By Adam Nelson
Over the past several years, many lives have been permanently changed, revealing just how abruptly the future can become shockingly uncertain. A global pandemic has taken so much away from us all – memories and experiences we will never get back. Meanwhile, international political tensions call into question the stability of human life and how much time remains before the end when Jesus will undoubtedly return to receive those who have received him and deny those who have denied him. Although these turbulent circumstances have been a source of great fear and anxiety for many, plenty have aptly recognized God’s revelation that we must prioritize our relationship with Him in our lives rather than focusing on empty practices, promises, and pleasures. Maybe humanity needed this wake-up call to assess our living situations and pray that He would restructure our priorities. Like Jesus commands in the parable of the ten virgins, we must be ready for his glorious coming with our lamps of love and devotion well lit, for, like a thief in the night, Jesus will make his return to judge all (Matthew 25:1-13 ESV). How can we expect to be fully prepared if we are preoccupied with insignificant, earthly concerns?
In the parables of Jesus, through the apostle Paul, and elsewhere, the Lord explicitly commands, “seek the things that are above, where Christ is …. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-3 ESV) and “Provide yourselves … with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail …. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:33-34 ESV). Admittedly, it is very difficult for us to not over-invest in the temporary things of this life, neglecting the more pertinent and paramount aspects concerning our eternal, spiritual lives. I have lived so much of my life fixated on academics, athletic performance, college and career prospects, hobbies and interests, etc. that when unseen circumstances have disrupted or devastated these components entirely, I have been left distraught and defeated, ignoring that God was still by my side through it all.
Strange and disheartening as it may be, our earthly goals, interests, and loves decay and perish as we grow nearer to Christ since we have been reborn and resurrected. Once we decide to leave behind earthly idols and instead pursue Jesus with our whole heart and soul, there is no turning back. We must be transformed and equip ourselves with the new direction, attitude, and meaning that He has given us to serve Him. Thus, we must “Put off the old self with its practices and … put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of [our] creator” (Colossians 3:9-10 ESV). Although it has been discomforting to discover the parts of my life I once cared about so deeply no longer provide as much excitement or motivation, I am beginning to accept that God is turning things upside down in my life so that I would prioritize Him.
Through the parable of the great banquet, Jesus depicts how those who make excuses for why they cannot wholly devote themselves to Him are misguided and foolish. The parable demonstrates how Christ has invited everyone to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but many make excuses for their unwillingness to leave their earthly selves and follow Him including “‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it,’” “‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them,’” and “‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’” In response, the master of the house, representing Jesus, becomes angry and declares, “‘none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet’” (Luke 14:18-24 ESV). Earthly aspirations and work such as acquiring wealth, land, and possessions can all too easily hamper one’s soulful search for Christ. If we acknowledge that many of the things we prioritize and emphasize in our daily lives will not carry over with us into the afterlife, we must be willing to ask God how to use them to further His kingdom on earth, or if that can’t be accomplished, to give them up entirely. God never promised it would be easy to prioritize Him over the earthly desires and practices we seek to give us meaning, but it is a fundamental step in the journey to His kingdom, for He is the only one that gives us purpose.
Putting aside our pursuit of earthly desires and work and instead prioritizing the commands of our Father allows us to be fully obedient children of Christ. Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me … For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits his soul” (Luke 9:23-25 ESV). A similar sentiment is found in Matthew 10:39 in that “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Those who give precedence to and wholeheartedly follow Jesus will reign with Christ in Heaven forevermore. In comparison, even if we achieved or accomplished every earthly desire or obtained every earthly treasure, we would still be left utterly unfulfilled because none of that will hold any significance in Heaven. Hence, we must not let those dreams distract us from the path God has dictated for each of us.
Although it can be hard to accept, our temporary lives can never bring the unimaginable satisfaction and wholeness that life in the Kingdom of Heaven will. All the things I used to put so much stake in pale in comparison to my one true defining quality: a child of God. Everything of the earth will fade away in time and can never bring the indescribable joy that is knowing the maker of Heaven and earth nor rival the way the holy spirit moves and touches us. Nothing this world has to offer compares to the feeling I’ll experience when I run to my Heavenly Father’s arms and embrace the God I’ve put my faith in for so long. Truly, if not for the love of Christ that has been bestowed upon me, it would be a continuous struggle to get out of bed each morning and strive to be more Christlike. However, I know the Lord is building me up and strengthening my heart and soul so that I can fix my eyes on him and do the work that will glorify and honor His name. As long as I have the one true God beside me, before me, behind me, within me, beneath me, and above me, I don’t need anything else. All anxieties wrapped within earthly things can fall aside, for He amazingly loves me even if I don’t achieve the personal goals I set for ourselves. How freeing it is that I don’t have to worry as one cannot “add a single hour to his span of life” by being anxious about mundane concerns (Luke 12:25 ESV).
Despite the monotony and insufficiency of our daily lives, we can be patient for Jesus’s inevitable coming when this temporary life that is imperfect and unfulfilling is replaced by the perfect way of living God intended for mankind – free of pain, worry, sorrow, anger and where only truth presides. With this in mind, we must suit up with the armor of Christ: the breastplate, the shield, the helmet, and the sword, to endure the anguish and misdirection in our current lives, so that we may carry forward with our eyes on the bright morning star and trudge through the lonely desert sands and winds, following the living water that is the word of God. Then our courage and nourishment are restored and protected, and we can continue through the wilderness, not searching for a destination but enduring until the glorious day of Jesus’s new reign.