“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6: 33 NKJV
Welcome to the 34th weekly devotional recap of the year. This week, we discussed life; emphasizing that life is more than money, happiness, career, and being accepted. We also discussed the place of family in purpose.
On Monday, we learned that there is more to life than money. Money in itself is not bad. However, excessive love of money has caused many to sway from the faith (1 Timothy 6:10). Hence, we must put money in its place and understand that it is to be used primarily for the spread of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 9). God cares about things of eternal value (souls), and not money or other material possessions.
Tuesday’s devotional reminded us that there’s more to life than happiness. Many people live in pursuit of happiness. However, happiness does not bring true satisfaction the way that living purposefully for Christ does (Philippians 3: 10). If we only seek happiness, we will never do anything worthwhile like the Fathers of the faith before us (Hebrews 6:12). When we find something worth dying for, we also find something worth living for. Happiness is not worth dying for; hence, it shouldn’t be all we live for.
On Wednesday, we learned that there is more to life than a career. Our careers may be vehicles for fulfilling our purpose, but they are not our purpose. David had a career as a king and administrator (1 Chronicles 18: 14), yet he was also a powerful prophet and because of his writings the Gospel was revealed (Acts 2:30-31). We must let our careers have an impact on the propagation of the Gospel. Life is more than what we do for a living.
Thursday’s article reminded us that there is more to life than being accepted. We cannot claim to be living for God while seeking the approval of men (Galatians 1:10). There will always be people who will disregard us and everything we stand for (John 15: 18). Through Christ Jesus, God has accepted us into his family, and that’s more important than man’s acceptance or approval.
On Friday, we discussed Purpose and Family. God’s plan for families is to pass on the legacy of faith from one generation to another (Deuteronomy 6:1-2). We must strive to continue the devotional practices passed on to us by our parents or start them ourselves, and this is important because of the far-reaching impact of families in society. We must endeavour to preach the Gospel to everyone in our household and diligently watch over them.
In Christ, we have received an abundant life. Therefore, let us seek first His kingdom, recognising Him for who He is and not for what we stand to gain from Him. This is how we will find true satisfaction and fulfilment.
Have a lovely weekend.
Bible Reading Plan: 2 Chronicles 1-3