What is important to you? Where is your focus.

You know we must all examine ourselves at times, and ask, where are our hearts? Are they focused on Jesus and His will, or the "things" of this world.

Now, many pastors will say. Where your money is, that is where your heart is:

 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

                      (Luke 12:34 NKJV)

And this is true (it is based on Jesus' teaching). But this is only part of the picture. There is so much more to it. It goes beyond where we put our money. It is where our main focus is, and what we do with our time.   ...In other words, not only our money. But ourselves! Who and what we really are.

We must ask ourselves, "what is important to me?"

Is it the things of God.

Seeing (encouraging) people come to know Jesus, as we are all commanded:

 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen"

                  (Matthew 28"19-20 NKJV)

Ministering to those in need (Galatians 2:10, James 1:27):

 "for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

                 (Matthew 25:35-36 NKJV)

Seeing God glorified and the kingdom ushered in:

 "So He said to them, “When you pray, say:

       Our Father in heaven,

       Hallowed be Your name.

       Your kingdom come.

       Your will be done

       On earth as it is in heaven."

            (Luke 11:2 NKJV)

Asking the Lord, "Lord what can I do for you?"

 "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you."

                      (John 15:14 NKJV)

Or is it our hobbies? The "latest fashions", The favorite TV show. Watching the football game. Planning the next vacation. Boat trip, etc. And asking the Lord, "Lord, what can you do for me?"

You know there are so many in this world wanting, and needing a "touch" from God. So very badly. Many aware of it, many more not. But for many of us that know Him. We take Him for granted almost every day of our lives. We are not very thankful. We forget what He has done for us. Not only that, we tend to go back to our "old ways". Being self-focused, self-centered and self-absorbed. While there is a dying world around us. Both physically and spiritually.  

   ...Crying out for someone to reach out to them.

And the very ones who should be reaching out to them, above all. God's people, us. Many of us stand by while others suffer and we, "mind our own business". While forgetting that Jesus made it clear, this world was (is) His business, and is ours!

    ...Just as we read earlier:

 "for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

                 (Matthew 25:35-36 NKJV)

And as much as we serve and minister to those in need, we are doing it to for (to) Him. And as much as we do not, we are equally not doing it for (to) Him either (MT 25:31-46)!

So ask yourself today. Where am I in Christ right now? Can I honestly say that He is the desire of my heart? And His will for all that need Him.

Or is the desire of my life all about me and what He can do for me?

Now, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the things of this life. So please do not mistake this. But we do have to be careful with our focus. We have to ask ourselves, who and what takes priority in my life?

You see, this is the point. Jesus did not die JUST to save us and bring us to Him. Yes, He loves us so dearly and wants fellowship with us. And yes, He wants us to love Him and worship Him.

But He also died to MAKE us like Him:

 "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."

                     (Romans 8:29 NKJV)

To make us servants like Him:

 "So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."

                  (John 13:12-17 NKJV)

So examine yourself:

 "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified."

                   (2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV)

Where is your heart?

You see if we truly have the heart and Spirit of Christ within us. We are different, than the rest of this world. There is love, grace, mercy compassion and forgiveness within us. There is a true compassionate heart. To extend out the loving hand of God to all!

If while evaluating ourselves we do not find this to be true, perhaps it's time we ask God that it is?

And here's a little parting thought:

 "As water reflects a face,

        so a man's heart reflects the man."

                (Proverbs 27:19 NIV)