What does the word “bat” mean? It depends! It could be the thing you swing at a baseball. Or it could be a furry little creature that flies around at night. Same word, totally different meanings. English is full of words like that. “Bark” could be what a dog does or the outside of a tree!

The Bible has a word like that too: world. And it has three different meanings.

Sometimes “world” means the planet, with its oceans, mountains, animals, and everything God created. Sometimes “world” means people, like in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world.” God loves every single person on earth!

But sometimes “world” means something else. It means the way of thinking that goes against God. Things like being selfish, greedy, mean, or always wanting more. When the Bible says, “Do not love the world” (1 John 2:15), it doesn’t mean don’t love God’s creation or don’t love people. It means don’t love that way of thinking.

So you can love puppies and sunsets and the ocean. You can love your friends and neighbors and even people who are hard to love. But you don’t have to love the “me first, more for me” way of living. Jesus rescued you from that! The Bible says God brought us out of darkness and into the kingdom of His Son (Colossians 1:13). That’s the best kingdom there is!

Think About It: Which kind of “world” do you see the most at your school or on the shows you watch? How is God’s Kingdom different from the “me first” way of thinking? What’s one thing you love about being part of God’s Kingdom?