1 John 2:15-17 - "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."
This is such a long memory verse!
How can we expect to memorize all three of the verses to the point of being able to rehearse them?
Quite honestly, it doesn't seem worth the effort.
If you're feeling this way, take a minute now to re-read these verses slowly.
Take a minute to appreciate their profound nature!
This relatively short group of verses captures so much of our daily struggle. And because of that, memorizing it and rehearsing it will empower your spiritual growth in dramatic ways you likely never imagined!
Allow me to explain...
The text begins, "Love not the world, neither the things in it..."
This is a jarring reminder of exactly where NOT to place our priorities throughout our days. Take a moment to think about how much we tend to demonstrate the love of the world through our pursuits, thoughts, and attitudes about the things and the people of the world.
The verse continues and explains that "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
John is reminding us that we cannot love and pursue the things of this world AND God. Thus, when we love the world, we exclude the love of God from our hearts.
We must be vigilant to make sure that our default is the love of God, and NOT the love of the world and the things in it!
Next, John gives us an amazing summary of just where a majority of our sin lies:
How much of our sin is founded in our desires for satisfying our flesh (e.g., adultery, food, comfort)?
How much of our sin is founded in what we want that we see (e.g., houses, cars, clothes)?
How much of our sin is rooted in our pride - thinking so much of ourselves and what we deserve from this world and from others (e.g., demanding respect from our spouses, kids, co-workers)?
Finally, the last verse provides a profound nugget of wisdom that can bring you uncommon and permanent peace when understood and applied.
John says, "And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."
This is a powerful reminder that even when we can have all that we lust for... or when our prideful egos are not stroked... it truthfully doesn't matter in the context of our eternal future and treasure with God.
We can find a level of transcendence above the desires and things of this world when we simply remind ourselves how transient they are. Even better, we can find motivation to do the will of God when we realize His rewards are the exact opposite - eternal!
I want to close in recognizing that the charge to memorize this group of verses is a BIG ask.
But I also want you to know that in doing so, you will find a new ability to conquer your desires for the things of this world. You will find yourself empowered to live above those desires with joy, even as you pursue God for true fulfillment of those desires.
Please share your progress in the comments section below, or share this message with someone else who may need to hear it today...
