Pats on the Back

Reading today’s verses initially, I was noticing the ebb and flow of Christ’s teaching. The choices we make on a daily basis. Matthew 6 brakes down into mini-lessons on a life spent pursuing God, Kingdom-living at its finest.

Into a society that embraces the dramatic, the talented, the superlative – where athletes have replaced parents as role models and the glamorous receive the majority of the glory – enters a teaching that reminds us that pursuing God means we give up any claim or expectation for acclaim. Unless that’s all we want.

There is giving without glory, intimacy without idols, pleading without populism, fasting without fraud, life without languishing, and faith without fear. Each one “preaches” (although you might find some better words – these were my initial thoughts) yet they are incomplete in painting the entire picture.

They are all smaller parts of an overarching Kingdom principle: Are the pursuits of your life built around earthly acclaim or heavenly applause?

Pursuing God is about more, much more than the world can ever give or provide for us. We might not like it – it might not be as instantly gratifying as we would like – however, the significance of pursuing God is the Blessing of knowing that we have received what we needed to do what God has planned for us. We will not venture across into the heavenly leaving unfinished or un-attempted purposes. We will not be left wondering: “What IF.” What if I had just fed that one more hungry person, clothed one more naked person, said I love you one more time to my children, embraced my wife one more time or given one more dollar.

And all of it will be done out of the gratitude we have for the gift we have already received and the glory that will be revealed when we bask in His presence.

On a personal note I have been presented with multiple opportunities in the last couple months which lead in varying directions. Some would be accomplished individually and others could be accomplished in combination. All of them are significant and would potentially have significant value for the Kingdom. Please pray that as I pursue God I would receive clarity that I will not be left wondering “What If,” but will know the joy and peace that comes from doggedly pursuing God and His purpose for myself and my family.

In Pursuit of the King

R