“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” ~Matthew 6:33
As humans, we are an odd species. We are, perhaps, the only species that looks beyond basic necessity and tries to fill our lives with useless fluff, for lack of a better term. Humans have only 4 basic needs: air, food, water and shelter. I posit that there are, in fact, a few other needs: medical care, faith, and love. We, however, seem to think that we need much more. We foolishly believe, though, that we need huge television sets, fancy cars, fast computers and shiny bling. But if you think about it, that’s an obvious fallacy.
Think about it. We’ve all heard it said that you can’t take it with you, and it’s true. In the end, what do we really take with us? Nothing. We were born with nothing, and we leave with nothing. All of the stuff we insist on collecting over the course of our lifetimes? Does it actually matter? No. But one thing does, though: what we do.. how we live.. how we love. I don’t mean just “living a good life.” The Apostle Paul teaches us that we are saved through grace, not works. This means that no amount of “being good” will give us access to the glories of heaven. For ALL have sinned.. every single one of us. Even if you live the cleanest, most pure life of anyone who has ever existed.. you’re a sinner, and fall short of God’s expectations. And with sin comes a price:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 6:23
This, in a way, refers to physical death, since without original sin there would be paradise without death. But it refers to more than that as well. It’s also talking about spiritual death.. separation from God for eternity.. a sentence more drastic than anything imaginable. There is only one way to escape this death sentence:
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” -Romans 8:1
Faith. That’s what it’s all about. Not stuff. Not TV’s and cars and fancy jewelry. Faith, hope and charity. We must constantly strive to do what God asks of us, not just “live a good life.” By putting God first in our lives, by always looking upward for direction and guidance, we seek His kingdom. When we do that, when we stop and listen.. when we choose to just let go, have faith, and let God work through us, it’s amazing the things He will do in our lives.
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