At ThE eND oF THe DaY

If you could look through my entire social media timeline for the past 11 years, you will see social media posts on relationship. It was and is to some degree one of my biggest struggles. I am positive that I'm not the only one. As big as this world is, it can often be small and cramped and we have to deal with uncomfortable things regarding our fellow human beings. We are exposed to things we don't want to know and we have to experience things that forever change us. On the flip side, we get to be a witness to some of the greatest highs and miraculous events of our lifetime. All this through the lens of relationships.

I have a beautiful wife of 21 years who is my best friend, three beautiful daughters and six incredible grandchildren who carry a world of potential. I have a mother who has literally been a life saver and is an undying support in the best and worst of times. She sacrificed much for me to have the ability to say what I'm saying freely and to be the man that I have become. That's a debt I cannot repay. All important relationships that have shaped my life and helped me grow significantly.  But placing any of these persons before God instantly puts them into an increasingly uncomfortable position: At odds with the Father for your affection.

"I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images." (Isaiah 42:8 ASV)

I simply decided to use an example that is very familiar to me. Insert your own here. Either way, we have to ask what place "it" has in our hearts and in our lives. At the end of the day, is God the Father a fallback option or the object of our affections? Are we single focused on him daily or do we visit him one day a week like we do a distant aunt or uncle?

To many people that we know and love, there is nothing more important than their children and their husbands or wives, their household, their personal comfort, and their money! It seems a tad insane to come home every day and use electricity to charge our I-Phones, keep our alarm clocks at the right time, heat our meals, and allow us to enjoy the pleasure of each others' company watching our favorite TV or a nice movie on the weekend and, with the same breath, curse the electric company for providing us with these advantages. Who would do that, right? Perhaps we do that just with some differences. I would go one step further and say that we are living in rampant modern day idolatry. We just don't use wooden idols anymore now they are living, breathing, fallible idols that we worship and place on a pedestal in our hearts that exceeds even God Himself.

Well, this could be the point where people are picking up their stones, or going back to their Facebook profiles where it is safe, comfortable, and there is no accountability. This is where people shut off their laptops. But a fact remains on the other side of our resistance. We have taken the breath and life that we were graced with and use that same breath to spat on the Giver of the Gift. I am not saying what you hold dear is not important but I question if it's deserving of the #1 spot above all else. I would retort that the #1 spot is reserved. We have taken places that are designated as temporary and taken up permanent residency in them. Did you find it strange that Jesus Christ as a child so readily left his family to go and preach in the temple to a people who would probably not hear him anyway? They marveled at him for being a child and holding such wisdom but was this just a special circumstance or a teaching for us all? When his parents finally located him after frantically searching for him, what was his response?

And he said to them, "Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49 NKJV)

Ahh, children! Aren't they precious? This is a child we needed to take seriously. Purpose drove his response to his parents. He, to be fair, knew something that many of us do not. He understood three vital things: One - He knew where He came from. People ridiculed Him and cursed Him and made commentary on his hometown and his family and his knowledge base but He knew His value and His worth and He was undeterred. Two - He knew His purpose for being here. If He had not, He would have been confused by the spiritual struggle and given in to temptation and lashed out and perhaps even called a legion of holy angels to remove Him from Calvary's death sentence scenario. He would have forgotten the importance of why He had to stay there and carry our sins. Three - He knew where home was. He spoke of it often and reminded the disciples and those that would listen that a place was being prepared and this is not our destination but only a momentary location.

We have as people become so disconnected that we think this temporary situation is the perfect place for a permanent home.

"So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT)

Our priorities are in the wrong place and it cost us greatly when we are out of position spiritually.
Paul made a strong point on this in the book of Colossians.

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

What's wrong with the things on Earth? Why can't we focus on them?

At the end of the day, the things that we hold tightly to don't amount to what matters most.

"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" (Mark 8:36 KJV)

I can't think of anything. Can you?

I hope this was a blessing to you. That was my intention.