“All that glitters is not gold.” This quote was credited to William Shakespeare, but easily goes back to the 12th or 13th century. Some even attribute its first use to Aesop from 600 B.C.! No matter its origin, the truth it contains is profound. Those things that “glitter” in life are often what we assign value, what we pursue, and what we believe will have some type of permanence. However, the Bible tells us otherwise.

In 1 John 2:16, three areas are identified that really sum up the nature of everything that glitters in the world around us: “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” The lust of the flesh involves anything in life that appeals to our mortal bodies. This can include food, drugs, alcohol, or simply soaking in the sun – anything that gives us a physical “high” and can therefore become something we seek after. The lust of the eyes involves anything that we see and desire with our senses. This can be a lustful ogling of the opposite sex, a covetous look at your neighbor’s possessions, or a simple longing in your mind about what you really think you deserve in life. Finally, John tells us that the “pride of life” is something that we pursue. This involves our ego and motivation for life. It can stem from our desire for praise, acclaim, or recognition and desiring it can be a powerful force that affects our actions. So many people just long to hear a sincere “good job” from someone they love. Each of these areas reveal something about our own flesh or sin nature that will eventually attract us and then entrap us in sin.

Now, let’s be fair - these are all natural desires in life. Some may even be benign until they begin to consume our thinking or control our actions. But the problem with all of these is their roots. They all glitter, but they aren’t gold. They don’t have lasting value because they are rooted in the world itself. That’s why John begins the section with “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.” Anything that will be gone when the world passes away is only temporary. We need to distinguish between that which is temporary (and therefore has limited value) and that which is permanent (and therefore has eternal value). Remember, ALL the things of this world will be gone some day.

Pursuing these temporary things may seem like harmless habits. But it turns out that these types of pursuits actually highlight an even deeper problem within our soul. John continues in verse 15: “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” You see? Scripture claims that we can’t be consumed with loving and chasing after these glittering things of the world and truly be consumed with loving and chasing after God himself.

Yes, these things glitter today. They appeal to us. They have an innate attraction to our carnal nature. They promise to satisfy some type of need that we have. But there is coming a day when they will be gone and their glitter will go away with them. “The world passeth away, and the lust thereof” (v.17). So if we can’t determine “gold” by its glitter, what is really going to have value? John tells us - “He that doeth the will of God abideth forever” (v.17). Our habits, our desires, our pursuits, and our actions on this earth will define who we really love. When we love the Lord, we want to obey His will. Our character is informed by His Word. We become the salt and light that we are called to be as Christians. Peter warns us in a similar fashion – “I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). When we keep this perspective in life, we will keep an eternal perspective and always keep in remembrance that: “All that glitters, is not gold!”