One brother used to say, “I know I’m not old yet, but the runway is getting shorter.” He was not going to waste a day; he was not going to leave behind a life half-spent.
Most of us will leave behind lives that were capable of more. Today we look back on our days, be they many, or few, and know in our hearts that our vain pleasures have only gotten in the way. They crowded out that which matters most:
To “seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).
Amidst all the daily noise of news, money, and playthings, the welfare of the church easily slips to the status of Poor Cousin; someone who needs to get their act together before we take them too seriously.
Given that the church of Christ is the very centre of a Christian’s earthly sojourn, you would think that more time might be spent contemplating what that means. Believe me, the first thought that Satan wants you to think when the preacher says, “To seek first The Kingdom of God is to seek first The Church of Christ,” is, “I wonder what’s for lunch?”
Satan doesn’t necessarily want us to leave the church against our will, he would just prefer that we do not take it too seriously.
If you were given but one prayer to pray for the rest of your days, what would it be? What kind of prayer would keep you seeking first that which is eternally important? What kind of prayer would assure you that you would not leave behind a life half-spent?
The good news is that God instead gives you unlimited access to His Throne of Grace. An open forum to seek His wisdom for a life well-spent.
“Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. (Psalm 86:11).
John Staiger