The Serenity PrayerSample

Jesus and our sinful world

“… accepting this sinful world as it is, just as Jesus did, and not as I would have it …”

This devotional reflects on the need to accept the world as it is, full of sin, just as Jesus did. We live in a world "under the control of the evil one," as stated in 1 John 5:19. The word "world" has three meanings in the New Testament: the physical world, people, and the evil system that opposes God. This world’s system is under Satan’s influence, promoting false values and seeking to destroy God's work on earth. When Jesus came into the world, He faced evil in its most intense form, not just accepting the world as it is, but offering redemption through His life, death, and resurrection.

Jesus lived in a world of pain, evil, and rejection, as prophesied in Isaiah 53. He faced it all, bearing the sins and infirmities of humanity, yet He transformed this reality by offering healing and restoration through His wounds. He didn’t accept evil passively but came to transform people within this evil system, offering them the chance to become who God desires them to be.

Easter symbolizes this transformation. On the Friday of the crucifixion, Jesus confronted the darkness of this world, but on Resurrection Sunday, the victory of light over darkness was revealed. This message teaches us that, although we cannot change the world entirely, we can be transformed by the Holy Spirit and, in turn, be light in the midst of darkness, bringing hope and change to those around us.

Prayer: Lord, help me to accept this sinful world, just as Jesus did, but with the desire to be transformed and to bring Your light into the darkness. Give me the strength to face difficulties and the courage to be an instrument of change, reflecting Your love and grace. May the power of the resurrection renew me and enable me to live according to Your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.