What I mean is that for a couple of months I was so focused on getting ready for and anticipating the events of my family's visit and the wedding that I couldn't see past them.
As we left the Pigeon Forge area and we accelerated onto Interstate 40 I had to mentally recall what life was about before wedding week. In my mind I heard myself say in a TV announcer voice over, "And now back to your regularly scheduled life." Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I invested as much time, energy and effort into the vacation and the wedding as I did. But once again, I fell into the snare of focusing on an event in my life and not on the continuing true purpose.
The most common event I can use to illustrate what I mean is the annual celebration of the Christmas holiday. How many people experience an emotional let down after all the gifts are opened and the day is over? That's because they focus on the event and not the spirit of what it really means and how it can change them. I know mentioning that everyone should honor "the true spirit of Christmas" rather than the trappings is rather cliche but there is truth a lot of truth to it.
As a Christian, my life's purpose is to serve and bring glory to God. This is accomplished by working with and following the Holy Spirit's lead in my life to develop the characteristics of Jesus Christ in my heart and soul. This standard is mentioned in the Bible in several different ways. It's called sanctification, working out our salvation, running the race, and "a good work" which was started in us, by God, through Jesus Christ.
Growing and developing the characteristics of God in ourselves should be the focus of the Christian life. That focus, while aided by events and relationships, should transcend all other things not replaced by them.
I am easily distracted; mostly by events and things. Whether its a family event, a trip to a major league baseball game, or some other event. I've always had a tendency to place disproportionate value on the event and place it ahead of God in my life.
The same thing with possessions. I get a new electronic "toy" or a new puppet or some other thing, I felt like I couldn't live without, I put my involvement with it ahead of my focus on God. I get very obsessive about it. For all intense and purposes that misappropriated focus leap frogs ahead of God as the object of worship in my life.
The Bible calls this sin. Its not a blatant or obvious sin; it's very subtle. God is a very jealous and possessive God. He will not tolerate anyone or anything coming ahead of himself in the hearts of His children. Check out the first of the ten commandments. Putting anything ahead of God in my life is a sin from which I need to repent and exterminate from my character.
Events and possessions are given to us by God to enjoy and serve us as we serve Him. But in my life I have to learn to balance my focus on events and things so that I don't fall into sin. The sin of placing them on the "throne" of my life and making them gods ought not to be a part of my life. I have to remember ultimately I want to possess and display the character of Christ and make Him, the Lord over all that I am. I pray that I will do better at staying focused on Jesus Christ, my saviour, and God, the Father, as through the Holy Spirit, they work to draw me closer to Themselves.
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