Radical Shift #2

The second shift the church in America needs to make is the shift from temporary to eternal values. We need to increasingly see things from an eternal perspective and not just the few years we have here on this earth.

 

Everything about this earth is temporary except for people. Jesus left heaven for, lived for, died for, and conquered death, for people . . . People are what matters to God and that ought to affect how we relate to those who are unconvinced, how we spend our money, how we invest our time, who we choose to hang out with, and so much more.

 

I'm as guilty as anyone when it comes to wanting nice things, driving nice cars, wearing nice clothes, and living in a nice house. And there is nothing wrong with these things except for when we live as if they are the only things that matter or we have these things to the complete neglect of things of eternal significance.

 

Statistics show that most Christ followers don't follow the Bible's teaching when it comes to putting God first with our finances. I don't think that is because they don't know to. Pastors aren't afraid to teach on money any more. At least not the ones I follow. They hit it really, really hard! People know to put God first.

 

I think it is more a matter of not being able to or simply just choosing not to. Why? Because, so many have gotten in over their heads and are up to their eyeballs in debt or they've just simply chosen to live for and give their lives (time, money, energy) to getting and keeping more stuff.

 

So most of us here in America need to make the radical shift that moves us away from living for temporal things and living more for things of eternal significance.

 

 

 

Comments

[Courtney Inman]

Nice things are nice to have there's no doubt about that. I agree with you that it's okay to have them but if they become a hindrance spiritually then we have a problem there. We live in a society where hording possessions is encouraged. You can't take it with you when you die but you can use what you have to further the kingdom. People not things are what matters most.