In Light Of Eternity

Colossians 3:1 (ESV)
¹  If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.


I am ashamed how much of my life and ministry  Ihave had the wrong focus. How many years did I waste seeking the things below instead of the things above. As a teenager all I could think about was football, girls, my Jeep, and getting a football scholarship. 

Even after I got saved Jesus definitely was near the top but I cannot say He was at the top. I was still enthralled with the things below. Like new clothes. Like the time when a friend got me into skateboarding my senior year. I spent a lot of money on that skateboard and quickly gave it up when I went to college. I worked out incessantly to get stronger and bigger. I loved and still love food. I lived to eat instead of ate to live. I wanted to spend time with my girlfriend. 

As a college student I began looking for my rib. If you don't catch my drift I meant for my wife. I dated one girl for five years during high school and into my freshman year in college. We were in love. I thought I would marry her. She was two years younger and went to a different college. We eventually parted company. 

When I met Brenda Ortiz I knew she was the one. It was not smooth sailing in the beginning. God has many rough edges to knock off me. All I could think about was spending the rest of my life with that brown haired and brown eyed beauty. Even now as I write this I can't wait to see her again later today. She is my soul mate. She is my best friend. My most trusted counselor. We have been married 26 years now. 

Then I became obsessed with having a growing dynamic ministry. I worked hard to increase attendance and to share the gospel to see people get saved and baptized. I wanted the fastest growing and the largest ministry. Numbers mattered. My Monday morning emotions would rise and fall based on the previous days attendance. Thank God He delivered me from that. 

After kids I wanted a house and from time to time different vehicles. I wanted to serve in prestigious places and have a comfortable salary. Over the years I got into all sorts of habits. I bought bicycles, books, golf clubs, softball equipment, racquetball equipment, basketball, workout equipment, and even a fishing stint with rod and reels and tackle boxes. 

Now in hindsight I see how much of that crumbles in the light of eternity. What does seeking the things above mean? I wrestled with that in prayer this morning. While my conclusions are not exhaustive I found them to be a good starting point. I narrowed it down to five things. 

1.  Seek to know God the Father. I cannot be content to know about Him. To worship Him from afar. I desire to get close to Him. I want to learn about His character, the ways He moves on planet Earth and His purposes. I want to increasingly grow familiar with His voice. I want to trust in His Sovereignty and rest in His faithfulness. I could spend all eternity seeking Him and not fully know God the Father. The more I pursue Him the less attraction this world has on me. 
2. Seek Jesus the Son. At the end of the Gospel of John, John wrote that if all the miracles and works of Jesus had been recorded there were not enough books in the whole world to record all of them. That is a profound statement. So what we have in the gospel books are only partial accounts of His earthly life, ministry, miracles, and teachings. I find what we do have incomprehensible to take it all in. To give myself to he earnest pursuit of Jesus is part of seeking the things above.
3. Seek the Holy Spirit. Do you earnestly desire to know and understand the Holy Spirit? He is indispensable to our lives as followers of Jesus. He reveals truth. He convicts the lost of sin and righteousness. He comforts the brokenhearted. He empowers us to live and serve Jesus. He intercedes. He speaks the mind and heart of God. He guides our steps. How often is He forgotten and neglected. 
4. Seek God's Truth Through Scripture. I spent my prayer time this morning praying through certain Bible passages. My prayer time came alive. One verse would ignite passionate prayer in one direction and then a different verse would send me off in a whole new direction. His word is a goldmine. So much truth. So little time to study it, memorize it, meditate on it, preach it, teach it, pray it, and write about it. Every day I could get lost in the pursuit of truth. 
5. Seek Heaven. In light of eternity in Heaven so many things just do not matter. It does not matter how many shoes you have, how many clothes hang in your closet, the kind of car you drive, the house you live in, your job title, your kid's accomplishments, what others think of you in comparison to what God thinks of you. When I am seeking Heaven the trials and sorrows of this world are manageable. No matter how painful or difficult they are all temporary for a child of God. 

In light of these eternal things so much of life down here does not matter. It does not matter if my favorite sport teams win or lose. It does not matter if I have plenty or little. It does not matter if my ministry is done in obscurity or if God puts me on bigger stages. It does not matter how much money I make, where I live, what I drive, or what clothes I wear. 

I was convicted today of the many books I have bought over the years and never read. For years this did not stop me. I still bought more books. Even though I read a lot I never read all of them but I kept buying more and more. Something I have stopped doing. I have thought of all the hours I have wasted over the years flipping television stations instead of reading scripture or writing another blog. I've thought of all the hours spent sleeping when so many souls still hang in the balance between Heaven and Hell. I think of all the sermons I preached or taught with little anointing because I did not linger in the Lord's presence until He first preached those messages to me. I think of all the money I wasted on things I grew bored with like golf clubs. I have not played a round of golf in over nine years. Further more I don't care to and I LIVE ON A GOLF COURSE. It holds no attraction for me. The times our family goes to movies over the past several years I'm usually bored to tears and hate being there. I prefer to stay behind and read. That contents and entertains my soul more than the latest blockbuster. 

Living in light of eternity changes everything. The way you live. Your priorities. How you spend your time and money. When I look back I see my failures. When I look forward I see a renewed focus and resolve to seek the things above. Living in light of eternity matters.