Pursuits
For the past several months I have been plagued by a single question. I think about it when washing my truck, mowing the yard, and even paying bills. "What is truly important?” When I obsess over a minor detail of life, I often catch myself and ask, “Is this really what is important?”

For the past year I have been building a patio in my backyard. This project started as a small fence for our new puppy, grew into a pergola, and in the next few days I hope to complete the deck of our new patio. The funny part is that this all started so the dog could have his own shaded area. Now he spends most of his day on the couch and will only go outside if it is 65 degrees with a cool breeze! Safe to say, he won’t use it much but hopefully my wife and I will. During this process I have found myself obsessing over it. Unfinished projects irritate me so the year-long time-frame in itself has been difficult enough. And now that it rains every other day I can't get my schedule and the weather to mesh. I have obsessed over its completion and at times gotten very frustrated. Countless times during its construction I have asked myself, "Is this really important?" Initially my thoughts were towards my attitude, “Is this worth getting upset about?” But over time they have grown into a deeper question of “Is this worth spending my time and money on?” We can argue at length about increases in home values, entertainment opportunities, etc. But instead let’s remove my patio example and ask a much larger question. Are you spending your resources on the things that really matter? And what really does matter? Is it a car? A house? A relationship?

My deepest frustration lies within the realization that I am obsessing about worthless pursuits that carry no kingdom value. What if I put the same time and back-breaking energy into a relationship? Or dedicated it to the glory of God?

Colossians 3:1-2 reads: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

I also like Matthew 6:19-20, which reads, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal”

The cold reality is that those trinkets which we so passionately pursue today will be dust tomorrow. So my question remains. What really matters? How do we "store up treasures in Heaven?" In looking at the life of Christ in its complete context, I can immediately learn two things. 1) Jesus came to serve, and 2) It's all about God. This idea is summed up perfectly in Luke 27 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself."

I have heard it said God does not mind us having things, only when things have us. I honestly don’t believe that when I stand in judgment, God will point to my patio with disapproval. But if I choose to spend this gift called life shopping and building sand castles, then I might have something to answer for. Don’t be confused or worried about where to start. Just reach out to a fellow human being and love them as Christ loves you.

Chris Jones
Director of Recreational Ministries