You Are All I Need

1 John 2:15-17 (NIV)
  Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
  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.
  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Do you enjoy shopping?  Do you like to go to the mall and just look around and dream?  Is it enjoyable to spend money, to find that object that is going to make like easier or more fun and buy it. I have to admit, I hate to go to the mall or any other store and shop. But I love to go online, perhaps use Groupon and find an exciting deal.

Shopping a form of materialism, is worldliness; it is external behavior. The world is a material place filled with people we must be seen with, places we have to visit and activities we simply have to take part in. These worldly endeavors can get us into trouble; they can be transformed into a financial crisis. Worldliness is internal too. It is a heart issue characterized by our craving for physical pleasure, a preoccupation with gratification.

We get ourselves to the point of wanting everything we see and it becomes more and more difficult to be happy without having to purchase more and more stuff. We become slave to things, to the god of materialism. This is the way the serpent tempted Eve in Genesis 3:6. "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Peace comes when we reach the place in life where 'things' are nice to have, but they don't define me. They make no difference in my happiness or contentment. If I don't own the biggest, best, newest, I will survive easily. This type of attitude comes with Spiritual maturity. When we cease striving after everything we see, we find peace and contentment.  It is a good place to live.

1 John 2:15-26

Only One Choice

I sometimes think that shopping is too complicated. There are too many choices!

 

Take toothpaste, for example. I can get it to whiten teeth, or to freshen my breath. They sell it for sensitive teeth and for soft enamels. Too many choices! I just need toothpaste!

 

Paper towel is another example. Some are the strongest, some the most absorbent. Still others come with soap already in them. Too many choices! I just need a disposable towel!

 

Today’s reading is 1Timothy 1:18-2:7. St. Paul, on a mission trip, was giving instructions to Timothy, the delegate leader of the Church at Ephesus.

 

Specifically, Paul is providing instructions regarding worship. As part of his instructions on prayers, Paul reminds Timothy, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom …” To the point, the only reason Timothy can pray to God is because he has faith in Jesus, who enables believers to approach God directly with requests.

 

In Paul’s day there were many religions claiming to have a path to God. Of course, there were numerous pagan religions, with priests encouraging people to worship creation, such as an alligator, a river or the Sun, instead of the creator. There also were Gnostics who claimed knowledge (the Greek word gnosis means knowledge) was necessary to reach God, not Christ’s crucifixion. Finally, Judaism had become a religion of Good Works.

 

Guess what? Things have not changed much in 2000 years. Pagan religions and Devil Worship exist today. The New Age Movement tells us we have what it takes to save ourselves. And there are many, many other religions that teach Good Works are required to reach God.

 

The only way to Heaven is through Jesus. The only reason we can approach God is because of Jesus.

 

What a blessing it is to approach God through prayer. He hears them all and answers them all. Of course, he does not always grant our request, but he does provide an answer.

 

Jesus is our mediator! Unlike shopping, Jesus is the only choice!