1 John 2:16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
I know a guy who wants to be at the top of the heap in everything in life. He is so competitive and prideful that he will refuse anything anyone might give him because he feels that puts him in debt or "below" someone else. He is constantly dissatisfied and believes everything he says is the best or "right" and everything everybody else says is wrong. If he thinks you have something before he does he will not sleep until he gets one up on you!! Now that is a craving that is deeper that Nacho Fries from Taco Bell. It also consumes you and alienates you from any deep friendships because you are the "user." Some might call the guy I just described "driven." But driven by what? As the above scripture says "the pride of life."
The pride of life is something that consumes us and controls how we look at other people and their accomplishments. Some might call it jealousy, but it is really just PRIDE!! John in writing the above verses says what the world offers and he says it only offers a constant craving. This pride is a thirst that can never be quenched and it controls a person at their core. Some of the results of this pride are conceit, passive aggressiveness to the worst degree, worldliness, and unhealthy worship. In order to "feed" this person has to have an incredibly large cash source and that cash source only makes them worse because it gives a feed that makes this monster huge!!
Of course, in the Biblical teaching about living the Christian life, a humble Christ-centered person will be eaten up and spit out by the monster of pride. But James speaks to this as well in James 1:9-11 where he says 9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them.10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field.11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements. Is it wrong to be rich? No. But the constant craving for it is wrong and lustful. Paul wrote a stern warning to his son in the faith, Timothy about this very subject. 1 Timothy 6:9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.
So keep your eyes on Jesus and follow Him and not what the world offers. Jesus said this in Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you want to set your heart on craving something, give Jesus a try and your craving will be satisfied and your pride will be squashed. We have a choice and I choose Jesus. Here is what the last part of the above Scripture says about choosing pride over humility. 1 John 2:These are not from the Father, but are from this world. RUN....RUN.......
The Pilgrimage continues......
David Warren
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