Seek the Things That Are Above

More than once in the Bible we are told, as Christ followers, to put aside our earthly desires, to set our minds on things above, to seek first the kingdom of God, to put on the new self in Christ, old things have passed away.

How hard is that!?! How can you put aside earthly desires when there is a boss to work for and bills to pay and children to raise and the car breaks down and the vacation is coming up and the economy sinks again and gas and food prices rise and ads everywhere entice me to buy, buy, buy?

Living the Christian life is not easy and nobody ever said it would be - except maybe a televangelist. But the Bible does not give any indication that it will be easy. Quite the opposite, in fact. Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble..." But Jesus also gave the answer to the trouble we will face. He said, "I have overcome the world!" and "In me you will have peace." 

I have walked with Jesus many years now but I am still learning so much about this Christian life. One of the things that I have been learning - way too slowly - is that if I do focus on pleasing God, seeking Him through the Bible and prayer, He really will meet all my needs. He might not meet them the way I think He should, but He meets them nonetheless. And He does this as He changes my mind about what is important to me and what is not important so that I don't miss the "wants" because I don't want them anymore.

God is able "to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think..." When He doesn't seem to be doing that in my life, it is because my vision of God is too small. My faith in His word is too weak. My mind is filled with doubts about His willingness to provide. My wants overshadow my needs. My hearts desire is not His hearts desire for me. The only way to change all this is to "seek the things that are above."