The following passage from I John 2:16 has bothered me for several years because it seems to indicate we must give up everything to be Christian:
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world then the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the 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.
I think I figured out what it means (and I didn’t get it from The Bible for Dummies):
Preoccupation with physical desires, craving possessions; and fixation on self-achievement brings disappointment and discouragement because we can never get enough of worldly things; this displeases God in two ways: We aren’t putting him first in our lives; and we are focusing on the wrong things.
God values generosity, self-control and humble service.
God wants us to relish life, delight in friendships, enjoy healthy activities and savor all the natural beauty that he placed here for us.
God values generosity, self-control and humble service.
God wants us to relish life, delight in friendships, enjoy healthy activities and savor all the natural beauty that he placed here for us.