I read this verse growing up and thought it meant be boring. Worldliness was music and movies and ambition and fun things. True Christians didn't love worldly things. I spent a decade being righteously joyless, and it made me insufferable.
But John clarifies: he's not talking about creation or accomplishment or beauty. He's talking about 'lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.' The system where everything is about self-gratification, status, and accumulation. That's what he means by 'the world.'
I'm a painter, and I thought my art was worldly and therefore wrong. But creating beauty isn't about the lust of eyes - it's about truth. Pursuing excellence isn't about pride - it's about love.
I started distinguishing: Do I want this because it serves God's kingdom and truth, or do I want it because I'm trying to prove something? The distinction is subtle but real. I paint with way more freedom now. I'm ambitious about my art. I'm not ashamed of wanting excellence. I'm just asking myself: is this fed by love and truth, or by hunger for status and self-indulgence?
That's what John meant. Not 'don't enjoy anything.' But 'don't let the system of consumerism and status-seeking be your god.'
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