One of the great tragedies of western culture is that we
have made accomplishment and the acquisition of things matters of primary
importance. I don’t think it is a
stretch to say that they are the gods of our civilization. Not only do we worship easily and naturally
at the altars of these gods, we teach our children to do the same. From the earliest age we seek to get them
into the finest schools we can and strive to give them every advantage so they
get into the best colleges and land the best paying and most prestigious jobs. It is our desire that our children be
successful. There is nothing wrong with
that. The problem is with the standard
we use to measure their success. The
nearly universal measurement of success today is the job you have and the
recognition we receive from it, the homes we are able to purchase and the cars
we are able to drive. Of course the
details of this great pursuit vary, but the desires/goals of success are pretty
much standard. A successful life is a
prosperous life.
Is this, however, the measure of success for a follower of
Jesus? Is the common pursuit of our
culture consistent with God’s will for our lives? You don’t have to dig too deeply into the
Bible to see that the answer to these questions is a resounding, NO! The Bible clearly teaches that there is
nothing inherently wrong with wealth and success, but it also clearly teaches
that these are not the primary pursuits of the follower of Jesus! Jesus himself said; “Seek first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as
well.” So in kingdom culture, what is of
primary importance? What is to be our
primary pursuit? It is character. It is a head and heart that is given wholly
to God that translates into a life that is lived for His glory. So when we think about the will of God for
our lives, our primary thoughts should not be about success or things, but
about our relationship with God and how our lives reflect his Spirit that lives
within us.
In Sunday’s sermon from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul without
hesitation declares that he knows God’s will for our lives. Read these verses and reflect on the
following questions:
- Do these things characterize my life on a daily basis?
- Which of these things do your struggle with the most?
- What life priorities do you have that are at odds with God’s stated will for your life?
- How can you change these priorities?
- God always responds to his children when they ask for help. Ask God to do whatever is necessary to conform your life to his will.
