Keeping the First Things First - a 3-Day Devotional With Consumed by FireExemplo

Temporal vs. Eternal

“All the things that I have held dear... the vanities that whispered in my ear... What would I do if they all disappear?” (Lyric excerpt from “First Things First” by Consumed By Fire)

Have you ever just taken a moment to think about how much of our time we can spend chasing and accumulating material things that will one day just rust, break, or wither away?? It can be a sobering reflection of the heart when you do.

We make investments daily (whether conscious of it or not). We’re either investing in our “earthly accounts,” or we’re investing in our “heavenly accounts.” Both are necessary, but Jesus pointed out that whichever gets the majority of my attention (my treasure) reveals where my HEART actually belongs. Show me where you put the majority of your time and your money - and as a result, it will show you what has your heart.

“Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:19-21‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Now, I want to make it unequivocally clear that I’m not saying it is an issue to have earthly wealth or valuable possessions. It only becomes an issue when these temporary, material possessions begin to have YOU. The Gospel is a HEART-thing... Money isn’t the root of all evil. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, “the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.” I believe that we can be flat-broke and still be in love with money. So, Jesus was letting us know (in Matthew 6) how to take an inventory of the heart; by checking in on where we put our attention, time, and, yes, even our money.

The rich young ruler that met Jesus had one major issue - contrary to what you may have heard, it wasn’t that he had wealth... It was that wealth & possessions HAD HIM (control of his heart)... So much to the effect that when Jesus asked the rich young ruler to sell all his possessions and follow Him, he couldn’t do it. The Bible says that the young man walked away saddened.

REFLECTION

If I put myself in the shoes of the rich young ruler, and Jesus were to ask me to sell everything I own to follow Him (even if that path looked different than what I thought I wanted for myself), could I do it?

PRAYER

Father, your word says in James 1:17 that every good and perfect gift comes from you, so right now, I thank you for every single earthly blessing you’ve given to my family and me. I recognize that they come from you. So, I commit to you that I will guard my heart against falling in love with the things of the world system. I commit never to adore the gifts more than the giver. All of my heart’s affections belong to you, in Jesus' name, amen!

SCRIPTURES

Matthew 6:19-21

1 Timothy 6:10

Mark 10:17-22