What Offer Do We Crave?

“What Offer Do We Crave?”

By Zach Wood

1 John 2:15-17 NLT

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.  And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

As I was reading this passage recently from the New Living Translation, the word “offers” stuck out to me.  It really hit me how there are so many different ways the world tries to offer us great things.  We see and are bombarded by different offers everywhere we go each day.  Some offers are pretty good, while others can get us into serious trouble if we accept them. 

My wife and I really like to shop for great offers.  We enjoy getting coupons through the mail or by e-mail with good discount offers at stores and places to eat.  We also like walking into stores and going right for the sale and clearance areas.  We are bargain shoppers!

It’s always great to find good deals and offers, but the more I think about all of this, I am reminded that these moments are short-lived.  They are enjoyed for a while, but they don’t last forever.  I’m often reminded of the offers I am bombarded with promising to make my life so much better!  I’m ashamed to admit that I often buy into the different offers from the world.  I get sucked into deals that end up not satisfying me.  I get frustrated when I think I find a good offer, but it turns out to be a rip off. 

We all have experiences like this.  So often, we buy into what the world offers for satisfaction and happiness.  It shouldn’t surprise us why God warns us so much about not loving the world.  He tells us to avoid getting sucked into the promises of what this world offers.  Why do we crave the things of this world so much, but crave God so little?  And then we are surprised when we come up feeling dry from the junk the world offers. 

Please understand, God is not telling us that we cannot enjoy things here in this world.  There are many things to enjoy for sure!  However, when we find ourselves longing for and craving the things of this world more than Him, then it becomes a problem.  Only what God offers to us will satisfy us eternally and not leave us dry. 

Are we craving what the world offers or what God offers?