I John 2:16 “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.”
Okay, John gets a little personal here, don’t you think? He is no longer just referring to materialism. Instead, he refers to the state of our hearts. Our out-of-control cravings, whether for food, fashion, or fun – those things are sinful if they occupy a higher place in our minds than God.
The lust of our eyes is not just about sex. It is about anything we see, that we want so much it controls us. It can be a new car or a fancy house, or even the Chocolate Mocha Moo-Latte we see advertised on television! And the boasting thing . . . we can boast with our mouths, but we can also boast just by seeking little ways of making it known how important we are, or how much we have.
Anything, anything that tries to sneak in and occupy our thoughts and minds more than God is sin! Anything we focus on more than we focus on Jesus Christ and what He did for us is sinful. We must seek to replace each out-of-control thought and desire with the desire for Christ alone, and for His glory in our lives.
Dear Father, Each of the descriptions above could describe me at different times. Please help me to always put You first in my thoughts and in my life.
Amen
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