Where Is Your Primary Focus?

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. - Luke 6:45

You may have heard of the term "World View". It has to do with how you view life on this planet. And how you view life will determine how you live life. So it is not what you say you believe but how you demonstrate your belief by what you say and do. Believing that something is right is not the same thing as acting on that belief. 

Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. - Matthew 19:16-22

Very often people will qualify their faith to match what they are willing to do. They hold on to those things that matter most to them. You may be familiar with the term "giving or surrendering your heart to the Lord" The phrase is most often associated with salvation. But sometimes our understanding of the term falls short of God's expectation.

One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:  “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ - Matthew 22:35-39

The young man got it backwards. He figured the greatest commandment was to love others - which he had demonstrated. But we are to love God first - will our all our heart, soul and mind - loving no room for anything to compete with our devotion to God. Then - the love of God will manifest itself through us toward others. It is only when our primary focus and devotion is on God will we have a Biblical or Christian world view. The young man loved wealth and all that it brought him in worldly comforts and security. That love got in the way of the greatest commandment and he was unwilling to abandon that devotion. Confronted by that truth - he walked away - sad. He could not - would not - deny his old nature. There is a song - Almost Persuaded - "almost persuaded but lost"

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. - Matthew 16:24

Listen - before you shake you finger at that young man - understand that his struggle is our struggle. Our old nature want dominion over our hearts' devotion. It is not one and done on the day the Spirit revealed and we acknowledged that "Jesus is Lord and God raised Him from the dead". 

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9

Our new life requires that we are spiritually vigilant - every day. That our primary focus is on God, the Father - our faith is in Jesus - we are submitted to the Spirit - and we are strengthened by the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. The way we live and what we do springs out of that focused relationship with Jehovah God.

So how it that working out for you?

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone