Worldliness

So, I am not much of a book reviewer. It is not something I have had a lot of experience in. With that said, I wanted to present some of my thoughts on a book a recent finished reading. It was a great book centered around, well, as the titles says, worldliness. With a subtitle of "Resisiting the Seduction of a Fallen World, I think it is safe to assume that this book speaks of the world and the materialistic values we can often become trapped under. It is edited by C.J. Mahaney, because it is actually a compilation of discussions by other authors. It is now my attempt to at least break down the book and offer any sort of a review. 

If you don't count the foreword and appendixes as sections, there are 6 chapters in this book. Each chapter is broken up into segments relating to certain practices or ideas. The chapters are (with authors):

1. "Is this verse in your Bible?: -- C.J. Mahaney

2. "God, my heart, and Media" -- Craig Cabaniss

3. "God, my heart, and Music" -- Bob Kauflin

4. "God, my heart, and Stuff" -- Dave Harvey

5. "God, my heart, and Clothes" -- C.J. Mahaney

6. "How to love the world" -- Jeff Purswell

      The first chapter in the book starts off with a shocking story about one of our nation's heroes, who made his "own Bible" by cutting out only the verses he liked. Mahaney then relates it to our own lives, and how we tend to ignore some parts of the Bible, because it does not fit us. Also, how we ignore it, because we do not want to have to give up a love for something. Clearly our only love should by in the Lord, so that's the segue way into defining worldliness and thus setting the tone of the book. Mahaney defines worldliness as "love for this fallen world... to gratify and exalt oneself to the exclusion of God" (pg 27) Where do we place our hearts? What gives us security and a sense of belonging? Hopefully it's the Lord, if not, then we are drifting towards the world. Remember 1 John 2:15, Mahaney even quotes it "Do not love the world, or anything in the world."

       From there, the book goes depth with various things that we can fall in love with, and that can seduce us and lead us away from God. I could go into detail about each chapter, but I think I am going to refrain. Generally, in each chapter, the authors go into detail about how we fall for the temptations of our clothing, or music etc. They give real life examples of fallen hearts, scripture to revoke any justification for a love of anything material, and questions for examination of one's heart. Also, there are practical applications for accountability among other things to aid us in our defense against the seductions. It it without a doubt convicting and thought provoking. 

        The final chapter begins to help us put into perspective how to love the world, without being a part of it. For me, it is seeing the world as God's creation and wanting to love everything God has created, knowing, though, that everything belongs to our creator. "...there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'" - Abraham Kuyper. This goes into further discussion with using every aspect of your life to glorify God. 

       To end, here is a quote from John Piper, in the foreword of the book: 

"In the end, the sum of all beauty is Christ, and the sin of all worldliness is to diminish our capacity to see him and be satisfied in him and show him compellingly to a perishing world"(pg 13).