Rest for our Souls

By: John Carrigan

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14

In the verse above, Paul challenged the Corinthian believers to remove the worldly opinions and behaviors from their midst. In 2026, we still need to heed that wise advice from Paul, the advice God inspired him to write.

At times, our world seems to be moving at breakneck speed. Modern culture changes so fast that it's hard to tell if we’re moving forward or backward! But if the moving target of "cultural norms" is our standard of measure, we'll never find peace. Instead, we must fix our eyes on Jesus and leave worldly things behind because they don’t really matter.

To recalibrate our thinking, we need to go back to the beginning. Genesis 1:1 says God created the world. It also reminds us that creation was a divine action, not a natural occurrence. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

In Hebrew, "created" is the word bārā', which means to create something out of nothing. But only God can create something out of nothing! The word bārā' highlights God's autonomy, authority, and omnipotence over creation. God's Word also says nothing that is, was, or will be, is a coincidence or happenstance. God is in complete control of everything that happens in our lives and in our world.

Instead of "thinking worldly" to decide how things are, we must look towards our creator who will eventually make everything right. But until Jesus returns, we must let go of worldly ideas, worldly things, and worldly opinions. Don't trust the world, trust God! He loves us so much, He sent His only Son to pay the price for our sins. When Jesus paid our debt, it reconciled us back to our creator (John 3:16).

In the meantime, we have two choices: light or darkness. The Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Satan. If asked, most believers wouldn't admit to choosing darkness, but how we live our lives and who we associate with speaks louder than words. God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but if we call ourselves a Christ follower, He expects us to look and act different than the world.

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29

It’s never too late to take Paul's advice... Just ask the Holy Spirit to help you leave the world behind!