Attached Detachment to the World

UV 4263/10000 Attached Detachment to the World And those who use the world ( taking advantage of its opportunities), as though they did not make full use of it. For the outward form of this world ( its present social and material nature) is passing away. I Corinthians 7 v 31 Being in the world but not of the world is the new perspective believers develop after reposing faith in Jesus. We are to remain detached in our attachment to the world and what it has to offer, knowing that it is all temporary and perishable. The world and all in it are going to fade away but the Word will remain. Hence, we are not to be engrossed, obsessed or attached to the world. Even while engaging with the world and its opportunities, our priority is to be the kingdom of God, the will of God. In our workplace, for instance, we should show more commitment to excellence than others without being too worried about our prospects of promotion or career growth. Paul goes to the extent in the run up to this uni-verse to say that those who are married should live as they were not. In short, nothing and no one should take the place of the Lord in our hearts and lives. Yet, we are to redeem every opportunity to honour and glorify God.. It implies that we should avail of every resource, every opening to make known the name of the Lord and His plan of salvation for mankind. This attitude of the believer may best be described as attached detachment. This is what is encouraging me to refire, or to remain active on all fronts, in ministry, in social work, in training, in public speaking engagements in my second innings after thirty four years service in the Indian Police Service and 30 months as a bank officer preceding that. The second innings is not a time for rest but like in cricket, it is the more decisive innings, the innings that produces a result. We need to continue to pray, play, pay to the utmost level of our ability and resources without overly worrying about the result. It is a time not to fritter away opportunities but to leverage, maximize on it We need to recall on the basis of this uni-verse that everything else will not count in terms of eternity except what we speak, think and do on behalf of the Lord. Hence, our focus should be on the locus, the central point of our existence in this sin prone world- the Lord God. Our priority is the Lord and His work and word. In concrete terms, we need to double the time we spend in prayer, in the presence of the Lord, in the word and reduce our preoccupations with the world. It is not a life of renunciation or monastic seclusion that Paul is advocating but of pragmatic, balanced focus on the Lord by giving Him both first priority not just in terms of time but in terms of attention and commitment.