"We should all be concerned about the future because we are going to spend the rest of our lives there", observed the late Charles F. Kettering.
While it seems reasonable that we should be concerned about the future it appears that few are, at least it is hard to imagine that they are by the wav they love. Most people appear to be living like there was no tomorrow. This is true concerning such things as savings, old age, etc. but even more especially true, and to a much larger degree, when it comes to religion.
Everything we know and see tells us that death is in the future for everyone that is born and this agrees with the wise man Solomon who said, "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything."
In spite of this, most people seem to take the attitude of just don't think about it, and maybe it will go away." They do this concerning their plans for many temporal things as well as the day of their death.
It is this attitude that keeps many people from being successful in life say the psvchologists. Few people have clear cut goals, they really do not know where they are going or why, and yet they hope to get there! It is no wonder that so many people reach their death beds spiritually bankrupt.
It is well nigh impossible to get anywhere if we don't even know where we want to go. To achieve any worthwhile goal we need to define in no
uncertain terms just what we are striving for and what must be done to accomplish it. It is surprising how few do this about everything in life. Even for temporal goals this is necessary in order to attain success. Let us hope that we have been wise and set our affections on things above rather than things on earth, but the same fundamental steps should be followed if we want to achieve success.
"We are fearfully and wonderfully made," said David. The more we understand about ourselves the more we realize this. God has created us with wonderful capabilities we seldom use to anywhere near our potential.
Just what is our goal? Just what are we doing to achieve it? Since each one of us is headed unalterably towards the grave, imaginable is to inherit eternal life at the return of Christ. This is the one goal in lite that is really worth seeking. All others are hollow victories which fail to give lasting benefits for all die and "leave their wealth to others."
Now Paul tells us to seek for this goal by a patient continuance in well doing. This is the way to achieve glory, honour and immortality. What more could our heart desire than Godly glory, honour and immortality? This is ours if we seek for it. How do we do this? First, we must want it more than anything else for surely where our treasure is, there will our heart be also. We need to study our Bibles until God's Kingdom becomes such a real thing in our lives that we can close our eyes and imagine the glory, honor and joy that awaits us. We need to set our course for this goal as the ploughman sets his goal on the landmark at the end of the field and ploughs a straight furrow towards it.
As Christ said, if we look back after putting our hand to the plough, we are not ft for the kingdom of God. The reason? We can't go forward while looking back. We cannot attain a place in the kingdom without making that our goal in life and sacrificing all else to achieve it. Paul admonished us to lay aside every weight and to run with patience the race set before us. If we are trying to drag the things of the world along behind us they will distract us to the point that we shall miss the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. This goal can be attained although it cannot be earned. It is the gift of God and, He is willing to give it to each one of us if we want it enough to seek it with all our heart.
