Seven Things That Can Only Be Done In This Life
Sometimes life is so complicated and as a Christian I feel a longing for heaven and I want to throw in the towel as far as life on earth is concerned. Do you ever feel that you are living in the middle of a whirlwind, going nowhere and accomplishing nothing for the Kingdom of God? Matthew 6:33 directs us to "seek first the Kingdom of God". It is only in focusing on our relationship with Christ on a day by day, hour by hour basis that we find the simplicity of a life that ‘seeks first HIS kingdom'. I came upon this list of "Seven Things That Can Be Done Only In This Life" from Our Daily Bread, and share it with you as guidelines to follow as seek to live a life with purpose and direction.
1. Love and pray for your enemies (Matthew 5:44)
We all experience hurt, disappointment, and even betrayal by people. Often the problem is not the Philistines we barely know but the Israelites who are closest to us. Our tendency is to become bitter against them and retaliate. Jesus' instructions to love and pray for enemies is totally against our fleshly will. The result of obedience here is that when you pray for your enemy God will do a greater work in your life and change your attitude toward the one for whom you are praying.2. Walk by faith and not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7)
This is a constant battle of seeking to trust the Lord and allow Him to take the leadership in our lives, rejecting the politics and human instruments that are sorely limited in power. God's people need to see the unseen and practice what they say they believe.3. Love God by enduring temptation (James 1:12)
This is an ongoing battle in each of our lives. Many of us subject ourselves to things that lead us down a path to destruction. Proverbs 7 refers to a "temptation trail" in which we tempt ourselves by putting ourselves in positions of temptation, then are tempted by the tempter, and finally we tempt God to bring about destruction and chastisement. The children's song says "be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear…little feet etc." We need to set no unwholesome thing before our lives.4. Through love serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
This is an issue that puts to practice all that we say we believe. We want to serve the Lord, but serving people is an affront to my pride. Jesus said that we are to seek to serve rather than to be served (Mark 10:45).5. Lay up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20)
I meet people from all walks of life who are so interested in investing in temporal things such finances, position, and possessions. What about eternal results? What are you sending on ahead? Here are some things to consider: † Bringing the lost to Jesus and † Investing financially in your church and in ministries that extend your effectiveness in the Kingdom.6. Share the gospel with the lost (Matthew 28:19-20)
How long has it been? We say we believe that the gospel changes lives. We attend seminars, Bible stud- ies and countless sermons to train and motivate us, yet we fail to open our mouths to share the life-changing message of hope. We live what we believe, and the rest is religious jargon.7. Exercise your spiritual gifts (Rom. 12:6-8, Eph. 4:11-13)
This is a missing tool in most Christians' lives. Study these passages and seek the Lord concerning what your spiritual gift is and begin to exercise it within the body of Christ. This list isn't exhaustive, but it's a good reminder of how God wants us to live and what He wants us to do. Do not become so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good.
