It's challenging to walk that line of loving the world and enjoying God's blessings.
We are commanded often to not love the world. The rest of the above verse says that if we love the world, the love the Father is not in us. And a few verses later John reminds us that the world and it's desires are passing, so loving them is pointless (v 17).
Yet we have examples of wealthy people in the Bible, who became wealthy because God blessed them. Abraham and Solomon easily come to mind. One lesson of Ecclesiastes is that we should enjoy the good things that God has given us. The woman of Proverbs 31 is praised by her husband and children. There are good things that can happen to us in this world, and there's nothing wrong with them.
How can we tell if we are loving the world, or enjoying the blessings that God has poured out on us?
Perhaps we can ask ourselves some questions of self-evaluation:
- How do I react if the things around me are taken away?
- How do I react if I don't get the things that I want?
If my responses in either of those situations is sinful, then I'm loving the things of the world than God. If I respond in bitterness, anger, envy, jealousy or greed, then having those things is more important to me than living to please God.
The objects have become more important than the Giver.
Enjoy the blessings from God, but don't let them take the place of God.
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