James 1:6 (NLT) “…a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.”
It has been my experience that as we get older, we begin to think more about our mortality. Even those who don’t consider themselves Christians begin to contemplate if there is a possibility of eternal life, is this all there is or does life go on. And even those who believed that Jesus is the son of God but didn’t want to make that commitment will suddenly find themselves eager to accept and develop a deeper understanding of the Bible. But ask yourself this: why do we wait, why do we put off devoting our lives to God, is our loyalty divided? None of us knows the hour or day we will die, so why do we act as if we have all the time in the world? Are we afraid of what family or friends will think, do we use the excuse of being too busy to do it “right”, are we afraid we are going to miss out on something the world has to offer? Maybe we need to think about the fact that we might miss out on what God has to offer. Sadly, I’ve known people who died at a young age from drug overdose, car accidents and even terminal illness, many had never accepted Christ. It breaks my heart to think I will not see them again, but like most of us they were too busy enjoying life. Now I’m not saying we shouldn’t have fun and enjoy life; I don’t think God would have created so many things that are pleasing to our senses if He didn’t want us to enjoy life. But there needs to be balance and we need to get our priorities right. Even as Christians we may have divided loyalties if we are trying to be like the world and yet profess to be devoted to Christ. Sometimes those who grew up in the church (and even those who came to Christ later in life) feel like they have missed out on “having fun” and try to have what they think is the best of both worlds. Like the quoted verse says, they are like an unsettled wave of the sea that is tossed by the wind. Often times it is their faith that suffers as they begin to fall deeper into the trappings of the world, they never truly matured in their faith. Those around them may see the signs and even attempt to help them back on the straight and narrow path, unfortunately they may have been blinded by the bright lights of the world. God knows when we are trying to be part of both worlds, we can lie to ourselves and others but not to God, He knows everything, including when our loyalty is divided. Sometimes it is important to stop and take a good long look at our lives, are we living as if we are part of the world or are we simply living in the world and truly belong to God? There is a difference, we are on this earth and cannot separate ourselves from the world, we can’t go to another planet to live, but just because we are part of the world, we do not have to be a part of the world. Our actions, our behavior, our words can set us apart from the world and indicate if our loyalty truly lies with God. If we are less self-centered and more God centered, we understand that life is short and living for His glory is more fulfilling than anything this world has to offer. Maybe that is why we tend to look more closely at the question of eternal life when we get older, we know that our time is short and preparing for the future becomes more urgent. But young or old, we do not know the hour or day of our death, so it is important to put things into perspective, set our priorities so they in agreement with God’s kingdom. Things of the world are only temporary, but our faith endures and remains with us even in the life to come. In Philippians 1:21 Paul said to die is gain, Christ meant everything to Paul just as He should mean everything to us. Until next time may God bless you and bring peace to your heart.