Welcome to Day 2 of The Challenge!

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“Set your affection on things above,
not on things on the earth.”

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Set your affections on things aboveAre you setting your affections on things above? To be honest, the people around you most likely know the real answer to that question better than you do.

One of my younger brothers recently wrote a funny little song about me. I enjoyed the song but it rather surprised me the things that I was known for. Sadly, they were “things on the earth” rather than “things above.”

In this verse, “set your affection” means “to interest oneself in.” What I take an interest in is a choice. Therefore, Paul instructs me to choose to take interest in eternal things. If I answer the following questions honestly, I will soon discover whether or not my interests match God’s interests.

What do I spend my time doing?

Time is my most valuable asset. It is a daily treasure which attracts many robbers. I only have a limited amount of it–once it’s gone, it’s gone. The way I spend my time is a telltale indicator of where my affections lie. Hmmm. So what did I spend the most time doing yesterday?

What do I talk about?

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh” (Luke 6:45).

What do I write about?

If a complete stranger had the opportunity to read all the letters or emails I wrote last month, all the blog posts or status messages I posted on the Web, and all the Instant Messenging chats or text messages I sent to others, they would know immediately where my affections have been placed. What would they say about me? Would Christ have written the same things if he was on earth today?

What do I spend my money on?

Have you ever read Charles Dickens’ classic book, “A Christmas Carol?” In this story, Mr. Scrooge becomes a whole different man when he realizes one night that his priorities have been completely wrong. The way he looks at money and spends his money suddenly changes. I can either spend my money to advance temporal goals or eternal ones. It all depends on which takes priority.

What do I get excited about?

When was the last time that I was so excited that I just couldn’t contain myself? Well, I would probably have to say that it was two nights ago during our New Years Eve pyrotechnics show. Some friends of ours blew up their Christmas gingerbread house with a grand explosion. It was lots of fun. However, I had to keep in mind that it was the people around me that were really important that night, not the show. Am I just as excited for their spiritual growth?

The Word of God and the souls of men will last long after this world is gone.A Change of Interest

It is not too late to start taking interest in the things above. There are two things here on earth that will last throughout eternity: the living Word of God, and the souls of men. What can I do today to make those a priority?

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8).

    This entry was posted on Saturday, January 2nd, 2010 at 6:00 am and is filed under Memorization Challenge. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.