Hello dear friends, I pray to find you in good Spirit and in health. May you be encouraged in the faith, in truth, and in the Love of Jesus Christ our Lord.
As one Who is in the ministry of Pastoring, also comes the unfortunate but blessed opportunity of officiating funeral services, and sitting with many in their last moments of life.
And dear friends, one thing that I can tell you for certain is this- we all work so hard all our lives to try to have the best things in life only to find at the end of our journey that the best things in life were never the things that we tried so hard to gain and to achieve….
My hope today is to encourage you and to challenge you to reflect on your own life and to ask yourselves, “What is or are the most important things to me in my life?”
You see, we have such little time here on earth, yet we spend so much of that time and energy exhausting ourselves for THINGS we want. Now, there are things that we do NEED in life but the truth is we also want and desire THINGS. We all do if we are honest. Well, there’s nothing wrong with wanting THINGS if our motive is to bring God glory through those things. But if we spend more blood, sweat, time, money, and energy on gaining the wrong things in this short life instead of the right things, then I’m afraid that we have missed it. This is what God’s word has to say – For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26 Some would say- “I don’t even want ANYTHING! I work hard just to try to survive.” And I think that’s true for most of us today, but even then, there is still something inside of us that desires more or better in our lives.
So as I’ve sat with many who were getting ready to transition into the afterlife… I can’t help but to wonder what’s going through that person’s mind at that moment when all on earth starts to come to an end… friends I pray that you and I will not have the regret of overlooking the things that truly were the most important things in life … May we understand today that the most important blessings in life are the things that no amount of money could ever buy. Let me share just some of these THINGS that are the real blessings we should strive to achieve.
Good Health, True Peace, Sound Mind, Contentment, Real Joy.
Friends, these are all things that are often overlooked in our lifetime, while we are wasting our time striving for the things that actually matter LEAST in life. The crazier thing is this- that the best things in life were actually FREE all along!!!! Yes FREE! But they only come by having a rich Relationship with GOD.
The Bible Jesus talks about a rich man who built many barns in order to store all of his worldly possessions and riches. He decided he would adjust relax and enjoy the rest of his life because in his own mind well - “He was set for life”. But God said something to him that should challenge us all to reevaluate our own lives while we are still here… Listen to what God says- But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:20-21 So I Challenge you today, dear friends. Ask yourselves, “What is or what are the most important things in my life today?”
• Is it my phone, sports?
• Is it my children, my spouse?
• Is it my family, my house, my car, my job?
• Is it my money, or any of my material wealth?
Or is it Growing in a Rich relationship with God?
I can assure you, That when God is our first priority and The most important In our lives. Then everything else will be added… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 Father God today I pray for myself and for all of my readers, I pray that you give us all the revelation to know and to believe that there is nothing greater in this entire world and in eternity than to be in a relationship with you through the sacrifice of your one and only son Jesus Christ Our Lord. We thank you for sending your one and only begotten Son, That whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life… John 3:16.
Help us to walk in the newness of this life that has been offered to us through the cross And help us to desire You more than anything that this world could ever offer us..
With love, Your brother and Christ Jesus, Pastor Billy Montes (Editor’s Note: This column is written by a different Littlefield pastor for the Leader-News each week. The columns are published on this page on Wednesdays.)