Need some help on what it means to be worldly?

[Harley.]

This is an odd thing to me. We are told not to be worldly, and yet we were made for the earth. I love being physical and not a spirit, I like making music, I like watching society advance. Is this sinful of me? Adam and Eve were told to develop the world, so I dont think it is, and yet these desires are considered "worldly"?

 

[Petros2015]

I love being physical and not a spirit, I like making music, I like watching society advance. Is this sinful of me? Adam and Eve were told to develop the world, so I dont think it is, and yet these desires are considered "worldly"?

I like Lewis's quote from the book "the Great Divorce":

“There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to Him and bad when it turns from Him.”

Elsewhere, we are exhorted in the Gospel of John to "be in the world but not of the world". To like making music is not intrinsically "worldly". Though, you could (and many do) make very worldly music. You could also make OtherWorldly music. To have a physical body is not worldly; though a person with a body can certainly do very worldly things with it. Christ prefers we do OtherWorldly things. The same hand that can clench to a fist can also fold in prayer. The same mouth that can curse can also bless. Worldliness has more to do with where the heart is pointed, than with anything else.

As for Society advancing... heh. Well, I don't have too much hope of it ever becoming OtherWorldly (Heavenly). Parts of it might. Technology does do some neat tricks every now and then, and it would be a mistake to wish Society ill. But it's a step removed, Society isn't personal like a Person, and people are what God cares about I think at the individual level more than the cultural, technological or national.

Hope this helps?

 

[timothyu]

We were cast out of the Garden and into the world to live with the consequences of having put our will ahead of the will of God. That was original sin. Every time we put our will first, be it with God or fellow man, we are classic examples of selfishness, the opposite to loving all as self. This is what being worldly means in a biblical sense.

 

[tturt]

Our youth pastor's advice was if you are comfortable watching it with Jesus or saying, hearing it with Him, you decide. Because as a believer, He is there.

 

[Harley.]

I like Lewis's quote from the book "the Great Divorce":

“There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to Him and bad when it turns from Him.”

Elsewhere, we are exhorted in the Gospel of John to "be in the world but not of the world". To like making music is not intrinsically "worldly". Though, you could (and many do) make very worldly music. You could also make OtherWorldly music. To have a physical body is not worldly; though a person with a body can certainly do very worldly things with it. Christ prefers we do OtherWorldly things. The same hand that can clench to a fist can also fold in prayer. The same mouth that can curse can also bless. Worldliness has more to do with where the heart is pointed, than with anything else.

As for Society advancing... heh. Well, I don't have too much hope of it ever becoming OtherWorldly (Heavenly). Parts of it might. Technology does do some neat tricks every now and then, and it would be a mistake to wish Society ill. But it's a step removed, Society isn't personal like a Person, and people are what God cares about I think at the individual level more than the cultural, technological or national.

Hope this helps?

the only reason why I ask is that Adam and Eve were tasked to develop the world originally

 

[Petros2015]

the only reason why I ask is that Adam and Eve were tasked to develop the world originally

Hmm. Found this (fairly good) article on the topic

Biblical view of work | Forging Bonds

Five Building Blocks of the Biblical View of Work

www.forgingbonds.org

==
why-adams-calling-to-subdue-the-earth-matters
[Excerpt]

And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Gen 1:26-28).

The close connection of Genesis 1:26 with the mandate to “rule” shows that this act of ruling is a defining aspect of what it means to be made in God’s image. We are called to stand in for God here in the world, exercising stewardship over the rest of creation as vice-regents.

The opening chapters of Genesis leave us with a striking truth—work was part of paradise. It was part of God’s perfect design for human life, because we are made in God’s image and part of his glory and happiness is that he works. “My Father is always at his work to this very day,” said Jesus, and I too am working.” (John 5:17). The fact that God put work in paradise reminds us that it was not a result of the fall, as is often thought. Work was part of the blessedness of the garden BEFORE the fall. Work is as much a basic human need as food, beauty, rest, friendship, prayer, and sexuality…Without meaningful work we sense significant inner loss and emptiness. People who are cut off from work because of physical or other reasons quickly discover how much they need work to thrive emotionally, physically, and spiritually

 

[Oneofhope]

To be worldly means that a person belongs to this world. To belong to this world means that a person belongs to Satan. Being worldly is not a good position to be in.

