Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:15-17 (NIV)
Now read it again from The Message.
Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.
It’s hard isn’t it? Not to love the world and what is in the world.
But perhaps it’s getting easier these days as it seems this world is going crazy!
Yesterday as I was talking with some other people about some of the craziness going on, and we talked about how God is in control. If we all die, then we’ll all go home!
To me that is the bottom line! No matter what happens, God is in control. When I feel scared and overwhelmed, I tell myself this over and over. I repeat verses that remind me He holds tomorrow. Not me. Not this world.
As The Message puts it, the world is on its way out!
