Monday 2 March, 2015

15 Do not love the world or anything in it. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 Here is what people who belong to this world do. They try to satisfy what their sinful desires want to do. They long for what their sinful eyes look at. They take pride in what they have and what they do. All of this comes from the world. None of it comes from the Father. 17 The world and its evil desires are passing away. But whoever does what God wants them to do lives forever.

This is an extremely challenging set of verses. We live in a world that is actively trying to get us to love its ways – especially through the media and advertising. I cannot just drift along unaware, because I will get swept along with the tide of the world’s thinking.

So today I stop and ask myself some hard questions – questions that I have asked before but need to be regularly repeated… Do I love what God loves or am I loving worldly things? … Is my idea of success in line with God’s word or the world’s thinking? … Are my priorities the same as God’s? … Am I caught up with seeking after things that are going to, as it says in verse 17,  “pass away”?

I can’t do this alone. I need His grace and strength to love the things that God loves. I need godly friends to help align my thoughts and desires with Him. I need to read the Bible and listen to messages and read books that push me in the right direction.

Let’s help each other push against the tide and live for the Eternal Kingdom.

 Written by Shelley Witt