Learning to pursue what truly matters
Years ago, I got to a place in my life where things were
going pretty well… I had everything I pretty much asked for. Yet I still had
this vague feeling of discontentment. Something was just not right on the
inside.
Have you ever felt that way? Maybe you’ve wondered, What’s
wrong with me?, like I did.
Although I wanted all of the “fruit” of God’s spirit – love,
joy, peace, patience – operating in my life, I wasn’t seeking it. So spiritually
speaking, I wasn’t a very deep person. I has my priorities backwards…as many of
us do at times. We want the money, the house, the promotion or whatever that
thing is, So we pursue that rather than the true treasure of God’s presence.
But just like a tree needs deep, wide- reaching roots in
order to support big, strong branches that can withstand the harsh elements of
the outdoors, Christians need to be deeply rooted and grounded in the Word of
God. It’s His love that sustains us- not our “stuff,”
Don’t get me wrong.
It’s okay to want nice things. But there’s a difference between desiring them
and seeking them-and that’s something we’d be wise to focus on each day of our
lives.
- What are you seeking in life? The word seek is an extremely strong word. It means “to crave, to pursue, to make sacrifices to get or go after something with all of your strength and all of your heart.” There are only a handful of things the Bible actually tells us to seek, including God himself, THE KINGDOM OF God, righteousness, peace, and love. Never once does it say we should pursue temporary, earthy things.
Every now and then, I think it’s good idea to do a little
soul searching and ask yourself, What am I seeking? In other words, what do you
spend most of your time doing? What do you talk about the most? What are you
putting most of your energy into?
If you realized that you’ve been chasing things rather than
God Himself, I encourage you to visualize your final hours. I know it’s not particularly
pleasant to imagine, but if we just think realistically about what that day
would look like, it might help us change the way we spend today.
- How will putting God first change your day? If you have a strong inner life – that is, you know who are in Christ and you know that you’re right with God-then what goes on around you doesn’t have to matter all that much. In fact, it’s amazing what you can go through with smile on your face! You can be hurting pretty badly yourself and yet have a deep desire to help other people.
That’s when we know we’re mature sons and daughters of
God-when our life isn’t wrapped up in what we want, what we think, and how we
feel. Instead, we’ve wrapped up in what God has done in our lives and how we
can help grow His kingdom while we’re still here on this earth.
You and I can have a lot of “stuff,” but there’s nothing
more valuable in this life than knowing God loves us and that we’re right with
Him. I believe that during our final hours, that’s what we’ll find to be truly
important.
Matthew 6:33 says, But seek (aim at and strive after) first
of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right),
and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.
When you chase after God and make Him your first priority,
then you’ll really get to know Him and He’ll give you the things that are right
for you at the right time, and in the right way.
I’ve been a shallow person and I know what it like is to
need something deeper. I want to encourage you to really chase after God; live
each day of your life pursuing what really matters. Don’t spend your whole life
in the shallow waters, wrapped up in what you want, think and feel. Let Him be
first in your life-and you’ll soon discover it’s the most amazing way to live.
See Isaiah 55:6, 1Peter 3:11, and 1 Corinthians 14:1
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