1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 2:15-17

God’s command not to love the world isn’t a restriction but a protection. The world system operates under Satan’s influence, pulling our hearts away from God through endless distractions and competing affections. When Scripture commands us to love, it refers to the devotion of our will—where we set our hearts. The question isn’t whether worldly things tempt us, but whether we’re willing to abandon them for Christ. 

Today, ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart: What “things” are weighing you down? What good things have become competing affections? Remember, you cannot love God and the world simultaneously. Choose today whom you will serve, knowing that loving God brings lasting peace while loving the world brings only temporary satisfaction and ultimate disappointment.

Pastor Wade O’Neill