YOU ARE THE AIR I BREATHE

 

If I told you that you have one hour to live, what would you do?

 

Think about it for a minute.

 

Would you waste precious minutes feeling sorry for yourself?

 

Would you waste precious minutes worrying about problems you would have had to face tomorrow?

 

Would you waste precious minutes watching TV or playing video games?

 

Would you waste precious minutes on the hurtful words someone said to you yesterday?

 

I highly doubt it. You would probably want to be with those you love, to express your love, to reassure them, to make sure they know how you feel. You would probably want to make last appeals to those you love who don't know Jesus because you are concerned about their eternity.

 

So why don't we live every moment of every day like that?

 

Jesus told us to be prepared, to be found faithfully fulfilling our duties when he returns. He told us that the matters of the Kingdom are the priority and all that matters in the Kingdom is our relationship with God and getting the word about Jesus.

 

Jesus told us this is such a priority that it is worth leaving everything we have to go in search of the lost. Do you recall his story of the lamb that had wondered off and the shepherd who left what he had to retrieve it? Do you recall the charge he gave to his disciples when he ascended? Did he not tell him to go throughout the world telling everyone about him, making disciples, not church goers? Does the Word not also say that our citizenship is no longer found in this world but in the Kingdom?

 

So let's look at our attitude for a moment.

 

How entrenched have we become in this world? Do we consider our work a means to provide for the Church in its mission or to provide for ourselves? Do we see our Father as our provider in this place? Are we trying to make a name for ourselves here or is Jesus enough for us? Is money our big concern? Do we need possessions? Is our joy effected by the amount of money we have? When we have it, do we make sure the church is provided for and then do we spend it on others, or is it all about our needs?

 

What decides our thinking on right and wrong? If it is accepted in society do we accept it as good? Or is it the Word of God that sets our standards? Do we make knowing and understanding the Word our priority? How do we make it a priority? Do we cut out other things to give it priority or do we fit it in around other interests? Do we want to know what God thinks? When we find out what he thinks, do we make it a priority to allow him to instill it in our lives? Is there more to our relationship with Jesus than emotions and music? Do we do what Jesus commanded as long as it is convenient to us or are we willing to give up our life to stand by what he said?

 

When we say that we love God with all our heart, mind, soul, body, and strength, how is that worked out in our day? How would it be worked out if we only had an hour to live? A week? A month? A year?

 

We sing songs that express that Jesus is the air we breathe and that he is all we need. So, today, everything of this world will be stripped from you, including your freedom. You will be locked up in jail, cut off from all that you love. You will be told you have 24 hours before your execution. Will you still be able to sing? You are told you will not be put out of your misery in 24 hours but will be locked away for the rest of your life, to rot in your cell. Is he still the air you breathe? Does he remain all you need? Do you still have joy and peace?

 

How entrenched are we in this world? Which system is more important to us? Are we able to see the Kingdom of God through our dependence on this world? To whom do we belong? Who do we serve? What do we love? How will we spend the next 60 minutes of our life?

 

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthhhy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." - Jesus Christ

PASTOR PAUL VAN BUREN

http://pastorpaulvbsblog.blogspot.com/2013/07/you-are-air-i-breathe.html