Do You Love The World Or Do You Love The Lord?
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” – 1 John 2:15-17
Yesterday we talked about the different characteristics of being a follower of Christ, including the continuation of your faith that should be evident in your Christian walk. But just like any other journey, living life as a Christian will have its ups and downs. There will be times when following Jesus is easy, but there will also be times when it’s not so easy. It’s during those difficult times when we can be tempted to pursue what the world has to offer more than we pursue Christ.
Sure, there are a lot of great things and people in this world. But when you begin to think that loving these things and these people can give you more fulfillment and peace than God can, you are walking on dangerous ground.
We are reminded in the second chapter of 1 John that it’s not possible to fully love God the way we’re called to if we’re also trying to love the world. Scripture says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15-17).
Focus on that last sentence for a minute. Everything in this world is temporary, but your relationship with the Lord is eternal. Anything or anyone you’re chasing on this earth will never satisfy you the way God can. No job, no relationship, no salary, no material thing will ever fill the void that only the Lord can fill.
I want to challenge you to ask yourself, “Do I love the world or do I love the Lord?” and in doing so, I hope you will allow the Holy Spirit to search your heart and make it clear to you what you’re trying to gain fulfillment from. Only when you identify what these idols are will you be able to release them through the power of the Holy Spirit in you and once again place God in His rightful place as Lord of your life.
Yesterday we talked about the different characteristics of being a follower of Christ, including the continuation of your faith that should be evident in your Christian walk. But just like any other journey, living life as a Christian will have its ups and downs. There will be times when following Jesus is easy, but there will also be times when it’s not so easy. It’s during those difficult times when we can be tempted to pursue what the world has to offer more than we pursue Christ.
Sure, there are a lot of great things and people in this world. But when you begin to think that loving these things and these people can give you more fulfillment and peace than God can, you are walking on dangerous ground.
We are reminded in the second chapter of 1 John that it’s not possible to fully love God the way we’re called to if we’re also trying to love the world. Scripture says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15-17).
Focus on that last sentence for a minute. Everything in this world is temporary, but your relationship with the Lord is eternal. Anything or anyone you’re chasing on this earth will never satisfy you the way God can. No job, no relationship, no salary, no material thing will ever fill the void that only the Lord can fill.
I want to challenge you to ask yourself, “Do I love the world or do I love the Lord?” and in doing so, I hope you will allow the Holy Spirit to search your heart and make it clear to you what you’re trying to gain fulfillment from. Only when you identify what these idols are will you be able to release them through the power of the Holy Spirit in you and once again place God in His rightful place as Lord of your life.
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2 Comments
Thanks so very much for the perfect reminders. I used to struggle with what the love of the world meant. I'm starting to get it thanks to these messages :)
I don't want what the world offers. I am old enough to not need what the world offers. I am grateful and thankful that I grew up with values and respect for one another. Most people around me went to church and followed the ways of Jesus. It was a lot more loving world when I was younger. I still follow Jesus.