There are days when Holy Spirit demands your undivided attention and it doesn’t matter what else is going on in your life – if you have given your life over to Him, it is no longer yours, it is His and in doing so, you develop a hypersensitivity to the things of the Spirit.
This is one of those days for me…
The older I get, the more I realize what is TRULY important and what is not. The world makes demands on us and tries to distract us from what is ETERNALLY important, there is truth in the saying:
“Only what you do for Christ will last.”
This year, the two most important people in my life were called home to Heaven, please listen to me when I say this:
You cannot take anything with you at the end of your earthly life… Not your house, not your bank account, not your car, not ANY of the items you have worked so hard to obtain during the course of your life… You know the items I’m talking about – your MOST prized possessions. The items you may have got a loan in order to purchase, or bought with the money you obtained while striving to go up that corporate ladder… Those items will either go to loved ones that you delegated through a will or a trust or if you didn’t create one of those and loved ones don’t choose to take them, they will end up on the shelves of “Good Will” or “the Salvation Army” or some thrift shop where strangers will purchase them to add to all of their “stuff.”
A hard truth to swallow, but nevertheless a fact… The Bible tells us in Matthew 6:19-20:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal”
I don’t mean to sound morbid, but the truth is – your time is valuable. Maybe it is time to reflect on this and ask yourself:
“What treasurers are you storing up that will last for ALL eternity?”
Now, don’t get me wrong – I think having nice things is nice (or even expensive things), but our priorities SHOULD consist of storing up HEAVENLY treasures that WILL last for ALL eternity. “Keeping up with the Jones’ ” is not something that will matter at your life’s end. When you stand before the One Who created you with a purpose, Father God will want to know first – IF you accepted His gift of salvation and if you did, IF you lived a life fulfilling that purpose He had in mind at your creation.
Honestly, I testify to you that there is NO greater joy or purpose in life than making sure that Jesus is the VERY center of EVERYTHING we do. I’m not always good at it, but God looks at the heart.
THE GREATEST TREASURE OF ALL IS FOUND IN FULFILLING YOUR DESTINY IN CHRIST FOR THAT IS WHERE PEACE IS FOUND. THAT IS WHERE LOVE IS FOUND. THAT IS WHERE CONTENTMENT IS FOUND.
Those are qualities that cannot be bought with money.
PEACE IN THE MIDST OF INTENSE SORROW
HOLY SPIRIT’S PRESENCE AS YOU GO THROUGH YOUR DAY
SCRIPTURES THAT COME ALIVE OFF THE PAGES OF GOD’S WORD (THE BIBLE) AND MINISTER A PERSONAL WORD
What is the most important thing in your life? If it isn’t God, then you are truly missing out… As a cancer survivor, I can tell you that when you go through a life-threatening illness, you feel as if you are on a separate vortex than the rest of the world… All of a sudden what was MOST important to you in “keeping up with the Jones’” becomes insignificant. You find yourself facing your mortality and realize that your priorities have changed due to your circumstances. The common ground you shared with those around you has shifted. They can’t understand where you are emotionally because they are not going through what you are going through. It’s as if you are speaking a different language.
REPRIORITIZING YOUR LIFE SHOULD NOT BE SOMETHING YOU REGRET AT THE END OF IT.
I have seen people accept God’s precious gift of salvation upon their death beds. Our loving, forgiving, merciful God gives people up unto their last breath the option of accepting eternal life because as in 2 Peter 3:9:
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
How wonderful a thing it is to see the beauty of someone accepting Christ into their hearts at the end of their lives, yet how sad that they didn’t allow themselves the opportunity to live out their purpose in Him prior to reaching that point. Heaven is not a place you can earn by how you live, yet there is no greater feeling than knowing you lived a life choosing to follow Christ. Isaiah 64:6 tells us:
“But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
This year, I have heard many of the people around me tell me:
“Kelly you are SO strong! You have endured SO much!”
And I must gently correct them, for I am NOT strong on my own accord, I cannot express to you how weak I have felt this year losing the two people who meant the most to me in my life. My strength is found in Jesus. The life I live I live with the desire that Holy Spirit will guide me and direct me in all my ways. I am an imperfect person who lives dependent upon the love, mercy, forgiveness and guidance of a perfect God. He IS my everything. He IS the lifter of my head, He IS my Provider, He IS my ALL in ALL. My eternal treasures are found in HIM and in HIM alone.
As I bring this post to a close, I want to encourage you, no matter what YOU are going through (or have been through) to find your strength in Him. We live in a crazy, misguided, materialistic world, whose focus is NOT on living a life pleasing to God, but with a “what’s in it for me?!” type of attitude – Beloved reader, the One Who has your BEST interest at heart is the One Who CREATED your heart. He is trustworthy, He is reliable, He is ALL the treasure you need. It is something you don’t realize until you turn to Him. If you want to change the way you are living, because you feel empty and unfulfilled, I pray you will pray this prayer below with me:
“Father God, thank You for capturing my attention with this post, it resonates with me. I don’t want to stay focused on temporary treasures, but on eternal ones. I ask that You help me to realize what those treasures are and SHOULD be. Forgive me for my sins and wash me with the precious blood of Jesus. I choose this day to accept the GREATEST treasure of all – Your gift of salvation. Jesus, please come into my heart and be LORD over my life. I choose to accept You as my Savior. I want to live a life full of purpose, one that will transcend time! I choose to store up Heavenly treasures instead of focusing on earthly ones, for I know that ALL my blessings come from You. I don’t want to wait until my last breath to accept Your gift – for I know I am not promised tomorrow, so I choose YOU today! Thank you Father, In Jesus’ precious name I pray, Amen.”
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