When a newspaper posed the question, “What’s Wrong with the World?” the Catholic thinker G. K. Chesterton reputedly wrote a brief letter in response: “Dear Sirs: I am. Sincerely Yours, G. K. Chesterton.” That is the attitude of someone who has grasped the message of Jesus. – Tim Keller, Prodigal God
My problems are not outside of me. My problem isn’t my spouse, my house, my work or some jerk who insults me or is unkind to me. My problem isn’t that I don’t have enough or that I didn’t get the right breaks. My problem isn’t my health or lack of wealth or my environment. My problem is me and my heart. My expectations. What I think I should have. What I crave that I’m not getting. My problem is sin. Sin is what’s wrong with the world.
People commit atrocities against others. People get hurt really bad. People suffer tragedies and go through great sadness. People hurt and kill innocent children. All because of sin. I’m not minimizing any of this. But in an ultimate sense, my greatest enemy is the sin which dwells within me. Satan is the god of this world. And he tempts me to sin and react to being sinned against with more sin. But even Satan doesn’t dwell in me like sin does.
That’s why I need the gospel. I need Jesus and his blood to wash away my sins, then I need the Holy Spirit to change my desires and give me the power to live for God’s glory.
Praise God that he reveals to us that our problems aren’t outside us. Our problems aren’t the things that happen to us. Our problems arise from how our heart interprets the things that happen to us and what we believe about God when they happen to us. Our problem is how we react to the things that happen to us. Do they drive us to God, or reveal sinful cravings?
What’s wrong with the world? We are. But because of the gospel, the world will be better as well, because Jesus is making us who have trusted in him into his own likeness. Because the Holy Spirit is working in us, we will be increasingly a sweet fragrance of Christ wherever we go, for his glory. Let it be so, Jesus.
