“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.”
- 1 John 2:15-17
We live in a world where we are encouraged to get the latest upgrade, the newest gadget, and to keep up with others through the purchases we make. Marketing and advertisers help us assign our value by what we own, what we wear, what we possess. And while it is admirable to work hard, we can become too satisfied with our accomplishments and pursue achievements for the sake of building our pride. The risk of this is that we lose sight of God.
Yes, we should appreciate the beauty of the world that God has provided us, and be grateful for the things we have. Yet, do not become too attached to the things of this world because it is fleeting, and there is a far greater reward if we were to fix our eyes on God. What we have, and what we do, is possible through the provision and love of Christ.
This passage reminds us, "And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever." Refrain from being short-sighted and instead dedicate time to do what please God and through that, we will find the joy and delight of the love of the Father in us.
Reflection: Pray and give thanks to the Lord for what He has provided in your life. Acknowledge that what you have, and what you do, is possible through the will and blessing of Christ. For this week, reflect on what are some small ways you can help yourself shift your focus away from the things of this world.
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This thoughtful article was written by Karyn Lau for Christian Calm Radio. Deepen your devotion to Christ with beautiful Christian worship music, Christian instrumental music and choir, and reflect through Bible audiobooks of the Old and New Testament on Christian Calm Radio.