A Christian recently shared with me what he felt was the cause of his downward slide from being a happy believer. He said, "It began with the little things that crept in and stole my time from the Word and prayer."
In our Bible study not long ago we had this verse: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt. 6:3333But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33). Here we find that the secret of overcoming is getting our priorities right. As Christians, we have to put the principles of God's kingdom first in our lives. The redeemed march to a different drumbeat. We have been chosen as soldiers of Jesus Christ, and as such are not to be entangled
with the things of this life. The early Christians were
Our danger is not so much that we can become criminals as that we can become nominal, drifting Christians. The temptations that sap spiritual power in our day include the good books, television, the easy chair, and the credit card. We either move forward or fall backward in those seemingly innocent little moments of decision. If we are to live for our Lord, we must eliminate in order to concentrate. We must establish priorities, and put on the blinders (Pro. 4:25-2725Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. 26Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:25‑27)). This cuts out the clutter, that in all things our Lord might have the preeminence (Col. 1:1818And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18)).
The Old Testament prophet, Elijah, found that God speaks in a still, small voice, rather than in a hurricane. The same is true today. In order to hear that still, small voice, we need time alone with our Lord. Taking quiet moments involves discipline and self-control (a fruit of the Spirit-Gal. 5:22, 2322But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22‑23)), but we can draw this from Him. We can crawl out of bed on time. We can set the tone for the day, rather than being out of tune, and letting the day control us.
When we value something, we will go to a lot of trouble for it. How much do we prize the moments of fellowship with our Savior? Have we grasped the amazing truth that He desires this fellowship, and not just our patronage? How much have we comprehended that we live not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God?
We arrange our priorities to suit our needs. We have to decide that we need these moments alone with the Lord-that we cannot go on without them. But if these quiet moments are an obligation rather than a personal choice, they will be only a ritual, and will eventually be given up.
Another vital aspect of all this is found in 1 Cor. 3:1313Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (1 Corinthians 3:13). Have you ever noticed what it is about your life, that is going to be judged? The judgment seat of Christ will test the kinds of materials we used to build on that foundation which is Christ.
We are either serving self or Christ. If we seek His fellowship now, there are wonderful and positive benefits here, plus much, much more in that future day. It is blessed to realize too that our Lord initiates this kind of fellowship. He says to the believer, as it were, "Everything I have is yours. All My righteousness I give to you. The riches of glory are yours." What can we give in return but our sins, our failures, our inabilities-ourselves? Then the believer receives forgiveness, constant love, friendship! Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Only the god of this world could deprive debtors to such love of enjoying the Source of it all in those quiet moments. Let us, my Christian friends, by His grace, set our priorities in order. "Seek ye first," and be ever so jealous that the "little foxes" (Song of Sol. 2:1515Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. (Song of Solomon 2:15)) do not steal those tender moments with our Lord Jesus.
My Christian friend has caused untold grief, heartache, and much dishonor to his Lord. He would give anything if he could have done things differently. But there are no reruns. We get just one chance to pass through this life. We cannot turn back the clock; all we have is from here on.
In another evil day, a man of God said, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Josh. 24:1515And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15). Let us, too, echo these words by lives that demonstrate that they have been won and are controlled by the love of Christ. What we do with what we've received proves our satisfaction with it.