Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 2 John 2.15-17
John says that we shouldn’t love the world. This doesn’t imply that we shouldn’t admire or celebrate the great things that are in the world or ignore the achievements that have made our lives simpler or more effective. The ‘world’ connotes the systems, the lifestyles and values that’s against God. If we have surrendered our hearts to the Lord, we shouldn’t be intertwined or entangled with what’s sinful or evil. Our focus is on pleasing the Lord and pursuing what would last for eternity.
Jesus said that we may be in this world, but we are not of this world. Paul encouraged the church in Colossae to set their minds on things that are above where Christ lives. (3.1) Our citizenship isn’t of this world; we are all on a journey ‘home’. We brought nothing to this world, and we’ll take nothing away. Don’t hold on to anything and anyone except God. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. Who or what’s on the throne of your heart?
We can’t claim to love God and also love the things of this world. We can’t claim to fear God but ‘follow’ and celebrate those who don’t fear God. We can’t claim to serve God in public but worship idols in secret. We can’t be singing and praying at deafening decibels but remain stuck in cycles of ungodliness and immorality. There’s no sitting on the sidelines, no middle ground of indifference and apathy, we are either seeking to please God and passionate about what’s important to Him or we have quenched the Spirit’s power and merely existing and not living the abundant life that Jesus promised.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. The lust of the flesh is the immediate gratification of our physical and emotional needs. The world says its ok to be intimate with several partners whether you are married or not. It wants us to stop at nothing to fulfil our desires if we can afford it and as long as no one is hurt. And the list of our lustful addictions is endless if left unchecked. But Jesus says that if your eye, hand or foot causes you to sin, it’s better to be in heaven with one of those body parts than wailing in hell with both of them. And this isn’t the amputation of our body parts but consistently and intentionally staying away from anyone or anything that will draw us away from the Lord.
The lust of the eyes keeps us trapped in cycles of greed, discontentment and an ungrateful heart. We desperately want something, and we will not give up till we get it. We continue to live beyond our means knee-deep in debt buying what we don’t need to impress people we don’t like. And our houses are filed with so much junk that hasn’t been worn in years. Our pantries are full of food we won’t eat and won’t give out to those who badly need them. Our insatiable desires are a reflection of the gaping hole in our hearts longing to be filled. But no one and nothing can or will satisfy the yearning of our hearts. Jesus is the bread from heaven for our hungry souls and the living water that will quench our thirst.
The pride of life is the root cause of the frantic amassing and acquiring of possessions, positions and power. When we do anything to get ahead of others, when we begin to draw attention to ourselves and build a name or a monument for ourselves even while pretending to serve the Lord, we are struggling with pride. Our identity and worth aren’t in how we look, what we have or what we do but in God. When we forget whose we are, who gave us all we have, why we are here on earth and that life is brief, then we become proud. And pride is the beginning of a slippery fall to destruction. When we least expect it, we’ll soon be flat on our faces.
To avoid getting caught up in the ways of the world, let’s spend regular and quality time in God’s presence and allow Him to change our perspective and enable us to pursue what’s important to Him as we seek to please Him in all we do. Something happens to your heart and your priorities the longer you linger in God’s presence. Lord deliver me from bondage of sin, pride and lust, give me a new heart and a new spirit. Amen
And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God will abide for ever. The world’s values or priorities are different from God’s. What may be impressive to many of us doesn’t get God’s attention at all. Many will be sorely disappointed to find out someday that their lives were a colossal waste because they lived to please people and to excel in the standards of the world, but they failed to please God and didn’t care about His plans and purpose for them. Anything that doesn’t glorify God, that doesn’t point people to Jesus or lead them to the cross and what has no eternal value isn’t important to God.
This world is certainly passing away. We’ve got only one life and it would soon be past, only what is done for Christ will last. When we stand before God someday, our toys, trophies or triumphs will have no value. Only what was done in His name and for God’s glory will be rewarded. This world is not our home, we are just strangers here. Life is short, what are you living for? If all your prayers are answered, what else are you living for? For me, to live is Christ. (Philippians 1.21)
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 1 Peter 3.10. Nothing will be spared, the best of whatever you have, know or have seen will not survive God’s imminent judgement. Jesus says that we should not lay up treasures where moth can rust can destroy and where thieves can break in and steal
Now is the time to discover God’s purpose for our lives and depend on Him for grace to pursue it with full focus till Jesus returns. Why waste our lives pursuing what’s fleeting and transient, spending our lives filling a basket with holes or putting our hopes on what’s crumbling and uncertain? Now is the time to get off the fast train heading nowhere, to halt the endless and exhausting pursuit of worldly pleasures but live wholeheartedly to please the Lord.