These Sayings of Mine – Seek the Kingdom of God (Part 1)

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not [the] life more than food and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25

As you can see, the first verse of our next saying begins with the word “therefore”, meaning “for that reason or cause”. The Holy Spirit uses “therefore” often and strategically throughout the Bible to connect dependent thoughts and assertions into a pathway of truth and faith. Therefore, let’s quickly review the saying of Matthew 6:22-24 (Get Focused and Stay Focused):

1. Your heart will be drawn to the place where you have laid up your treasure.
2. Singular focus on God allows light to flood our entire being. Allowing distraction invites darkness and deception.
3. If you serve mammon (i.e., riches and its supporting systems), you will despise God.

This last point should be quite sobering (if not frightening) for all Christians – particularly for the 21^st Century Western church, where riches are abundant and abundantly deceitful (Mark 4:18-19).

Our omniscient God, foreseeing the dilemma, has provided the way for our deliverance and the key to our finding the truly abundant life of His kingdom. Spoilers: They are not the same.

Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10

At this point, a bit of confusion is understandable; along with a bit of resistance. How do you buy stuff without money? Isn’t wealth a measure of abundance? And why would someone exchange the abundance of this life for a life they cannot see?

Most of us are not risk takers, at least not with the abundance we have been taught to hold so dear. Better safe than sorry, right? “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” comes to mind (but that’s probably my carnal mind speaking).

Keeping to God’s Way and Delighting in His Path

Psalm 119 is like a mountain meadow, filled with beautiful flowers. Walking through it, we find ourselves surrounded by the author’s delight and joy in the statutes, testimonies, and commandments of God. And then we see it: a flower of a different kind. Not better, just different. Let’s take a look.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall keep it to the end.
Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;
Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it. Psalm 119:33-35

Throughout most of Psalm 119, the statutes, testimonies, and commands of God are the writer’s focus. Here we find a subtle and profoundly different awareness. It is the way of God’s statutes that he promises to keep, and the path of His commandments in which the psalmist will delight himself.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to search them out (Proverbs 25:2). I think this is one of those hidden treasures that God would have us consider. The way and path speak of God’s process-orientation, the walk of faith to which we are called, and the following after Jesus Christ that positions us to become His disciples. As important as obedience is to God, He has a deeper place for us to travel with Him.

Workplace Ministry Tip #42 – Dealing with Anxiety

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2Timothy 1:7

Professional golfers get nervous standing over a 3-foot putt to win the tournament. They’ve managed to control their nerves, however, because they’ve practiced the shot thousands of times. They rely on muscle memory to help them manage their nerves. This works for a time, but dependence on the flesh eventually fails us.

It’s the same with public speaking. The more you speak, the more comfortable you’ll be. If you only give one presentation every six months, of course you’ll be nervous. It feels unnatural because you don’t do it that often. The world’s solution: Speak often. However, practice does not make us perfect.

Similarly, you may have heard some form of: “You’re only as successful as your ideas. Landing a dream job, persuading investors, inspiring employees, and attracting customers require the effective transmission of those ideas. Don’t let your nerves get in the way of achieving your full potential.”

This sounds great, but it is not the truth for Christians in the Workplace. There is something far more important for our success than our ideas, controlling our nerves, or practicing until we are comfortable.