The Journey Continues: What do I want the most in my life?

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." - Matthew 6:33, ESV

Like so many others, my life hasn't always been financially secure. Even though I've been working steadily since I was 16, I've had times where the paycheck was spent well before the next payday. I've maxed out credit cards. I've had to dip into savings or retirement funds. So, like the dreamer I am, I've thought of that day when Ed McMahon would show up with the Prize Patrol because I won the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes. Or I've thought that the $5 Quick Pick Lottery Ticket or Scratcher that I bought would bring a windfall of cash to me, or to my family. And, lately, when I ask myself "what do I want the most in my life?", the answer has always been to buy that $10 million winning scratcher. 

This morning I asked myself that question again, but then I realized that the answer was wrong. I realized that my answer cannot and should not be for a winning lottery ticket or scratcher. 

I realized that the answer should and must be this: a relationship with God. 

Not that I feel that if I refocus what I want the most in life is a relationship with God that He'll immediately reward me with lottery winnings. Think of the context that the verse above comes from. In Matthew 6, Jesus is presenting the Sermon on the Mount, and starting at verse 25, He tells His listeners not to be anxious, not to worry about food or clothing. He provides living examples of flowers and birds that depend solely and completely on what God provides them. In the midst of this, Jesus exhorts them to focus instead on God, who will see to our needs. Yes, finances might be tight, or food might be meager or scarce. But if we focus on God as the most important thing in our lives, then the anxiety caused by focusing on those temporal things will keep us from a relationship with Him. And, if we truly focus on that relationship, it clears out our anxieties, which allows God to work in us the solution.

So, from today on, if I ask myself "what do I want the most in life?", the answer won't be that $30 scratcher that could yield $10 million. No, the answer will be simple: a relationship with God. That will be what I want most in my life.

Soli Deo Gloria

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