Estimated reading time: 4 minute(s)

1 John 2:15-16

Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world.

Over the past few days, these verses have been brought to mind – not directly, save perhaps on one occasion. Things I have heard made me remember them, or things I was thinking about led me back to them.

Those are good Christian verses, aren’t they?! Hate the world! It’s only bad!! A real Christian doesn’t like anything about the world. And from reading those verses, I would have to agree. That is what is says.

But my paradox meter was red-lighting again.

PARADOX!!! PARADOX!!! WARNING!!! DOESN’T MATCH PREVIOUS INFORMATION!!! PARADOX!!!!

One of the phrases from Jesus’ lips that I have most latched on to in life is “I came to give them life, and life to the full.” (John 10:10 – NIV, I believe) I love that Jesus wants us to live here and now to the fullest. He made it. He called it good. Life here is meant to be enjoyed, and God is meant to be worshipped through it and in it. Not apart from it.

So I do. I love life. I am a very optimistic person. Life is full of joy! Let me show you…

I love to cook!

I love to eat!

I love to play video games with my boys!

I love board games!

I love movies!

I love books!

I love to make web pages!

I love Apple Computers!!! (but, who doesn’t?) 🙂

I love going for walks in Palmyra.

I love Palmyra!

I love our house!

I love driving for long times! (Really… I do!)

I love Star Trek!

I am currently a fan of Quantum Leap, The Incredible Hulk, and the old Fat Albert cartoons.

I love DVDs!!! Special Features!!! Need I say more???

I love pizza, ice cream, candy, and other stuff that’s bad for me.

I love fresh fruit and veggies and salads and cheese and other good stuff for me.

I love playing basketball with my friends.

I love making lists of things I love!

Obviously, I could keep going. Is that bad? Am I wrong? Do I love the world, and so the love of the Father is not in me? I hope not.

So, we come to my paradox. There are moments when I see my love of “this world” stealing time from me and my Father. And I know that stuff can definitely get in the way. And there are other times that I think he made this world to be enjoyed. Does that mean anything that we have ever made is bad? Only the stuff he made is good? (Like, walks through the woods, eating great food, etc…) Not sure yet.

When we use the word lust, it immediately conjures up bad stuff in our minds, right? Usually associated with sexual perversion in some way. But here John uses it in a few different ways. The “lust for physical pleasure” perhaps meaning sexual, and even more – like good food, even working out for your “physical pleasure”? The “lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions.” Seems to me to refer to materialism. Loving our stuff. He then says, “These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world.” ALL of them? Which ones? Everything?

I completely understand that our joy in life – the life to the full – has absolutely nothing to do with our possessions. We can still have a completely full life without our stuff. Jesus said, “Don’t treasure your stuff here… treasure the things of heaven… eternal things” But does that really mean we are to find no joy in our stuff? It’s only evil?

Paul says, “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.” I believe, as with everything in life, there is somehow a balance to be struck. Where that is, I am uncertain. But I do not think that God wants us to run and hide from TV shows. Nor does he wants us to never play a video game again. Perhaps he does for you, but that sort of blanket rule-making has led to some pretty nasty legalistic fights. “Don’t play cards! Don’t dance! Don’t wear make-up! Don’t wear shorts!”

(Sidenote 2: Did you know that when my wife first matriculated at our Bible college, she was not allowed to wear shorts. Shorts were not allowed. Really. Seriously.)

We make up rules, so we can avoid the evils of “this world”. All rooted in verses like the ones from 1 John. But perhaps the truth is in the balance. Jesus was accused of loving the world too much – being a drunk and a glutton. But he also said (as the Word of God through John) that we should not love this world.

Please show me Father how I can know you more through this paradox. Let me see your beauty, your greatness, in this apparent dichotomy. Let me live more fully as I understand you more.