I once came across a jarring, apocryphal story attributed to Warren Buffett. It goes like this: The famed investor was once asked by his pilot how to set priorities. He told the pilot to make a list of the top twenty-five things he wanted out of life and then to arrange them in order of importance. The top five should be those around which he organized his time. The pilot expected Buffett to say that after doing those five, he should focus on the remaining twenty. Instead, he said the remaining twenty should be avoided at all costs because they were not important enough to form the core of his life, yet seductive enough to distract him from what matters most. Wow. The good is the enemy of the best. This is the kind of singular focus you need to have when it comes to following God's plan for your life. If you created that list today, what would be your number one goal? Would God make the top five? If anything besides God sits in the number one spot in your life, you have identified a god. Augustine was right when he said that there is no such thing as an atheist. Everyone has a master passion or a controlling interest. We all serve somebody or something — whether or not we realize it. |
It's Worth It The apostle Paul taught us the power of having God as number one. We find it in Philippians 3:13–14: I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. The secret to concentration is elimination. The sun can start a fire only if it is focused by a lens. To live with that kind of desire and motivation is to tap into the power of the focused life. As the words from Jeremiah 9 remind us, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight. — vv. 23–24 You want to be proud about something? - Be proud of the fact that you know God! He takes your calls. The King of kings has your name written on the palm of His hand!
That is better than being an influencer, walking a red carpet, belonging to a country club, or owning a Jet Ski. What's more, this King died on a cross to save your soul and redeem your life from destruction. |
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He is the true Treasure that can make all other treasures look like trash. |
He is the true Treasure that can make all other treasures look like trash. |
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The problem with looking to our résumés or net worth to define us is that our value goes up and down depending on our performance that day. You will feel like garbage eventually. But when it dawns on you, like it did for Paul, that in Christ you are the righteousness of God and that your value doesn't rise and fall like the stock market, you will consider all else garbage — dung, actually — compared to the excellence of knowing Him (Philippians 3:8). When that rings true in your heart, then no matter what God is calling you to do, the answer will be yes. Though it may sting in the moment, you are reselling all you have for the Treasure of knowing Him, and in the process you are being conformed to His image. If following means walking away from something, or walking toward something, you will be willing to do it because He is the prize. It isn't what He does through you or how He blesses you. You just want Him. It's worth it. He is the true Treasure that can make all other treasures look like trash. If I am honest, sometimes I'm afraid of what God might call me to or want from me. Maybe you can relate. It is that primitive fear that if we say yes to God in an open-ended way, He is going to send us a one-way ticket to a foreign mission field. We mustn't be so narcissistic. God loves the people of whatever mission field we are dreading far too much to send someone with such a bad attitude to reach them. If we remember that He is a good Father — that He only knows how to do good and only wants good things for us as His kids — we needn't be afraid. James 1:17 reminds us that God is the Father of lights and that every good and perfect gift comes from Him. Of course, the path to those good things is often very hard and scary, sometimes even painful, but the end He has in mind is far better than we could ever imagine. As Martin discovered, your flesh might scream at whatever Jesus is calling you to as you deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Him into the unknown, but it will be a death that leads to life. And according to Psalm 16:11, in His presence is fullness of joy, and at His right hand are pleasures evermore. Before you close this chapter, I would love for you to go online and listen to Martin Smith's song "What a Friend I've Found" from his Delirious? band days. I pray that as you listen, preferably with your eyes closed and your hands open, you will go all in with Jesus again, or for the very first time. Let the Spirit of God fall afresh on you. Feel Him in your room with you. Settle in. Sell all you have in your mind for the Treasure of knowing Him. And don't let anything else on your list, or in this world, seduce you out of seeing Him as the prize — the most important person in the room. |
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Remember: the good is the enemy of the best. Put Jesus in the #1 spot and let Him direct your life. It's worth it! ~ Devotionals Daily |
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Blessed Are the Spiraling: How the Chaotic Search for Significance Can Lead to Joy Through Life's Shifting Seasons |
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A Jesus-Shaped Life Online Bible Study |
Discover a faith that goes deeper than facts. Join the A Jesus-Shaped Life Online Bible Study with Lisa Harper and learn that theology isn't just for scholars—it's how your relationship with God deepens and transforms every part of your life. Plus, get access to 7 study videos and other Bible study resources - all free when you sign up! |
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