Have you ever sat down and written a list of the things that you love? I think that for many of us it would consist of the people who are close to us, or our pets, or maybe the list would consist of the things we enjoy doing or some of our favorite foods (or drinks). But what if we measured the things we love by the amount of time we devote to that person, thing, or activity each day. How much different would the second list be than the first list? Besides things like work and eating, this list may consist of a lot of things or activities that just fill our time like watching television and sports, enjoying our hobbies or that regular workout, or spending time on Facebook, or just scrolling through all of the different distractions on our phone. I am certainly not suggesting that we shouldn’t work, enjoy life, go to the gym or have hobbies, but I wonder if God would even make the list for most people, let alone be at the top of that list. And the reality is that it does matter where we spend our time and whether or not we put God first in our lives. So, what would one conclude about your loves and priorities by studying your list?
“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever” (I John 2:16-17, NASB).