Scripture:
Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you don’t have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are form this evil world. And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But the if you do the will of God, you will live forever.
1 John 2:15-17
Observation:
The battle of the ages is not lived in iraq or in Georgia. It’s fought right in our hearts between the will of this evil world and the will of the Lord. This world entices our hearts with a triad of pleasures: lust for the physical pleasure, lust for the things we see, and pride in our possessions. The will of God calls for righteousness and obedience to His ways. This battle is constant i and every day these two forces will collide for ownership of our soul. The amazing thing is that our hearts give the advantage to either one. JOhn is very clear about this. Loving this world and its pleasures will steal our life away. All these pleasures are momentary. But Loving the will of God will give us life everlasting. The pleasures God offers are unending.
Application:
Choosing the will of God over the will of this world is easier said than done. Daily we have opportunities to crave the things of this world, to respond to the lust of our hearts, to envy what others have, and to be prideful when we obtain them. This three areas show three important indicators of how well are we following the will of God: sexual purity, contentment, materialism. If we are failing any of these three tests, we must recalibrate our hearts and chose to follow God’s will. Is God’s presence shining so brightly in my heart that my sexual life and thoughts can remain with Him? Am I satisfied with the things i Have, or do I continually crave and envy the things that others have? Does my material possessions make me feel better about myself, or do I need to possess something in order to feel better? The answer to those questions will determine who is winning the battle in my heart.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, please let me be an ally and supporter of your will as the battle for my soul intensifies against this evil world. Let me give you the advantage as I chose to obey you and to follow your ways. May my moral life be always acceptable in your presence. Grant me courage to refuse immoral thoughts in my mind and immoral actions with my body. Help me to be constant and thankful with all the blessings you provide for my life. And teach me how to have a simple life and to find my joy in following your ways. Amen!
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