“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.” (1 John 2:16, NIV)
There you have it in a nutshell: The world’s attraction is what feels good (lust of the flesh), what looks good (lust of the eyes), and what lives large (the pride of life) — all ahead of its time.
This is not to say that God doesn’t want His children to feel good, look good, and enjoy all of the joys of this life: He does, more than we usually realize. However, His gifts arrive when they will give us pleasure; not cause us pain.
To lust is to want it all now; and the intoxication of pride lasts only for a short while. Viewed from this perspective, is it easy to see the difference between the offerings of the world, and the gifts of our heavenly Father? – Luther
