Seventh-Day Adventist Devotional For Young {People: “Love For The World”
DAILY CONNECTION – A Devotional for the young people
By Eastern Nigeria Union Conference Youth Ministries of Seventh Day Adventist Church
Theme: Gluttony
March 7
Topic: LOVE FOR THE WORLD II
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).
The first admonition that John gives is that “If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” (verse 15). As Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24). “If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.”
Simply put, the lust of the eyes is the sinful desire to possess what we see or to have those things which have visual appeal. Coveting of money, illegal possessions of things and cheating in order to be rich are not from God, but from the world around us. John emphasized that these physical things do not last; that they will pass away. In contrast, the child of God who loves God is guaranteed eternity.
That’s not all: Not only is the world passing away, but also the lusts of it. If you share the desires of the world, you will pass away. You will not only lose your treasure. You will also lose your life. If you love the world, it will pass away and take you with it. And if there is any desire of the flesh or any desire of the eyes that is not also a desire for God, we are advised to put it out of our lives. Do not be gluttonous; do not be over-indulgent; do not lack self-restraint in food, drink, or wealth items. These will certainly undermine one’s hope of everlasting life. Let us be guided.
Prayer:
O God, please help us to put away any desire of flesh or any atom of lust in our lives, so that we can have love for you and not for the world in Jesus’ name, Amen.
