Daily Journal: 17 September

What Is The

Most Important Thing?

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

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 6:11b-12 (NLT)

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.

The most important thing is to hold tightly to what God has called us to – eternal life. Pursue other virtues that draw us closer to God.

Whatever does not lead us closer to God 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 should we consider as we hold tightly to what God has called us?

Living rightly by 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 other things capture our imagination and, finally, hold our heart.

We are the ones who direct our attention 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 finally, being destroyed by those things. The writer of this Psalm, Asaph, goes on to be thankful that God rescued him and held his heart when he said he almost lost his footing by following in kind.

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.

If there are things in your life that have almost caused you to lose your footing, how will you redirect your desire for God and keep Him as the most important thing, like Asaph?

Lord we pray that your counsel will go before us and keep us from making mistakes that will take us away from your goodness and your eternal blessing. Help us to hold on to you as you hold on to us. Be our strength and our portion forever.