Shifting Our Criteria

Content library Shifting Our Criteria
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Southeast Christian Church

Dec 10, 2020

God always has an eternal perspective, but this is something we will spend our entire lives learning. When we are surrounded by worldly values, it’s easy to get caught up in them while convincing ourselves that our values are correct. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with pursuing a higher degree, buying a nicer car, living in a large house, going on fancy vacations, going after that promotion, or buying nice presents for your kids, it becomes a fine line between worldly and godly values.

We value earthly stability and status. We value what we can post on social media, share at family gatherings, and see in our bank accounts. But when we pursue the eternally valuable, we may lose everything that we thought gave us stability and status. If God favors the humble and the bent knee, then we should forgo status in submission to Christ. We will tear down our values that were built on sand in order to stand on the solid rock of Christ. We will open our hands in surrender to God, knowing that everything he has given us is to be used to grow his eternal Kingdom. We will claim nothing of our own and offer ourselves in submission to his will for our lives.

When we humble ourselves before God, we will hold worldly values loosely, knowing that they hold no value in heaven. Instead, we will see them as tools to be used to accomplish God’s plan. That larger house can accommodate more strangers to love. That raise can be used to tithe to the church. That new job can be used to love people. When we humble ourselves before God, everything in our lives can be used for his Kingdom and purposes.

Reflection/Discussion Question: What in your life has been difficult to see in an eternal perspective?

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