One of the most impactful moments in Apostle Peter’s life was when Jesus, after Peter had denied knowing him and after Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection, asked Peter if he loved him. Peter said, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus and Peter ended up doing this three times. And each time, after Peter affirmed his love for Jesus, Jesus gave him something to do to prove his love. And at the end of all of that, Jesus said to Peter, “Follow me.”

You see, you will follow the one you love the most. The one you love the most is the one you will be devoted to. For that reason, we get a very important teaching from Apostle John in 1 John 2:15-17. There the Holy Spirit says through him, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him.” You see, you can only love one thing the most. Here, John says you and I will either love this world the most or we will love the Father the most. And the one we love the most is the one we will follow.

This world is ruled by sinful pursuits:  the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and pride of life. We can’t be ruled by these and by the Father because these things are not from the Father. John says here that the world and these pursuits are passing away, and so are those who give themselves to them. But whoever does the will of God, whoever loves the Father more than the world, will abide with God and live forever.

So, which will you love more, the world or the Father? Choose wisely.

Change begins in you!