In pursuit of item number 17

[B-A-C]

Years ago I used to get together with some friends of mine and play a game. We went "scavenger hunting". We were given a piece of paper with a list of items of it.
An empty soup can. A Hershey chocolate bar. A pair of scissors, A left foot size 9 1/2 tennis shoe. Just weird stuff like this. Every week the list was different.
The first team to find all the items on their list got some kind of prize. One time I got an ice cream Sundae from Dairy Queen.

I loved playing that game. There are a lot of things I "love" in my life. I love my dog, I love my kids, I love my wife. I love riding my 4-wheeler, I love playing the guitar,
love spending time with friends. I love browsing the internet, going for drives, and watching television. When I was younger I loved playing basketball, going for motorcycle
rides, and long bicycle rides. I suppose we all have a list of things love. .. somewhere on that list is Jesus/God.

The Bible says.. we pursue what we love. Where a man's heart is.. there is a treasure also. What do you spend your "treasure" on? Often we think of treasure as just money.
But I would argue, that an even greater treasure is time. Just time. You can always get more money. But you never get lost time back. What are you spending your time and treasure on?
Usually it's the things love. What do I spend most of my time and money on? My wife? My kids? My hobbies? My material "things"? It could be anything... movies, sports, cars, vacations,
food, my house, singing, computers, clothes... literally anything. Where your treasure is... that's where your heart is. The things you are pursuing... that's where your heart is.
For a while I was pursuing my career, then I pursued a woman, my wife. I pursued having children, .. I pursued a lot of things. It seems I was always chasing after .. something.
Like the scavenger hunt, I was always looking for the next thing on the list.. whatever it was. Usually I didn't even know what I was looking for.

Do you love God? Do you love Jesus? Of course you do. Don't we all? But where is He on your "list"? Is He item number 17? Well no you say. He is item number 1.
Is He? Is He really? How much time did you spend in prayer with God today? How much time did you spend reading His word? How much time did you spend in devotions,
meditation, and seeking the Lord? Now compare this to how much time and money you spent today on video games, watching sports on television, watching a movie.
Was Jesus really number 1 today? Was He really on the top of your list? Or was He somewhere nearer the bottom?

How about yesterday? Or the day before that?.. Better yet.. how about tomorrow? I can't change yesterday.. but I can change tomorrow.
In Revelation 2. Jesus is speaking to the church of Ephesus. The same church the book of Ephesians was written to. They had a lot of good things going for them.
The only thing Jesus really had against them was... they left their first love. Have you left your first love? Is that love now item 17 on the list?

Where is your treasure? What are putting before God today? (and likely every day really) What's on the top of your "list" today?
Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with the things on this list. Sports are OK, wives/husbands are OK, children are OK. Some movies and video games are questionable.
Fishing, vacations, biking, hiking and camping are all OK. God doesn't want or need to quit doing all these things. He just wants to be your "first" love.
He wants to be on the top of your list. He wants you to love Him with all your heart, mind, body and soul.

Oh but God loves me. I don't need to pursue Him. He is always with me. Yes He is with you. Yes He does love you. But He wants that love reciprocated back.
He told the church at Ephesus that He would remove their lampstand.. unless they repent. Our God is a jealous God. Exod 20:5; Exod 34"14; Deut 4:24; Josh 24:19; etc...
Yes God loves you. Maybe it's because of His love and jealousy for you.. He wants you to love Him.

Hopefully item number 17 will become item number 1 on you list today.

 

[Waggles]

Hopefully item number 17 will become item number 1 on you list today.

Praying in tongues fervently daily keeps me in the love of God.
It is an interaction that keeps alive my living relationship with God my Father and God my Redeemer.

 

[Dave M]

This is a good lesson Ray. thankyou

I have given much thought to this over the years. It seems we really have several things we can actually track to see how we are doing.

1. Money, other than the money we need to live on, whear does the biggest chunks of my money go, to my hobbies, or to kingdom work, like missions or supporting orphans, etc....

2. Time, when I am not working, what am I doing in my free time, hobbies, or am I involved in missions, visiting widows, fellowship, serving others?

3. Thoughts, what am I thinking about all day??? am I praying to God all day or thinking about my next purchase for my hobbies, etcc...


That's as black and white as I can make it for me to keep a check on. How we live and what we do reveal what is truly in our hearts, I hear so many people confess Christ, but live like the world, they know more about the stock market than the bible, it scares me. I easily get caught up in hobbies way to much. A few of the biggest helps for me is starting my day in the word every day no matter what. But the last couple of years serving in a ministry have really humbled me to see such Godly men who are so much more mature and self-sacrificing than I am, really has helped my walk. I don't see how people can grow in christ alone, I tried, and did not work. Fellowship with people who live for Christ is the best

 

[Christ4Ever]

Dear Brother, @B-A-C
Great thread!
We can all use this reminder, thanks for posting it!!!

With the Love of Christ Jesus.
YBIC
Nick
\o/
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