Playground or Battleground?

"[Today] men think of the world not as a battleground, but as a playground.  We are not here to fight; we are here to frolic.  We are not in a foreign land; we are at home.  We are not getting ready to live, but we are already living, and the best we can do is rid ourselves of our inhibitions and our frustrations and live this life to the full.  This, we believe, is a fair summary of the religious philosophy of modern man, openly profess by millions and tacitly held by many more millions who live out that philosophy without having given it verbal expression... The idea that this world is a playground instead of a battleground has now been accepted in practice by the vast majority of Christians.  They might hedge around the question if they were asked bluntly to declare their position, but their conduct gives them away... We languish for men who feel themselves expendable in the warfare of the soul because they have already died to the allurements of this world." ~A.W. Tozer

Do we view the world as a playground or a battleground?  John Piper has asked the same question but referred to it as living with a wartime mentality or a peace time mentality.  And how we answer the question will drastically affect how we live and interact with God and others.  Too often, we as the church, especially in America, view Christianity as a playground toy designed to enhance our experience in life.  Let's be honest, often what we offer the world as Christianity looks nothing like nothing more than a  playground device to better enhance one's experience of the playground.  "Come, accept Jesus, because the slide, swings and teeter-totters are not enough, you need the Jesus jungle gym and then your playground experience will be more fulfilling."  Or, "Come, accept Jesus, because the playground is dangerous, but with Jesus, you can ride slide and the swings without fear of getting hurt, and your teeter-totter emotions will be a bit more stable."  

While the playground analogy is kind of cheeky and funny, the implications of it are sobering.  So many people profess to know Christ and yet look, act, and sound like the world to such a degree that the only thing they can say about Christianity is that it makes life better or happier or takes away fear.  Christianity becomes a ticket to live just like everyone else and just like you always have with the assurance of smoother sailing during this life and the promise of an even more prosperous eternal life (i.e., an eternity of chasing the things of the world we love now but actually attaining them to our hearts content).  Life becomes a cruise while we wait to die (or for Jesus to come back) so we can go to the all inclusive resort.  

Worldliness (the love of the things of the world) is and will be the downfall of many.  Oh that we would not love the world.  Stop chasing after the same things the world chases after and then acting as if you did God a favor by attaining it.  Stop placing supreme value on the things the world values and then putting a spiritual spin on it to ease your conscience.  Stop viewing this world as a mere rest stop on your way to heaven for you are in danger of never seeing heaven.  Repent!  Turn to Jesus and gaze upon His beauty.  That anything in this earth could contend for our affection over and above that of Jesus is evidence of the darkness that dwells in our hearts and our need for even more of Him!  It is little wonder that Jesus tells us that the violent take the kingdom of heaven by force (Matthew 11:12).  Violently press into Jesus until you get more and more of Him!