throwing out the world

I have been thinkinga lot lately about what I am living for, who I am trying to please.

For those of you who know me, I generally try to be a people pleaser. I get my foot in everything, and have real trouble saying no, or approaching people when I have issues. All I have ever wanted is to live in the world, but not be of the world. The problem is though, I figured to live in the world I had to be liked by the world. Lately though, I have been realizing that my views on it have been all wrong.
1 John 2:15 (NLT) says, "Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you."
This verse convicted me like you wouldn't imagine. There is so much in this world that I love. I love fame, power, money, popularity, I love this societal view of love. I am not talking about sexual love, but rather this love of needing someone. Sadly, no human will make me complete. The only love that can do that is this perfect, agape love that comes from God.
Ephesians 2:1-6 (MSG) talks of this life I have been living: "It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah."
It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. How true that is. The world knows nothing of living. Allt hese things we "live" for only leave us more empty than we started. We get plastic surgery, but something else is wrong, we lose weight, but we will never be as skinny as the models, we are rich, but still can't afford that $73 million house. There is never a feeling complete joy. This can only happen with Jesus, and I don't understand why this takes so long to set into my brain.
1 John also talks about how it is imperitave that we don't just stop at believing. we are called to live. "Loving God means keeping his commandments, and really, that isn't difficult"(ch5, vs.3). Jesus says "if you love me you will follow my commands." I love Jesus, I have never stopped loving Him. Following his commands, on the other hand has been a much larger challenge for me. I have always been able to slide by the skin of my teeth. I can put on a good mask and pretend that I have always been a great Christian, but to actually live like one is a different story.
So, what now?
1 John 3:13 says, "Don't be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you". Jesus was not liked by the people he was around. He didn't please them. The world is not going to love us, but we are still called to love the world.
Proverbs 3:3,4 says
"Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!
Tie them around your neck as a reminder.
Write them deep within your heart.
Then you will find favor with both God and people,
and you will earn a good reputation."
It is not that we cannot gain good favor with those around us, it is just that people are scared of what they don't understand. And they cannot understand what we have, until we show them, and until they receive it.