Running and the Will of God

One of the reasons I enjoy running is that it allows me uninterrupted time to meditate on Scripture. Reciting Scripture helps me concentrate. In addition to great physical exercise, I receive great spiritual exercise as well.

During my run last Tuesday evening the Lord returned my thoughts to the 1 John 2 passage that spoke so loudly to me early Monday morning (see “Do Not Love the World”). After meditating on the word for an hour or so, this is what I learned.

God commands us:

Do not love the world or anything in the world.
1 John 2:15a

Why? Why does God command us not to love the world or anything in the world?

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15b

Is there any other reason God commands us not to love the world?

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.
1 John 2:16

What else? Is there any other reason why God commands us not to love the world or in anything in world?

The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2:17

That last sentence is provocative, isn’t it?

The world and its desires pass way. The world is transitory. Everything in the world is short term. The world is like a vapor or a mist that appears for a time and then evaporates.

On the other hand, the man who does the will of God is not momentary. He (or she) who does the will of God is enduring. The person who does the will of God lives a life that matters.

I don’t know about you, but I want my life to count. I want what I do to matter. The secret to living a life of meaning and purpose is to live a life sold out to doing the will of God.