Satisfaction in Christ

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17

Gazing at herself in the full-length mirror, Audry let out a sigh of satisfaction followed by a smile that lit up her eyes. This is the one, she thought as she closely examined how her body looked in the eighth swim suit she picked out to try on. The lights in the fitting room created a soft glow. She did a turn to the left and looked over her shoulder. She turned to the right and looked down her legs. Straightening up, she placed her hands o her hips and rolled her shoulders back- chin held high. Alright! I look good! And in knowing she looked good, she felt good. A week at the beach. Many days at the pool. A trip to the river. Sand volleyball at night. Hot tubs. Boys. Boating on the lake. More boys. Audry definitely got use out of that perfect swim suit. But the summer came and went...

As Charlie's boss stood up and reached out his hand over the cold glass desk, he said with pleasure, "You've got the promotion." Charlie shook his boss's hand firmly, and with that solid grip came such a fluid relief. He knew what this promotion would mean for him- a chance to prove to his family that he's worth something... good at something. A chance to finally buy the car he'd always wanted. A chance to feel better accomplished at his 10 year reunion. Charlie's promotion gave him a sense of value that he's never had before. Maybe NOW I can snag a girlfriend...

Tabitha was breathing harder than she ever had before. Sweat was pouring down her forehead and into her eyes. Her legs were strong, but the fight in her heart was stronger. Win. Win. Push. Push. Don't give up. Keep going, Tabi. You cannot lose. You cannot lose. Her bike was a part of her body. Its wheels were circular extensions of her legs. She could see the finish line like a mirage in the distance on the hot paved road. Closer and closer, her heart was pounding. Suddenly, cheers filled the air and the pressure was off. Tabitha finished first place- an accomplishment she'd dreamed of the past 5 years she'd been training. Years of work for a day of victory...

In the passage, John is speaking to us about satisfaction and how to conform your life to the will of God instead of the expectations of the world. As human beings with deep emotions, a longing for both peace and excitement, and a desire for worth, we often base our decisions off whether or not our choices and actions will leave us or those around us satisfied. We "love" (care for, nurture, protect, spend time with, meditate on, desire) the things that we think will ultimately fill us. We conform our lives to others around us and even those we don't even know. We are influenced by the media, controlled by the economy, and find pleasure in any single moment of self-aggrandizing glory. But John repetitively makes one thing clear... do not love what is worldly. By "worldly" he means desires of the flesh; that which keeps us from the will and truth of God and leads to a path of moral or spiritual destruction. I don't believe there is a set list of "things to avoid" in order to follow the command before us. Every person has different struggles and certain things will temp or harm one person that might not tempt or harm another. It's a matter of allowing the Lord to show you where you fall. Letting him open your eyes so you can see the sin in your life. It's a matter of knowing the difference between that which is holy and that which is vile. I've heard for years now, "You are IN this world but not OF it." Set apart by Jesus Christ. I am supposedly different. I am not called to be a chameleon who blends in. I am called out of the darkness and into the light- to live according to the will of God. Unfortunately, this is easy to say, harder to do. I am tempted each day. I fail each day. My eyes see only what is before me because that is what's easy. I am the girl in the mirror. I am the man with the raise. I am the one crossing the finish line. But will I choose to find my worth in this? Will this be where I gain my satisfaction? At the end of this life, my body will rot and only my soul will remain. How beautiful will me heart look? At the end of this life, the money I earned will not define the person I became or the accomplishments I made. Who will I have helped along the way besides myself? At the end of this life, it wont matter if I was first, second, twenty first, or last. Will I not have always been first to God? If He is first to me.

"the cravings of sinful man- the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does..." This is worldliness. Will you chose to let it control you? Satisfy you? Define you? Defeat you?

"This passage, then, is a manifestation of the Johannine dualism. One loves either God or the world. This theme echoes throughout Scripture. The first commandment is "You shall have no other gods before me." Joshua commanded the children of Israel to "choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . . As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD" (24:15). Jesus warned, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money" (Mt 6:24). And now the author of 1 John, like his master Jesus, reminds people that there can be only one allegiance, one loyalty, which shapes all that we are and do. There is no way to play both ends against the middle. The commands of this passage are to be heard both as an invitation to serve God and, for those who have heard and responded to such an invitation, as an exhortation to continue to make that response daily." (Biblegateway.com)

For Theological Thursdays,
Kate