The World Is Our Prison
Have you ever seen The Truman Show with Jim Carrey?
The film follows Truman Burbank, an ordinary man who unknowingly lives his entire life inside a massive dome built for a reality TV show. Every aspect of his existence is controlled and broadcast to the world, with actors posing as his friends and family. As Truman begins to notice inconsistencies in his surroundings, he starts questioning his reality. This leads him on a journey for truth and freedom, ultimately confronting Christof, the show’s creator, who has manipulated Truman’s life from the start. In a desperate attempt to keep Truman imprisoned, Christof even risks his life.
In many ways, our life on Earth mirrors The Truman Show. Humanity is trapped in a world ruled by Satan, much like Truman’s world is controlled by Christof. We are cut off from the true reality of life with God, and the lies that confine us blind us to the truth. When we begin to see through these illusions, Satan—who has been pulling the strings from the shadows—does everything he can to keep us from discovering the truth.
When God created the earth, He had a specific purpose in mind, but it was never meant to be our permanent home. Although this might be difficult to accept, "home" is typically where we live permanently, and this earth is only a temporary stop on our journey—one we are destined to leave behind. Knowing that humanity would reject Him, God provided a place for us to dwell while giving us time to recognize our profound mistake and turn back to Him.
Christians often claim to know that this world is not their true home, yet their lives often suggest otherwise. We were not meant to fully invest in this world, put down deep roots, or build our lives on the foundation of a temporary earth. However, many of us seem more focused on our houses, cars, retirement plans, stocks, and education than on God.
Is it wrong to have a house, car, and other material things? The answer is both yes and no. Consider this:
Did God bless you with these things while you faithfully pursued Him, or did you work tirelessly to acquire them while neglecting your relationship with God? In other words, have you worked harder for your spiritual growth or your material success?
If you lost everything in your life, would it devastate you? One of the most dangerous things we can say is that we "need" something. The moment we declare a need for something, it becomes our master. We cannot serve two masters. The Bible teaches that our only true necessities are food, water, and clothing, and God promises to provide these if we do our part in faith.
When we invest ourselves in this world, we fall right into Satan’s trap. We bind ourselves to temporary things, blinding ourselves to the truth. This risks destroying our relationship with God, undermining His purpose and plans for our lives, jeopardizing our future, and—if we aren’t saved—endangering our eternal salvation.
You will never be able to grow your faith if you’re invested in this world. It’s like having your feet set in cement—spiritually, you won’t move forward. That’s why God commands us not to love this world or the things in it. This world will either be your escape or your coffin. The choice is yours.
