I realize that
when most girls (and some guys) see this title they’re going to think, “you
better not bash pinterest!” Trust me, I love Pinterest like the next girl, but
lately I’ve felt some convictions surrounding it. At church on Sunday Austin
preached on 1 John 2:15-17.
“Do not
love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love
for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of
the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not
from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but
whoever does the will of God lives forever.”
What
does John mean by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life? These are things we desire, things we see and want, things we invest in,
things we spend time on, etc. Your heart is either going to be given to God or
given to the world—you can’t pursue both at the same time. I realized that the
easiest way for me to figure out whether I was desiring the things of God or
just things was by looking at my
pinterest account.
Pinterest
is made up of virtual bulletin boards where you can ‘pin’ things you find on
the internet that you want to save. Titles for boards include “clothes I want”
“dream vacation” “hair/makeup” “foooood” “dream wedding” and thousands more.
There are so many things in this world that we want and “need.” We want to
dress well, be beautiful, get a six pack, go on vacations to Bora Bora, find
our dream man, and have the most amazing wedding (with the most amazing pictures)
anyone has ever seen, have cute babies, take creative pictures that go viral,…and
the list goes on and on. Where does it all lead? What happens when we gain it
all? We want more. We’re never satified.
Luckily
someone has gone before us that not only desired these things, but gained them.
Solomon’s story is in 1 Kings and Ecclesiastes. He had everything—he was the
wealthiest man to ever live. Solomon had everything he ever wanted and at the
end of his life he says, “ALL IS VANITY.”
“So I
became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also
my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I
did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found
pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my
hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there
was nothing to be gained under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:9-11).
What
am I pursuing? Am I pursuing things of the world, or the things of God? Am I
attempting to build my kingdom here or in Heaven?
God
is interested in people. Am I showing
a love for people and desire to reach them and bring them into the kingdom of God?
It’s
easy to keep these idols in my life just because they are the culture right
now, but I’m realizing that we’re held to a different standard as Christ followers
because we are not from here! John says in the book of John “do not love the
world.” In what areas of my life do I need to refocus or realign my priorities? What do I desire? What am I pursuing? I want a heart aligned with Jesus' heart. A mind that sees that this life is temporary and I can't take these things with me. Ears that desire to hear "well done my good and faithful servant."
