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. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. 1 John 2:15-17 NLT
There are two ways we talk about the world. First is the world Jesus loved and gave His life for (John 3:16), the world we are to love like He does and work to bring to Him. The other is the world that is opposed to God, led by Satan and evil desires. These two worlds are always in conflict.
The problem is that, although we are called to love the world of people for whom Jesus died and change it through our life and love, it is much easier to love the other world, the world that is built of physical pleasure, the desire for more and more, self-pride in achievements and possessions. But loving THAT world makes it impossible to change the world of people in need.
We can either change the world or crave the world. We can’t do both. When we crave the world of desires, we want more and more, we pursue what is easiest, what makes us feel good, what is most convenient for us. Pleasures, achievements, pride, and possessions get our primary attention. We tell ourselves and truly believe that our mission to the people for whom Jesus died is important, but in all practical ways it gets very little intentional energy or priority. We are too busy with overfilled lives chasing the things the world around us prioritizes.
There’s nothing wrong with participating in wholesome things in the world. But they are not things to crave for our own satisfaction. See them as avenues for change. The people in those environments are people who need Jesus, and this is a tremendous opportunity for them to be attracted to Jesus through me. The people around us are largely living in an incoherent universe. Nothing makes much sense. But Jesus brings truth, clarity, and the foundation for life.
Jesus and His followers have never won through mandates and orders, but through up close personal examples of righteousness, grace, mercy, and love. That’s the way we also do it. We win as we love and interact, as we know people and are known by them.
- Jesus, You know me best. When You see me, do you see someone who craves the world or do you see someone who authentically and sacrificially loves the people in it? Help me know truth and live it.