This World is Not Our Home Goods: 5 Essential Verses to Help Navigate an Unsettled World

We gulp eager the fresh air of freedom as shackles of winter melt away like a snowball in the desert. Inhaling the deep pink of spring, we feel the ground settle under our feet.

Then boom! Like a lightning storm in an inky sky, a violent gale threatens our hard won peace. The slow emergence from an upside down world tilts yet again, not by a greedy virus but by the poison arrow of a looming physical presence—a ravenous Russia. 

We reel, knocked for a loop yet again, not by global illness, but by war. Images flash of evil unleashed in innocent deaths and destruction wrought on a small country—battling Goliath for all they hold dear.

I feel like I’m living in a James Bond nightmare. A favorite of my Dad, we watched them all. Multiple times. They featured actors representing which particular country most often—at least twelve times— as the center of malevolence? You guessed it, Russia, the perfect Hollywood bad guy. 

But fiction imitates life.

From Olympic cheating to threats of nuclear war, as long as I can remember, Russia embodied the devious bully. Forever bent on world domination, any alliance with us simmers uneasy at best. They sneak and plot like a jealous rival—always competing, looking for the day they are finally proclaimed top dog—regardless of the toll. 

Olympic doping scandals have lost Russia 46 medals. They have been caught 150 times, still they persist, trying to beat the system. In an obsessive Hitler-esqe fashion, they sanction drug regimens by team doctors to create a team of perfection—super athletes.

Friendly as a rattlesnake, their two-faced preoccupation with winning never wanes. Russia’s egocentric ambition has become annoying and even late-night TV fodder in its desperation to be the best—legitimately or not. 

But no one laughs now as greed turns violent in its Ukrainian land grab. With no qualms about the human toll extracted, their selfish ambition takes on a deadly face. 

This can’t be real can it? How can they just go in and blow people up as the world watches in horror?

The last two years have shown how the anxieties of an unstable life can spiral us quickly. And this latest abomination won’t be the last. The dark ruler of the world will see to it. His tools of envy, jealousy, and selfish ambition go hand in hand. No wonder James 3:14-16 warns hard against falling prey to them:

“But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”

Selfish ambition and envy are a slap to God. He gives all good things, yet humans remain dissatisfied.

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father…” James 1:17

We can trace the sometimes deadly race of envy and covetousness starting with murderous Cain who envied Abel’s approval from God; then Sarah’s jealous mistreatment of fertile Hagar; conniving Jacob in want of Esau’s birthright; then envious Rachel over fruitful Leah; and a faithful David despite jealous Saul; all culminating in betrayal during Jesus final hours. 

“For he (Pilate) realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.” Mark 15:10

We often want what others have. The sharp-edged truth shows our human nature. But unlike Russia in its disregard for anything standing in the way of their steamroll towards total supremacy, we have a Lord who shows us a better way and an eternal reward beyond our wildest dreams.

God is our Lord, who orders our world and provides us with these everlasting candles in the dark:

1. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

2. “For kingship belongs to the LORD, and He rules over the nations.” Psalm 22:28

3. Daniel answered and said:

 “He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” Daniel 2:20-21

4. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.” Psalm 125:2

5. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

Only God can give us true relief from our anxiety. 

So remember, we live on rental property, this world is not our Home Goods.