We live in a time dominated by secular humanism. Religion is dismissed as being of little value and only useful for the weak-minded of society. In the mind of someone who has no sense of humility before a Higher Power, self is king, and the pursuit of personal desires is all that such a person has to occupy his time. So many people seem to believe that the key to a happy life is to choose success as defined by the secular humanist culture. We, as Christians, know that a life built on that foundation will never lead to true joy. We know it, but do we believe it?
The only true joy to be found in this life comes from full self-denial. When we bring our lives under submission to what the Lord wants for us, we can remove the fear and stress that plague so many in this day and age. Brethren, we must keep this in mind when we prioritize our lives. Do we allow entertainment, work, sports, education or any other personal activities to take first place in our lives over discipleship? We can see all throughout the Bible, and especially in Luke’s Gospel (9:57-62; 18:18-22) that God doesn’t ask us to follow Him part-time.
One of the biggest problems evident in the church today is the fact that we have become distracted. We must each examine ourselves to see where we have allowed our own comfort to come between us and God. If we truly want to be happy we will put Christ first in our lives and spread His love to all those around before concerning ourselves with selfish priorities first. It’s time to remove the distractions and focus on the purpose for which we’ve been called.
- via THE SOWER, a weekly publication of the Arthur Church of Christ, Arthur, IL. Ron Bartanen, who serves as minister and editor, may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.arthurchurchofchrist.com
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