What's your dream? Your biggest life goal? Do you want to be successful? Do you want to be in the best possible physical shape? Do you want the highest position in your company-stopping at nothing along the ladder to the top? Would you love to be an Olympian? What motivates you, or possibly keeps you at up night? Do you have big plans and big aspirations for something specific in your future? Are you dedicated to making it happen each day of your life? Dreams are good. Aspirations are good. Goals are good. We should all have something we aspire for-we shouldn't stay stuck and become stagnant. But we need to be careful.
Nearly half of all Americans classify themselves as workaholics. A workaholic is defined as someone who compulsively works long and hard hours. This person will work in place of needed sleep. They turn down social invitations in order to work beyond normal work hours. Some workaholics work because they enjoy their work, and others work because they feel compelled to work. Whatever the case may be, work is their priority.
Athletes training for the Olympics will train on average, around 30 hours per week. This is only the physical part of their training-you must also take into account the focus put on calories and nutrition, as well as rest and recovery. The goal is a gold medal, and few will make it to the top. While my son didn't pursue Olympic aspirations, he did spend a large amount of time in high school swimming, training, swimming some more, and eating to optimize performance. Sports on any level require commitment in order to do well, and eat up large amounts of time. Being an Olympian isn't a bad life goal, but as with any other goal, it shouldn't be at the top of the list for a Christian.
All of us wrestle with goals and dreams that vie for first place in our hearts. We may want to be rich and afford the things we wish for. We may want that big house on the lake and a nice boat to cruise around in. We may want the latest Tesla, with all the bells and whistles. We may want fame and wish our name was known across the world. We may aim for being President of the United States. We may spend hours and hours in the gym to have the perfect body. Whatever our dreams are, they should be secondary at best, to our love and devotion for Jesus Christ. And sadly, it's not the case if we were to be completely honest.
Trading Jesus doesn't mean we would totally give Him up for something we are going after-it's as simple as allowing them to have more of our hearts than we give Him. It's an attitude of "I want ____, and I'm going after it with all of my being." We often spend most of our life chasing our dreams, and give the leftovers to God. In short, we are trading Him for the worldly desires of our hearts, disillusioned by the glitter of temporary satisfaction, in place of eternal reward. We are selling ourselves short for the present world we live in, in exchange for doing great things for our future in heaven.
Whatever it is you're shooting for, put it in its proper perspective. Giving Jesus anything less than our first priority is essentially trading Him off for something of far less value. He deserves our primary place of service and devotion. He says in Matthew chapter 10 that if we love anyone more than we love Him, we aren't worthy of being His. The principle here is He has the place of preeminence in our lives. If we put the same energy we put into our life goals as we do in serving Him, what difference could we make for eternity? I'll be the first to admit that I'm often crowding out His place of priority and replacing it with things that will only satisfy in this temporary world. I can do better-how about you?
But seek FIRST the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33, ESV).
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Luke 12:34, ESV).
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money (Matthew 6:24, ESV).
Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth (Colossians 3:2, ESV).
Dear heavenly Father, may we repent of anything we place ahead of our love and service to You. May we realize the sacrifice made for us to be called Your children, and may we store up treasures in heaven-not exchanging them for temporary applause and gratification. In Your name we pray, Amen!
Starting over again is a wonderful gift that only God could've given us. I am thankful each day that we are establishing a new marriage relationship, and not working toward a divorce. Things are brighter, better, and shine with promise. And while there is so much positive stuff going on, the damage from behind us lurks in the mind, and Satan beckons us to listen to his old spiel of garbage. What will we do with what he whispers to us, and how can we make sure we don't buy into his load of bull again?
If you are the betrayed spouse and find yourself rebuilding a marriage that has been damaged by infidelity, you know the struggles associated with it. Any behavior out of the new norm causes anxious thoughts. There are certain triggers that would cause me to panic, should I see them arise. And even with our best plan to stay focused on the present, our past often calls out to us and tries to derail the progress we are making.
Our wonderful marriage counselor has given some great advice on this. Look for patterns, and unless they are there, push away doubts that may try to creep in. In the past, my husband had a clear pattern for behavior associated with infidelity. In the present, none of that behavior exists- therefore, I need to focus on the good that is happening, and refuse to listen to the lies of the devil. When I find my mind going to my old crazy place, I have chosen instead to focus on this scripture, full of hope and encouragement : "Finally brothers (or sisters), whatever is TRUE, whatever is HONORABLE, whatever is JUST, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is COMMENDABLE, if there is anything worthy of praise, THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS." (Philippians 4:8 ESV).
Our mind is a complicated place, full of ideas and thoughts and imaginations. I am learning to train mine to focus on what is true, and not what may happen. There isn't really a better tool I've found for navigating through negative thought patterns, than to focus on the actual truth of this moment. God has used this scripture to re-train my brain from unhealthy places that can get me stuck in negativity from untruths. What a waste of my time and energy it is to stay in those bad places. If you're fighting against thoughts that hold no real truth or legitimacy in your present place, I encourage you to find the help and hope I have found in Philippians 4:8. Each time your mind goes to a place of worry and fear, train it instead, to think on things that are lovely, pure, honorable, just, praise worthy, and true! And in time, I believe with assurance, my brain will figure out it just isn't worth messing with Satan's lies. Our good God gives us all that we need to be successful within His Word! Praise the Lord for not leaving us alone in our struggles, but supplying our every need to be victorious over them!
And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32 ESV
Lead me in truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Psalm 25:5 ESV
Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:17 ESV
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Psalm 51:6 ESV
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of Your Word, so full of all we need and yet we often struggle. We struggle because we don't use Your Word to give us truth and focus, and I confess that before You, Lord. I thank You for giving the gift of re-training our minds to focus on You and all that You are to us. Help me each day, to remember the power I possess in Your Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!
