What are you living for?

At last Tuesday's Tattooed Revelation at the RockIt Roost, we looked at a fascinating Scripture that says some pretty surprising things.

Check this out:

"What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away." 1 Corinthians 7:29-31

You might be asking, "What was Paul thinking?"

What kind of a marriage would you have if a husband lived as if he had no wife?
Is it fair to ask someone who has suffered a loss to refrain from mourning?
Is there something wrong with being happy?
Is it wrong to have possessions?
It is wrong to be excited about anything in this life?

These statements seem rather absurd until we see them in their context and, even then, they are not easy for many of us to swallow.

It seems from the first and last sentence of the passage that Paul is saying these things in light of the fact that he feels the promised return of Christ (See Acts 1:9-11) could occur at any time.

If the second coming is so close, why live for mundane things?

We were told by Christ in Matthew 24:42-44 to be ready because his second coming could occur at any moment.

Peter says that when Christ returns everything will be destroyed (2 Peter 3:10,11). In other words, someday everything that we felt was so important in this life will not seem important at all. The ultimate reality of the new heavens and earth will show how temporary the life we are experiencing now really is.

So, what Paul is saying is that when you live your life in light of the Kingdom of God and in light of the fact that this world in its present form will soon disappear, you will naturally adjust your priorities.

He is saying somewhat hyperbolically (in deliberately extreme terms to arrest our attention), "Don't let the things of earth so distract you that you do not give proper place to the things that matter most...don't get so caught up in family, mourning over the losses of life, happiness over prosperity, possessions or the things that tend to be engrossing that you forget about the things that matter most."

And what are those things?

1. Loving God - living life as his servant placed here on this earth to be his representative, making the purposes of God more important than your personal purposes, spending time in prayer, bible reading, memorizing and meditating, growing in moral purity, etc.

2. Loving others - laying down your life for others, being kind, gracious and patient, forgiving others when they hurt you, caring for the needy of this world, helping people who are far from God to find God as they see him at work in and through your life.

So, let's get engrossed in the things of God more than anything else in life! Let's live full-throttle for him. The return of Christ will make it clear to everyone that God's things are what really mattered.

--Pastor Jerry