Worldliness by C.J. Mahaney

Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World

I just finished the audio book, Worldliness by C.J. Mahaney with contributing authors: John Piper (Foreword), Dave Harvey, Bob Kauflin, Jeff Purswell, and Craig Cabaniss.

The book begins with a challenging first chapter by Mahaney, wondering if the verse, I John 2:15, which says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world." is in Your Bible. Is it? What does this verse mean? This is the basic premise of the book, God's call to be in the world, but not love the world or anything in the world.

The following chapters deal with different areas of life and how to incorporate this command in a real way. Chapter two deals with the media. Chapter three focuses on music. Chapter four challenges the place of stuff in our hearts. Chapter five discusses clothing. The final chapter of the book really brings it together with a discussion on how to love the world.

As a whole, I found this book to be especially convicting. The questions that were being asked in each section probed deep into my daily practices to reveal different areas where the love of the world could be creeping in or has already built a lodge within my heart.

I also found this book to be exceptionally practical. There were real, tangible ways to put the supported principles into practice. And amazingly, the book didn't degrade into a legalistic mess. Many times when authors attempt to illustrate principles they tend to be legalistic in their approach. These authors were able to avoid that trap, and I believe that it is because of their great love for the gospel message that infiltrated every page.

I highly recommend this book... unless of course you aren't interested in being challenged and possibly convicted.

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The Minnesota Crime Commission wrote:

Every baby starts life as a little savage. He is completely selfish and self-centered. He wants what he wants when he wants it: his bottle, his mother's attention, his playmate's toys, his uncle's watch, or whatever. Deny him these and he seethes with rage and aggressiveness which would be murderous were he not so helpless. He's dirty, he has no morals, no knowledge, no developed skills. This means that all children, not just certain children but all children, are born delinquent. If permitted to continue in their self-centered world of infancy, given free reign to their impulsive actions to satisfy each want, every child would grow up a criminal, a thief, a killer, a rapist.

HARMLESS THOUGHTS

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