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1 John 2:15-17

¹⁵Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For everything in the world窶鍍he cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does窶田omes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

John breaks down for us three categories that describe everything in the fallen world: cravings of sinful man, lust of the eyes, and boasting of what he has and does. When the Bible speaks of the world, there are several meanings. One is mankind itself. The other is this definition that God has given in this verse. If we love the world that John has described, or anything in it, the love of God is not in us. The love that comes from God will be in direct contrast to worldliness. The world is focused on selfishness and pride, but God's love is giving and humble.

We must keep ourselves in check, watching to see if love for the world is slipping into our lives. This is a command to refuse to allow that to happen, because it is part of what is passing away. Not only is worldliness destructive, but it is shortsighted and temporal. It is an investment in a doomed venture.

By contrast, investing your life in the will of God and allowing the love of the Father to flow through your life, is an eternal investment. It is the manifestation of eternal life within you. It will reap dividends forever and ever.

Consider: Does this definition of the world describe any part of your life? The love of the Father will counteract that weakness if you will yield to His life in you.