“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 2:15-16
John notes that the love of the world is empty in practice. Notice that what is given to us on a tangible level is achievements and possessions. A Christian must be eternally minded enough to realize that these things will not carry over to our inheritance of a new body and a new heaven and earth. They are by nature transitory and fleeting. The other two things love of the world gives us can be summarized as “cravings.” This type of love generates an empty and endless desire for more. It presents an unachievable goal. The more we advance toward it, the further it becomes. As we waste time and energy in pursuit of attaining it, we become increasingly frustrated and sad. And while this is happening, we lose more and more tangible experiences and relationships. For Christians, this is part of the hope that Christ gives to us. In him, our goals have real payoffs with us and end that transfer beyond this life. Our sense of relationship, productivity, and value has meaning that is eternal.
This post first appeared at JoshMcGary.com
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