Encouragement for Your Week: June 14-20
This Week’s Verse
"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 (NIV)
Devotion
At first glance, the Apostle John’s words might seem a bit harsh. Surely there are things in this world we are supposed to love, right? Husbands should love their wives, parents should love their children, and friends should care for one another. Love is the very foundation of a healthy life.
So why does John make it sound like loving the world and loving God are completely incompatible? Can’t we do both? After all, Jesus Himself taught that the two greatest commandments are to love God with everything we have and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39).
The answer lies in how John uses the word "world."
If we assume "the world" means the physical earth and the people God created, then John's statement would contradict the rest of the Bible. But John is actually using the word "world" to describe something else: a cultural system dominated by sin.
In the very next verse, John clarifies his definition. He explains that the "world" represents attitudes and desires that actively oppose God—things like:
The craving for physical pleasure (lust of the flesh)
The obsession with everything we see (lust of the eyes)
Pride in our achievements or possessions (pride of life)
When we fall in love with that version of the world, we are chasing values that stand directly against God. We cannot hold onto both at the same time.
Furthermore, investing our hearts into the sinful values of this world is ultimately pointless. As John reminds us, "The world and its desires pass away" (1 John 2:17). The beautiful planet God created will eventually be renewed into a glorious new earth, but the broken system of lust and pride has an expiration date.
Since the sinful world is temporary, it makes no sense to anchor our hearts to it. Instead, it is far better to give our ultimate love to the Father, who will never pass away.