We have many false ideas running around in our heads. Some of them are rather harmless. Some may cause us a little trouble. Others are downright dangerous, to the point of negatively affecting our physical, emotional, and especially our spiritual wellbeing. In fact, they can doom us for eternity.
That sounds ominous, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, it is the truth. We don’t want to hear it. Many will completely ignore it. We don’t like it, don’t want to give it credence, and go about our lives believing what we want to believe rather than seeking the truth.
I’m sure some of you are wondering what I’m talking about. It is simply this, not everyone who thinks they are doing God’s work will end up spending eternity with Him. It means we cannot earn our way into heaven through deeds.
I know, I know. We are told over and over to do good works. We are told that God wants us to work for Him. That is true. He not only wants us to do good works, He created us for them (Ephesians 2:10). It’s not so much about the works, but our heart.
We must turn our entire lives over to Him. He first wants our hearts and minds to be focused on Him. Once we decide to follow Him with our hearts and minds, the works will come naturally. We will be the good trees bearing good fruit (Matthew 7:17).
Though we hear that we must submit to Him, and it is true, it is not about forcibly submitting ourselves to Him. It is willingly submitting to Him because we love Him, just as He loves us (1 John 4:19). In our love for Him we submit to His desires for our lives.
As we start this new year, we should take some time to take a much deeper look at who God is. We need to examine our hearts and minds. We need to decide if God is truly our number one focus. We need to determine if we truly love God, or just say we do. This should not be done out of fear, but as a seeker of truth and with a desire to make life changing corrections.
God wants all of us to love Him and make Him our priority. God wants to bless each one of us beyond our imagination. God wants us to live for Him and experience heaven now, not just some time in the future. Let’s decide to make Him our priority.
I pray we all take time to assess our love for God. I pray we decide to make God our number one priority. I pray each one of us will focus our hearts and minds on God. Seek God. Make God your top priority. Experience God’s blessings. Turn your heart to Him. Focus your mind on Him.
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
Marty Pressey 