I relied so much on my mom for wisdom, so when she went to be with the Lord last November, I felt lost for a while. That’s when I realized this world and everything in it is temporary, and no one will be there with us forever. The only person who will be there with us forever is Jesus, who is constant and reliable. All of us will reach a point in life where the things we rely on and find security in may not be there anymore. When that happens, will we feel hopeless and lost, or can we have peace knowing that we still have God? I’m learning that if we build our life on other things like our job, home, money, or even friends or spouse, we will be disappointed when those things are taken away from us.
When we face challenges in life, our natural tendency is to find happiness, peace, and security in the things of this world than in God. When the foundation of our life is built in Christ, we can stand firm and not be shaken when faced with challenges in life. I hope to build my life on a foundation that lasts forever, which is Christ, and not on anything else that’s temporary. According to Psalm 146:3-7, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water. That extends its roots by a stream And does not fear when the heat comes, But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought, Nor cease to yield fruit.” (New American Standard Bible).
We recently read the book of Colossians in our Bible study group, and it talked about ‘seeking the things above and ‘setting our minds on the things above. According to Colossians 3:1-2, “Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth” (New American Standard Bible). We live in a culture where spending time on the things of this world is normal, and if we talk about focusing on the things above, people might even think we are not cool anymore. In the end, all that matters is what God thinks of us and not what others might think of us. I’ve heard this quote many times: “We are in this world but not of this world.”
Having a relationship with God is all that matters. He is our protector, defender, etc., and a father who genuinely cares for us. Does that mean I can’t have fun in this world? Does that mean I can’t have any relationship with others than God? It is ok to have a relationship with others and have a good job or enjoy fun activities, but we need to make sure that those things don’t take the place of God in our life. If we start looking at other things to provide us security, comfort, peace, happiness, satisfaction, etc., we will be devastated when those things are not there anymore. I love this quote by Tim Keller, “An idol is anything more important to you than God. Anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God. Anything you seek to give you what only God can give. Anything that is so central and essential to your life that you should lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living.”
If our trust is in God, even when all the things of this world are taken away from us, we can still have peace and hope for our future, knowing Jesus is still there for us.
