Priorities
If
today was your last and you knew it, how much time would you spend on things
that mean nothing in the scope of eternity? Your minutes would be extremely
valuable, and you would choose to spend them on the things that were most
important to you. The things of the world would seem pointless—almost offensive
to your spirit. You would want to love those dearest to you, and to make sure
they know how much they mean to you. You would be righting any wrongs and
working out anything that came between you. If you have ever come face to face
with death, or been with a loved one through a life-threatening illness and
seen their priorities realign, you understand this. Everything becomes
abundantly clear in those moments. The only thing that matters is love.
Our
souls receive personality from God. They are designed to be filled by Him. The
danger for us all comes when we crowd them full of our own petty ambitions and
our shortsighted ideas of fulfillment and leave no room for the work that must
be done in us.
— William Kirk Kilpatrick
The happiness and joy that Jesus can give you
is light years beyond anything that the world can offer. Fulfillment, peace,
love, satisfaction, knowledge, truth—there is no way that the world can compete
with Him in those areas. It takes discipline of mind and body to learn to
treasure those things above the sights, sounds, tastes, and pleasures that the
world has to offer. It’s a matter of satisfying your heart and mind more than
your five senses. When it comes down to it, that’s really all the world can
give you—temporary satisfaction of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches.
But beyond those things, nothing the world has can satisfy the other cravings
in your soul. Only Jesus can really satisfy.
He is the answer. But as long as you’re still looking for the things of this
world to satisfy and make you happy, you won’t find the truth (1 John 2:15–17).