Worldly Temptations
The world can be very tempting.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live for ever. - 1 John 2:15-17
We are reminded today in John's letter that our lives in this world are temporary. Nothing that we can obtain here lasts forever. If we seek eternal life, we have to forget about the things this world has to offer us and focus on something else, God.
We are told we need to do the will of God, and while that sounds easy, we may have trouble knowing what the will of God is for us.
One thing we can be sure of, according to the Gospel, is that we will not find God in the lure of this world.
Now the fact that Jesus came into this world to show us the way is proof that we have a role to play in this world. He told us to love one another as the Father loves us.
So, we can find God's will there, in serving those in need and caring for all.
When we are doing God's will, things fall into place. The Holy Spirit is with us, guiding us through the difficulties and around obstacles.
God takes us to places we may not expect, and shows us things we never knew possible.
The message, I think, is simple. If we spend our time working for things that don't last, we will lose out on the joy of knowing God. We come to know God by doing what He needs us to do.
How do we know what that is?
Chances are there are examples all around us, waiting for us to spot them. And the Holy Spirit is not shy. He sends people to us to show us what life could be like with God as the source of life.
So, I guess we need to stop, look and listen to God. And don't be afraid that what we set out to do cannot be done. If it is His will, there will be a way.
More to come...