"They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified." John 17:16-19
"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." 1 Peter 2:11
"But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a savior from there, The Lord Jesus Christ." Philippians 3:20
So I have had this idea going through my head for quite a while. I do not assert that it is a unique idea to the world; but this past year it has been a unique idea for myself. It is the idea of detachment. It is my belief that being detached/disconnected to the world is good and beneficial, while being attached and connected is actually negative. Now before I say what I think detachment is, I want to say what I think it is not. Detachment is not something that encourages laziness or contentment. It does not allow for immature and rash behavior, nor does it render people stoic and unfeeling. Rather it is quite the opposite. It is a state of being that helps us fully engage with the life that God wants for us here on this Earth. It is an acceptance of life to its greatest degree, a recognition of what is and what can be!
In order to understand this idea of detachment, it is first important to understand how it comes about. Detachment revolves solely around God, for if it was about me personally I would not be detached. As most of you who are reading this have experienced, life before Christ = life in this world. Being a part of this world means that we are very dependent and attached to it. Our decisions revolve around our feelings and desires, we are guided not by what is right and wrong but by what is most convenient or easy. We worry more about how we appear to others, then how we can help them. We are plagued with insecurity, self righteousness, jealousy, bitterness, and an all encompassing yearning for acceptance. ( I feel like I always need to buffer my statements, so that my few 'followers' don't get the wrong idea. I am not trying to say that Christians don't deal with these things, but that our deepest desire as Christians is to conform to God, not the world. To read more of this see previous blog).
Something miraculous happens when we are transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ. We know we are accepted! Death no longer prevails over our lives, for we are promised eternity in Heaven! Our perception suddenly, or gradually, changes; we now think "this life isn't about me...it is about God." How profound a revelation, what peace it can bring, if only we accept it.
Detachment then, is living my life for God rather than for myself. As Christians we want to strive to glorify God in all things, for this is the only thing that matters. My happiness comes second to doing what God wants, my well being also drops in priority. No longer am I in the American "pursuit of happiness," but in the Christ like "pursuit of God". God is so much better than happiness, although more often than not he fills us with Joy.
Detachment from the world and attachment to God revolutionizes how we make choices. Decisions now are more influenced by who God is and what God wills, than by my feelings, others opinions, or my personal expectations. As Christians we want to conform to God; what God sees as good we ought to see as good, what God sees as bad we ought to see as bad. Things that make God angry and sad ought to make us angry and sad. Likewise what makes God happy and joyful ought to make us happy and joyful. The Sacrifice of Jesus, which gives us access to God and entrance to Heaven, allows us to become detached from this world. This detachment allows us to glorify God, to let Christ live through us, and to proclaim the Gospel through all things.
God has been impressing me with the same truth during the last year. Detachment, for me, means we are also freed from the need to be in control. We can let go because, ultimately, God is in control. And we can listen to God alone and let Him set our agenda. It's challenging to discern but important to do.
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