Our Love for the World
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.
1 John 2:15
What does it mean, do not love the world, and God created the world and said it was good? For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. (1 John 2:16) If things of the world become more important than God, then we are loving the world more than we love God; the world becomes our idle and we have become our own god. Jesus said this can be a problem for the rich. And Jesus said to His disciples, Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:23-24)
Why is it difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom? Could it be things of world are higher priority than the Lord? Examine your thoughts for the day and determine how many thoughts you had communing with the Lord, this can determine your priority. Satan wants us to focus on the world and our thoughts captured by things of the word through the lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes, both leading us to pride of life. If our daily thoughts are away from God, then we are away from God. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25) We are to keep in step with the Spirit, and we do this by communing with Lord through the Spirit, inviting the Lord into our life.
How do we know if we are putting things of the world over God? Can we justify anything we desire and believe it is alright with God? The justification for the rich is a force that Satan easily uses against us, because he has many things of the world to tempt us. This is a dangerous situation because we have killed the Spirit’s conviction by our justification.
If it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for rich man to enter the kingdom, then what are to do to overcome the world? When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” In our own strength we cannot stop loving the world, but the power of God through the Spirit can free us from the lust of flesh, lust the eyes, and the pride of life.
The Lord renews our mind, changing the desires of our heart, our love for God grows stronger and our love for things of the world grows weaker. God’s love in our heart helps us to see people the way he sees people, and we are driven to seek to minister to people. We don’t wait for people to come to us, we actively seek the lost through prayer and guidance by the Spirit. Ministering personally to others brings us closer to the Lord, through prayer, his Word, and fellowship with other Christians. Overcoming the world is a process that extends throughout our life, as the desire to point lost souls to Christ, increasingly dominates our thoughts and prayers. But no matter how much we are driven to serve the Lord, the rich man always has to be on guard for the many worldly temptations that are so easily justified.
Today focus on the Lord through communing with him, and remember everything you have and everything you seek, is for the glory of God. Seek to find someone that needs encouragement, prayer, or is ready to hear about Christ. A thankful encouraging heart is a powerful witness for Christ. So today try to display peace and joy with an encouraging thankful heart.
Prayer: Lord, help me to control the lust of flesh, lust of the eyes, and prideful boasting. Let the Spirit fill my heart to love others and send someone to me that I my pray for and encourage. Lord, today my goal is stay connected to you and minister to a lost soul. In Jesus name, Amen