The world we live in today has so many conveniences that it can be easy to get comfortable. Have you noticed how many stores now have those electric cars that people ride around in and shop? I know that mobility can be difficult for some people due to injury and illness. I am glad they are there for those people. And some of the new cars that have come out almost make me want to buy one. They are so shiny and glitzy. They have so many conveniences built right into the car. Bluetooth and backup cameras, GPS maps and DVD players. Heated seats for those up North and powerful A/C for those of us down South. You could almost live in it.
John writes that love is exclusive. Love can’t be split between the LORD and anything or anyone else. If we try to love both, we lose our position with the Father. Love for the world is something that will consume you. It prevents loving the Father.
So how can you tell what someone loves? Find out what they polish! That’s right. Where do they spend their time and energy? When you polish something you work until you can see a reflection of yourself in it. If you are going about your business trying to make your mark in the world, people will see your reflection in everything you do. They will see your signature that you leave behind.
But if your focus is on the Kingdom, then people with see His signature in all your work. He will get the credit. Someone will get credit. Someone will get a pat on the back. Someone will be lifted up. And if you love that credit, that pat on the back, that exaltation, you are loving the world. You probably have too high a view of your importance. Your head has swollen.
It can be hard in our world of personal satisfaction to keep our focus on the LORD. It is so easy to get distracted along the way. There are so many demands on our time and attention. How do we keep all these competing priorities in their proper order? It is a struggle. And it was a struggle for John’s readers as well. That is why John wrote about it here. He wrote it to remind us about keeping our focus.
We can’t love God and mammon, Jesus said. This world can’t be the focus of our lives. We can’t spend all our energy and time trying to be successful in this life and still keep the LORD as our focus. We can’t be walking in two directions at the same time. We can’t multitask our relationship with the LORD. He must be object of our life. And when He is, He promises that everything else will find its rightful place.
We know this truth if we are married. We can’t say we love our spouse and yet keep courting other people. We can’t go on dates with others. We can’t share those private thoughts and life goals with just anyone. They need to be the sole property of your spouse. We can have eyes only for our spouse. Wandering is disrespectful and causes many a breakup. When we long for connection our spouse must be the one to whom we turn. If we turn to someone outside that relationship, we get in trouble.
So it is in our spiritual life. If we turn to the right or the left to satisfy our spiritual needs, we get disconnected from the LORD. Only He can satisfy those needs. We must turn to Him.
The Arnold Journey 