Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:15-17
The world = temporary. The world= Satan. The world= evil.
Your cravings are evil. The fact that you want every good looking thing you set your eyes on, is evil. That pride you feel for your accomplishments and maybe your house, car, or iPod? Evil. Especially the iPod, since I don't have one. Wait a minute...
Is it bad to want things? Bad to want shiny tvs? Just about anything in a Best Buy ad? Well, probably. Think about the emotions you feel when you see the latest gadget. How excited do you get when you study the specs and photo of what you want? How do you feel when your friend lets you see their new iPhone? At best these things are distractions from the Kingdom of God. At worst they become the center of our desires and the objects of our worship. We are willing to go into debt and neglect our relationship with God to serve our desires.
It is important to note what this verse so wisely says, that these things will pass away. They seem so important now but they will not last. Even if these things last the rest of our lives (which they rarely do) they still pass away. You can't take it with you, right? Technology becomes outdated. And the stuff that does not will be dispersed to our younger relatives or sold off and donated when we die.
The things will pass away, but the desire for them will pass away also. The focus will be on God for all eternity, even for those who are not saved. Those who are saved will be satisfied with his presence; those who are not will long for him in vain. This worldly system will be gone.
The world and its desires are evil and useless, while doing the will of God leads to eternal life. What a stark contrast! How foolish we are for going after worldly things. What an awful thing it is for the love of the Father to not be in us. What an awful consequence for going after things that last for such a short time.
May the Lord transform my mind and renew me daily so that I can focus on Him rather than the pretty shiny things of the world around me.
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