Clinging to the Wind

Do you know one of the greatest mysteries in the whole world? It is this: Why do the vast majority of men chase after that which can satisfy least and totally ignore the only thing that can truly satisfy and fulfill? Why do they chase after the things of the world and not the things of God? The one is fleeting and the other eternal. What I’m talking about is spelled out in this verse from First John. It’s found in First John 2:17, “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” That is truth! Yet, in spite of that truth, most people are having a love affair with the world.

Oh, I’m not accusing them of cheating on their spouse, but they are committing spiritual adultery against God. What they love most of all are the “good things” of this world – whatever the world offers. They love and pursue the wealth, the power, the pleasure that this world offers (which can never satisfy more than a temporary high), all at the expense of the “good things” of eternity that come through serving Christ. And John was very clear about that. “Don’t do it!” he said. First John 2:15 warns, “Do not love the world or the things in the world.”

Unfortunately, most people of the world, and even a lot of Christians, say, “Well, that’s just stupid. Why should I give up all the good things in life? Why not go for all the gusto – why not get all I can?” As J. Vernon McGee used to say, “The unsaved ought to squeeze this life like an orange to get every last drop. That’s all they’ve got”

When we say, “But God said, ‘No!’” They respond, “So what? That’s not a good enough reason.” They say that because they don’t believe in God anyway, and their motto remains the one on the bumper sticker, “He who dies with the most toys wins.”

Well, is there a reason to give them that they might understand as to why they shouldn’t chase after the world? Yes! Of Course! And the reason is found right here in first John 2:17. “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” Isn’t that reason enough?

It is very simple. The one who dies with the most toys still dies, and he doesn’t win because he can’t take any of the toys with him. Not a single one! I’ve not once seen a hearse go by pulling a U-Haul trailer, and I’ve performed many a funeral. Nothing in this world lasts. Everything changes. Everything wears out or falls apart or breaks down. Even us! And whatever we may accumulate, we die and leave it all behind.

And even if you can get your hands on everything the world says is good, it doesn’t satisfy. It’s like chasing the wind. Like the old beer commercial used to say, “It satisfies; one after another after another.” What a lie! If it really satisfied, you wouldn’t need “one after another after another.” One would be enough to do the trick. But it can’t satisfy, it just makes you drunk and creates within you a greater dependence.

You can take every one of the world’s so called “good things,” even the things that aren’t on a naughty list, and you can prove how transitory they really are and how little they really satisfy. Like they asked John D. Rockefeller once, “How many more millions of dollars will it take to make you happy?” His answer? “Just one more.” It always takes just one more.

Even life itself is like that. James 1:9-11 teaches, “Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat then it withers the grass, its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man will fade away in all his pursuits.” Oh, yes, we all die. Then we lose everything the world gave us. Even before death comes, we lose our looks and our enjoyment of life. Our bodies wear out and become sagging and baggy. The things we once loved to do are out of reach for our decrepit bodies. Like one old guy said, “I can’t even enjoy a steak any more. I can’t chew it with my false teeth.”

So, on the contrary, First John 2: 17 gives the antidote to a life of frustration. It says, “But he who does the will of God abides forever.” How much better to pursue what lasts, not just for a lifetime, but for all eternity? How much better to pursue doing the will of God?