Living in the 1990's people are feeling more pressure than ever to conform to the things of this world. Satan launches attacks from every front in his constant battle against Christ. Amidst constant moral decay, the beliefs of humanism, political correctness, and others rain in without relent. Under such pressure, some give in to the things of this present age. They will have their reward. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, "For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also."
In Matthew 7:7, Jesus said "...Seek and You Shall Find; Knock and it will be opened to you." What should we be seeking? According to what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, we should be striving for the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Those who turn all of their attention to worldly things will have their reward while upon the earth. Christ stressed that by following after Him and His righteousness, we would be investing in an eternal reward in Heaven. There are many blessings that Christians have because they put God first in their lives. What do we find by seeking?
The first thing we can find is the blessing of God in prayer. Christians need to have an active prayer life. This is repeated throughout the Scriptures. Relationships are not formed without communication. Sadly, however, many try to have "one-sided" relationships with God. They never take time to pray. Our Lord had a healthy prayer life. From the evidence of the gospels, he made time to pray. It was a part of His day. Should we not do the same? Prayer will bring us closer to the Lord. Paul told the Thessalonians to "pray without ceasing" in 1 Thess. 5:17. He meant that we should always be in a "prayer mode." To pray without ceasing, meant to never quit being praying disciples. To cease prayer, will severely hamper our relationship with the Lord. One can not seek after righteousness as the Lord instructed without prayer.
In seeking after righteousness a Christian can find the approval of God in obedience. Revelation 22:14 says, "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city." One cannot be righteous and not obey the commandments of the Lord. We can not be a friend of the world. There are those who try their best to look like they are part of the world, but not in it. This is an example of having divided affections. The Lord want us to be obedient to His word. Looking back at the world, suggests that we are unfit for the kingdom of the Lord. (Luke 9:62) If we are willing to submit to Him, then we will have hope of eternal life. But, we must be obedient to His will and follow all of His commandments.
The Lord will help us through our temptations when we are diligently following Him. Please take time to read Hebrews 2:18. In the race of Christianity, there are many detours that we can take if we are not careful. If priorities are not in order, then before we realize it, we could be headed down a path of destruction. One that is doing his best to serve God, will recognize the correct path to take to lead himself out of temptation. God loves us, and does not want to see us overcome by the devil. This is why he provided the way of escape that he talked about in 1 Cor. 10:13. It is imperative that we follow the Lord. Are you?
Finally, 1 Peter 3:12 tells us that the Lord is against those who do evil. Let us be striving to be righteous. If we are not righteous, then the Lord will be against us. Who wants the Lord against them? Do we realize the magnitude of this? Sadly, many times we do not. What are you seeking? If you are only concerned with the things of this present age, then ultimately, you will be destroyed. There are blessings to following after Christ. Why not start following Him today?