What Are Your Current Circumstances
Story--- Bicycle from Western Auto.
Colossians 3:1-4 and Prayer
I have here in my hand 3,000 colones from Costa Rica. A lot of people there would consider this a lot of money. It is a days wage for a lot of the people in that country. People will kill for this money. Parents will even let their children be abused for this amount of money. But it is just a means to get more “stuff”…
Too often we set our sights on something we cannot have. Or something we don’t really need, but just want. Now Mary is sitting there and saying to herself, “He sure is preaching to himself.”… I do admit, I can occasionally fall into that. I am working on it and our time in Costa Rica really taught me that I can do without a lot of the gadgets and things of this world. I know I don’t need that 50” TV or the surround sound speakers or the new car or all that other “stuff”…
Over the past few months, we have all heard and felt all this uproar about the economy. Everybody is worried about their 401K or IRA or Mutual Fund or Savings Account. So much so, that people are ready to throw away some of our freedoms just for a little bit of that government security we keep hearing so much about.
We have lost our faith to trust in God. He tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us. But yet we look to this world. And fret and worry and think about all that we have lost or could lose. SO WHAT!!! It means nothing. It all belongs to God anyway. He just lets us use it for now.
When we die, we can’t take it with us no matter how hard we try. I heard a story one time of a guy that was dying that had a half million dollars and told his attorney he wanted to make sure it was buried with him. He wanted to make sure no one else got it. So the attorney promised to fulfill his wishes and took the money for safe keeping till the man died and was buried. After the funeral another person approached the attorney and asked if it was true that the guy wanted to be buried with all his money. The attorney said it sure was the truth and he made sure the wishes were carried out. And to make sure it couldn’t be stolen, he put his own personal check for the half million dollars in the coffin made out directly to the dead man. So only he could cash it.
Our scripture tells us that if this world is all we think about, we are looking at things wrong.
“If ye then be risen with Christ” Don’t read past this too fast. It is actually the most important part of the entire text. If you are a true Christian and without a doubt have accepted Christ as your Savior, if you have taken Him into your life and surrendered your life to Him, If Christ is the center of your life and the focus of all your hearts desires, then you can continue on with the scripture. If He is not, then stop right there and get your life right with Christ before you go a step farther. You got to get it in order and the first step is being risen with Christ.
Our scripture goes on to say, “seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” If we are a true Christian then our focus and thoughts should be on God in heaven. He needs to be the center of every want and need. We don’t be concerned about the “STUFF” here on earth. Let all your wants and desires be for Jesus Christ and serving Him. The rest is immaterial. One day all the “STUFF” will be burned up and gone. Christ will take care of our needs. When you leave it up to Christ, He never fails to provide. Take a look at this church, like we talked about this morning, the people here have gone above and beyond to make God’s house what it is. God will honor and reward that faithfulness. God will bless the people in this church for their love and concern for the care of His house.
“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Our love and desires of things here on earth are temporary. The things of this earth cannot last, but God is forever. We need to keep our sights set on the ultimate prize. Christ!!! He is our Goal!!! He is our reward!!! He is the one we should cherish!!
Verse 3 says, “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Christ has already protected and covered our spirit from this world, the rest of us is still out there struggling, but Jesus will help us through. No matter what we face in the future He will be there. The same yesterday, today, and tomorrow!!!! We are His, and as His we should not be a part of this world. We should be separate and different. Different desires, different wants, different loves. Of course, we are still a work in progress so we aren’t perfect yet. Oh, but thank God we are getting there.
Forget about the little things of this world that bind you down. Forget about all the “STUFF” of this world. It all means nothing!!! Remember this 3,000 colones I showed you at the beginning that means so much to so many Costa Ricans? It is worth about $6 here. So no matter how IMPORTANT something is to you, with God it’s worth nothing. He gave it, and He can take it away. And very soon it will mean even less when Our Lord reappears in the skies and takes us all away. That time is fast approaching, so why worry about the little things here on this earth that can fade away so quickly.
Nothing is important but God. Nothing matters but God. Nothing in our lives carry any value but God. In John chapter 11 Jesus says, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” Let God be the one and only item of value in your life. And if we put Him first in all of our lives, then the reward is ours. Verse 4 of our scripture says, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
Are you focusing on the things of this world, or are you focusing on the One who created this world? Are you focusing on the cares of this world, or are you focusing on the One who cares for us? Are you focusing on if the dow goes up, or on when heaven came down and filled your soul? So what are your current circumstances? What does your life reflect as important?
Every head down and every eye closed.