"'But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." -Matthew 6:20
Our lives are so short. The Bible says the extent of our lives is like a fleeting shadow. (Ps 144:4) Even still, every life has value. And God brought you and I here for a purpose. What are we doing now that has lasting value? Everything we do has eternal purpose, if we view it as worship to God. What are we doing to create meaning, in our lives, or in the lives of others? Are we living each day with an eternal purpose in mind?
There was a story of a man who worked countless hours at his job. He believed in God, but his main focus was on his earthly success. He ran a very large business. When asked what people might say about him at his death he replied, "I've always known someone might ask me that question, but I am still not prepared to answer."
When we're young, we generally have more time to live our lives. But, when we're older, we might reminisce on what we could've done differently in our earlier years. Because our time is short, we need to use it wisely, and take thought for our intentions.
Take an inventory of your time and how you spend it. Are there areas in your life you could improve on? What can you do now that will create long-lasting value for you and others? Even by being faithful in mundane tasks and doing them as unto God we are creating meaning and purpose. What other things can we do to keep focus on heavenly rewards? Could we set more time aside for prayer and worship? Could we ask to pray for someone when they're not feeling well, or spend more time with family? Whatever it is, we need to keep in mind the things that last, "where moth and rust do not decay."
What are you doing today that will impact your tomorrow? Are you living with eternity in mind?
"A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the bones." -Proverbs 14:30 (MSG)
We tend to live by emotion in our culture. "Just do what feels right," seems to be the general norm. Many of our thoughts about right and wrong are based on our emotions, on what we perceive is right, or wrong.
When someone hurts us, we stand on the perceived reality that they "hurt our feelings." Sometimes we imply a motive behind others' actions which causes us to wrongfully judge them instead of asking about their intentions. We fail to employ discernment to see if the wound had a deeper root from something from our own past or even theirs. And then, we often do not do the even deeper work to discover and let God restore and heal what's broken through the power of forgiveness.
Faith, although a substance like emotion, is different from emotion. Faith comes as a response to God's words that knows that what the Bible says is true. It is a response to situations which says, "My God is in control."
When we live by emotion, it's like our faith hasn't fully taken root in our hearts. It hasn't yet extended to those situations that make us upset. Jesus described it in this way: "The seed cast in the gravel - this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it." -Matthew 13:20
Character is what we do when no one else is looking. It's also what we do in the midst of challenge. Do we bend and fold, or are we able to stand strong on the foundation of our faith? Living by faith ensures a firm foundation. Although it is natural to feel emotion, we should not make decisions based on our emotion. We should make them based on our faith.
"The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." -Matthew 7:25
Let us be like the house on that firm foundation of faith, as we place our faith and trust in God with whatever difficulties come our way - no matter how we feel.
