10 things Christians should resolve not to do: Not Obsess over Anything Other than Christ

From our Monday School lesson:

Have you ever had an ear-worm? What’s the best way to get rid of an ear-worm? Listen to the song. 90% of the time that will do it for me. If we use this logic for everything that we obsess about, can you think of what a mess we’d be in? Look at everything that’s going on in our world right now before you answer that question.

Obsess is defined as preoccupy or fill the mind of (someone) continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent.

1 John 2:15-17 ESV

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Matthew 6:24 ESV

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Colossians 3:2 ESV

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Let’s take a look at the world around us again. An ear- worm is tame compared to:

44.2 million people lived in households that had difficulty getting enough food to feed everyone in 2022.

Last year, federal data showed 582,462 people experienced homelessness.

In 2020, there were just over one million clients at substance abuse treatment facilities in the United States. Of this total, around 39 thousand were under 18 years of age.

The CDC says there were 620,327 abortions nationally in 2020 in the District of Columbia and 47 states. Data not available in some states.

Roughly two out of three U.S. adults are overweight or obese (69 percent) and one out of three are obese (36 percent).

What’s your obsession? Do you have one? Or two? Or three?

Sex, drugs, social media, work, spouse, relationships, vehicle, money, child, house, personal circumstances, the weather, the news, loosing weight, wanting a relationship. This is the short list.

What is occupying your mind instead of God?

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/10/26/1208760054/food-insecurity-families-struggle-hunger-poverty#:~:text=The%20report%20found%20that%2044.2,nearly%2045%20percent%20from%202021.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/12/15/homelessness-in-america-grew-2023/71926354007/#:~:text=Last%20year%2C%20federal%20data%20showed%20582%2C462%20people%20experienced%20homelessness.

https://www.statista.com/topics/3997/substance-abuse-treatment-and-rehabilitation-in-the-us/

Abortion in the U.S.: What the data says | Pew Research Center

Adult Obesity