I’ve written on this topic many times, but I am increasingly convicted of it in my life and burdened by it in the lives of others. To quote Charles Spurgeon, “Do not seek lasting comfort in earthly things.” We all do this every day. We spend our entire lives in pursuit of things of this word. But Jesus admonishes us to set our mind on things above (Colossians 3:1-4). Everything down here will rot, fade, get stolen or lost, or be destroyed (Matthew 6:19-21).
Nothing lasts. Only what we do for Christ will survive. Only His Kingdom will endure. Yet every day we are living for the temporary garbage instead of the everlasting treasures found in Christ alone. How are we still so dull, deluded, and unwilling to sacrifice what is temporary for the eternal blessings of God?
Most of us still have not mastered the whole “dying to self” thing. When we surrender our life to Jesus, the quest for earthly things comes to an immediate halt. From that moment forward, our lives are not our own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We belong to Jesus, and as such, our every desire is to serve, please, and glorify Him. Our dreams must die, crucified with everything else on the cross of Christ (Matthew 16:24-26). The new dream is to live a life of total obedience to Jesus (John 14:15). He is our merciful Lord, and it is our honor and privilege to serve Him alone (Romans 6:16).
The corner office, nicest car, success, fame, or even the largest church must no longer be on our radar. Those are bad goals because they all focus on earthly things. We promised to surrender those to Jesus. Once and for all, nail every carnal desire to the cross. Let His blood wash over every prideful thought and craving until your only desire is to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:19-23). The entire point of our life is to know and be known by God (John 17:3). Nothing else matters because nothing else lasts.
Why is it so difficult to let go of the temporary pleasures and rewards of this life when we know what God has for us is infinitely better? Are we so immature and impatient that we cannot delay our desires for what is but a speck on the timeline of eternity to gain all the privileges and blessings that come with being co-heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:16-17)? Why is it so hard to live in light of eternity (Ephesians 5:15-17; 1 Peter 4:7-11)? Granted, we are physical beings, but we are so much more than that. The Spirit of the living God lives inside of us. Don’t ignore the yearning of that spirit to commune with God (Romans 8:26-27).
Accumulating earthly things comes at a price. Every moment spent in their pursuit, and even worshipping them, is a moment not spent giving glory to God. Having an abundance of earthly things isn’t a sin. The Lord may bless you with much on this earth to facilitate His plans. But we should never seek after them. We should never find our identity or worth in them (Matthew 6:19-21). Instead, we should seek first God’s Kingdom, God’s will, and God’s glory (Matthew 6:31-33). If we do, we will spend eternity with Him and have more than we could ever ask or imagine because we will have Jesus Himself (John 14:2-3; Ephesians 3:20-21). There is nothing better than that.