Daily Journal: 17 September

What Is The

Most Important Thing?

To some, the most important thing is family. To some, it’s their work. To some, it’s their position. To some, it’s their next meal. To some, it’s their leisure pursuits. To some, it’s financial gain. To some, it’s power and control.

Some of these things are good things. Some are not. All can be consuming.

What is the most important thing? We need to know so that we frame our lives around it and measure our time and pursuits by it.

1 Timothy 6:10-12 (NLT)

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

Money itself is not evil. It’s a necessity. But the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. The love of money can see us chase many things apart from God. Even the love to have enough money to be comfortable could be seen as evil if it relies on self and earthly assurances to be comfortable, rather than on God.

The most important thing is to hold tightly to what God has called us – eternal life. We pursue other virtues that draw us closer to God, knowing that He is always our Jehovah Jireh – the Lord our provider. The love of money never leads us closer to God. It becomes a fight for supremacy.

Matthew 6:24 (NCV)

“No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches.

What do we consider more as we hold tightly to what God has called us?

Righteousness – living rightly, making choices that keep our conscience clear and support our faith, putting love into practise, persevering when things become tough, and being gentle.

Holding tightly to these things can be a fight when there are other things with money at the root that can capture our attention, captivate our imagination and then hold our heart.

We are the ones who direct our attention firstly, and decide where our imagination goes. The bible cautions us to be wise and make the right choices from the start, and then we will not pay a hefty price at the end.

The first part of Psalm 73 describes the descent that the love of money can take. From self-assurance to callousness to malice against others to arrogance towards God and then how quickly it can all be destroyed. But the psalmist goes on to be thankful that God rescued him from that, and holds his heart.

Psalm 73:23-26 (NIV)

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.