on this temporary place we call earth, we must keep our eyes on our treasures in heaven, where our true reward is awaiting us (Matt 6:19-21). 

The best prescription if you are a child of the One true God, is to seek His wisdom: “My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.” (Prov 2:1-5)

Acquiring knowledge, especially the knowledge of God’s commands, is a good and noble pursuit. However, living virtuously requires the application of that knowledge to our lives. “But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” (James 1:22)

Scratching the surface of God’s Word without meditating on it so that it saturates your very being, will be like the seed that falls in the rocky soil or among the thorns and doesn’t take root (Matt 13:20-22). In war it’s important to recognize and know your enemy (Eph 6:12) and to stay away from them. Make no mistake, as long as we are alive on earth, Satan and his minions have declared war against believers! As a child of God, it’s important to abide in our Lord Jesus Christ because apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). “Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.” (Prov 2:2)