I've never heard that Adam and Eve were to develop the world. Any legitimate Bible study would show that it is God who develops the world; none other.

 

[tturt]

Here's a couple -

"And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." Gen 2:15

"And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him." v 20

And there was intentional time spent with the Lord "And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: ..." Gen 3:8

 

[Oneofhope]

Here's a couple -

"And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." Gen 2:15

"And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him." v 20

And there was spending time with the Lord "And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: ..." Gen 3:8

So you're saying that because Adam gave names to all of the animals, that he is responsible for the developed world?

 

[timothyu]

So you're saying that because Adam gave names to all of the animals, that he is responsible for the developed world?

Al Gore said he invented the internet, and look at us all now

 

[AlexB23]

Our youth pastor's advice was if you are comfortable watching it with Jesus or saying, hearing it with Him, you decide. Because as a believer, He is there.

Agreed on this one. Worldly stuff may include violent television shows where evil prevails and where no heroes exist, heavy metal or rap with lyrics objectifying people, or going to parties just to get drunk, or anything that you put above God.

However, there are some forms of stuff that may be in the grey-area, depending on how one responds to the song, TV show or event. That is up for you to decide. For instance, if all the songs have clean lyrics, but you say this in the song's music video comments section: "This musician is a god at composing [insert music genre] and my idol", then, your favorite musician is worldly for you, as you put him/her up on a pedestal. Now that musician may not be worldly for me, as I did not put him/her up on a pedestal, and instead said this: "Man, all of these musician's new songs are good. Hopefully he/she releases a new album in 2024". Now that comment is not making the musician an idol, but just saying most of his/her songs are good.

 

[timothyu]

Worldly in the sense of anti-Kingdom is anything that operates on the principle of putting self interest before care of others. The second commandment following the first of putting God's will first. The world man has made in our own image operates on selfish principles.

 

[Oneofhope]

Al Gore said he invented the internet, and look at us all now

I don't get it.

 

[Petros2015]

However, there are some forms of stuff that may be in the grey-area, depending on how one responds to the song

It's the brief pathos in the background violin strings at 0:40 that really get me on this one.
Cut short, all too soon, all too soon

 

[AlexB23]

It's the brief pathos in the background violin strings at 0:40 that really get me on this one.
Cut short, all too soon, all too soon

Ok. How does this relate to the original post by Harley?

 

[Petros2015]

Ok. How does this relate to the original post by Harley?

Well, I suppose movies like that are "something we grow out of".
(I saw this one in the theater with my dad, so it will probably take me longer than most)
It's kind of hard to class Attack of the Killer Tomatoes as anything other than Worldly...

But I have to admit, 45 years later, the Four Square Symphony Orchestra did a *pretty impressive* job with what was almost certainly a shoestring budget. Somebody put some time, talent and energy into it and had a lot of fun doing it. As someone who never learned to play an instrument, I can only say to that, "well done"

 

[AlexB23]

Well, I suppose movies like that are "something we grow out of".
(I saw this one in the theater with my dad, so it will probably take me longer than most)
It's kind of hard to class Attack of the Killer Tomatoes as anything other than Worldly...

But I have to admit, 45 years later, the Four Square Symphony Orchestra did a *pretty impressive* job with what was almost certainly a shoestring budget. Somebody put some time, talent and energy into it and had a lot of fun doing it. As someone who never learned to play an instrument, I can only say to that, "well done"

This movie was about tomatoes going splat. It was probably done for fun. The tomatoes going spat pales in comparison to the violent TV of the 21st century where blood gets splat everywhere.