Today's Scripture
TODAY’S READING SCHEDULE: 2 Samuel 9-11; 1 John 2
Loving God over the world – 1 John 2:15-17
15 Don’t love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them. 16 Everything that is in the world—the craving for whatever the body feels, the craving for whatever the eyes see and the arrogant pride in one’s possessions—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world and its cravings are passing away, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.
What does this passage mean to me/us?
Living in this world requires a delicate balance between our relationship with God and the world. We are to live in this world, while faithfully loving God. It is a hard task, and therefore the balance is delicate. Neither complete withdrawal from the world nor total immersion of the world is healthy.
Verse 15 “Don’t love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them” can sound like we should despise any worldly practices. However, if we read the later verse, we see can understand that there is a correlation between our love toward God and the world. When our love with our Lord decreases, the love for the world increases. So loving the world too much means that we might not be loving God enough.
When our love with God is full, nothing in this world can match the fullness we experience in God. The more we love, the more we are willing to follow God’s will. And the symptoms of following our own will, “the craving for whatever the body feels, the craving for whatever the eyes see and the arrogant pride in one’s possessions” is an outcome of our love with God not being filled.
Do you hear the call from God to devote our love to God more?
Instead of being distracted by what the world presents, how can we focus on God’s love?
Prayer
Lord, forgive us for being distracted and loving the world more than you. Help us to focus on your love and love you more. In Christ name we pray, Amen.
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