There are so many things in this life that are enjoyable and that we can give thanks for. For instance in the last few years I’ve fallen in love with the mountains surrounding the San Luis Valley. Whenever I have a day off and have taken care of my responsibilities and I’m in good health - you can know I’ll be in the hills. Others take great joy in family, or they rejoice in the pursuit of education, sports, art or music. Some love acquiring money or building houses or making furniture. Such pursuits can be positive and rewarding, especially when we look around and see people who are mired in addiction or who are victims of ill-health or life’s tragedies.

The Bible however gives the surprising command: “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 desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life – is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

What are we to make of this? It seems overly harsh. What’s wrong with loving hiking or fishing or family or enjoying a good meal or a nice vehicle? The main issue that the biblical author is concerned about is that we would love God and do his will. He basically says that we can’t love God and love the things of the world at the same time. We can’t love God and have idols that we worship, that we raise to the level of God. Desires for companionship or sexual intimacy are God-given parts of our humanity, but they can become gods, sources of meaning or identity that we worship and live for. Likewise money and material possessions (gold, silver, houses, trucks, property, and businesses) aren’t bad in and of themselves. They can be received as gifts from God and appreciated, but if they become objects of worship or sources of prideful self-worship they pull us from reality.

We line ourselves up for a crash if we give neutral items a status in our lives that they aren’t worthy of as they will end up diverting us from what is truly important – the worship of God and having a relationship with him. We are to find our meaning and identity in God and thereby experience life that is truly life, the life that we were made for. Substitute gods only leave us longing for the real thing.

Have you ever read the classic Christian book Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan? It is a made up story that describes a believer’s journey through this life on the way to heaven. A key scene in the allegorical story is when the main character, “Christian,” and his companion come to the town called Vanity where there is a fair where all manner of goods are for sale and all manner of entertainments are available. The fair is known as “Vanity Fair” because the things that are held up as important or great at the fair are actually, in the end, without lasting value compared to God and his kingdom. Bunyan lists “houses, lands, trades, honors, preferments (promotions or appointments), titles, countries, kingdoms, lusts, pleasures, and delights of all sorts, as harlots, wives, husbands, children, masters, servants, lives, blood, bodies, souls, silver, gold, pearls, precious stones, and what not” as things that we can worship in the world or make idols out of.

Bunyan’s point is that we shouldn’t love the things of the world or make them objects of worship for everything in this world is short lived. It is passing and it’s foolish to live for what doesn’t last. The only things in Bunyan’s list that are eternal are people – but he includes them because they can become things that we love in idolatrous ways. Spouses and children and all people are due a great respect and we are to love them as Christ loved us – serving them and sacrificing for them for their benefit. But they aren’t to take the place of God or his kingdom in our sight or our emotions. Loving God comes first. The world, Vanity Fair, offers an endless series of sales pitches on how to find life. Don’t buy what the world offers. Build your life on Jesus and the promises of heaven.

Are you saved? Do you have the hope of eternal life? What good is it to gain the whole world but lose what truly matters? What good is it to indulge in the passing things of the world for a short season and then lose your soul for eternity? Repent of your idolatries and put your trust in Jesus. Follow him into what truly matters. Depart from death and follow him into heaven.

Pastor Jeron Parkins

Living Water Bible Fellowship