The Importance of Family, Feelings and Finances

I caught about 15 minutes of a sermon on the radio today, which fit into some passages upon which I had been meditating the last few days.

The passage of the sermon was 1 Corinthians 7:29-31:

"This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had not dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away."

This passage captures the main themes of books sold in Christian bookstores: family, feelings and finances.

Marriage, raising children, aging parents, empty nest, roles, sex education.

Depression, co-dependence, suicide, joy.

Debt, mortgages, investment, retirement.

Walk up and down the aisles of the local bookstore and that's what you'll find as topics that are filling the shelves. And an insider tip: if people weren't buying those books, the retailers wouldn't be putting them on their shelves.

So we are occupying our time and resources to learn about how to have a happy marriage, a fulfilling sex life and obedient children.

We fill our minds with how to overcome depression, be a joyful Christian, and grieve properly.

Then we attend seminars on financial peace, investment decisions and faith promise.

All the time, ignoring what Paul says here:

In light of eternity, live as if you don't have a family. They should not be the center of your universe. They should not be your source of joy. They should not be the standard of success.

In light of eternity, control your emotions. Don't waste time trying to evaluate them. They are a part of life, but they are not your life.

In light of eternity, don't be consumed by consumption. Don't look for satisfaction in what you have, but in Whom you have - and Who has you.

Why?

All of these things are fading away. Family, feelings and finances - you won't take them into eternity with you.

And they won't matter, even if you could.

The proper response is to find our satisfaction in Christ. To fill our time, spend our resources, pour our energy into knowing Christ.

As you learn to know Christ, realizing that you have everything that you need in Him, grasping that He alone will satisfy your real needs, family, feelings and finances will simply be family, feelings and finances.

They are no longer your driving force. They are no longer your source of joy. You are no longer driven by a sense of striving to please them.

Instead you find joy in Jesus. You live to please God.

And all of earth's treasures will fade away - and be replaced with the treasure beyond comparison that will endure throughout eternity: Jesus Christ.